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Skiers yearn for return of snow Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Debbie Woodrum, 11, of Myrtle Creek, left, and Tessa Falk, 11, of Canyonville, fight a strong headwind to reach the Sonnet chairlift Sunday at Ski Ashland, where wind and warm weather have exposed rocks and bare soil. Ski area manager Jeff Hanson said the mountain will be open today, but that new snow will be required for it to stay open. Fierce wind in high places By Bill Kettler A howling gale was the last thing skiers on Mount Ashland needed Sunday. Icy, hard snow, exposed rocks and patches of bare soil gave skiers and snowboarders all the challenges they needed. Forty- to 50-mph winds that buffeted the ski area made it hard just to stand up, let alone navigate obstacles. "It was as treacherous as it could be," said snowboarder Ari Steffan, of Ashland. "Rock minefields," said his pal, Jason Fauble. "We had to take our skis off to get to the chairlift," said Tessa Falk, of Canyonville. Falk had to walk to make headway against blustery winds at the head of a large Pacific storm that rolled into Southern Oregon. Skiers and ski area managers alike were hoping the storm would produce enough snow to prevent the ski area from closing. "We�ll be open (today)," said ski area manager Jeff Hanson, "and hopefully we�ll be able to tell everyone our lifts are opening back up instead of closing down." Without new snow, Ski Ashland could close as early as Tuesday. Hanson said day-to-day updates would be posted on the ski area snow phones (482-2754, 770-2754). Skiers are suffering through the first dry winter in nearly 10 years. At the end of December there was barely 50 percent of normal snowpack in the Siskiyou Mountains. Mount Ashland�s last snow fell on Dec. 23. Scarce snow has forced Ski Ashland to change its operations several times since it opened on Dec. 17. Only the two lower chairlifts and a few ski trails were usable when the ski area opened. The two upper chairlifts, Ariel and Windsor, opened just before Christmas when a storm dropped about nine inches of snow over several days. Ariel chairlift closed last week after several warm days melted too much snow on the popular trails that descend from the summit of Mount Ashland. The Windsor chairlift was limited to expert skiers and snowboarders as snow thinned on lower-elevation runs. Hanson said scarce snow kept some skiers at home during the two-week Christmas holiday, but Ski Ashland still drew about two-thirds of its normal business. The year-end holidays can make or break a ski season financially. Ski areas typically earn as much as one-fourth of the season�s income during the two weeks that schools close for Christmas and New Year�s. Hanson said conditions began to deteriorate late last week when a spell of mild weather pushed afternoon temperatures on the mountain into the 50s. The warm days exposed more rocks and opened up bare patches. The remaining snow refroze during at night, creating an icy surface. Many skiers and snowboarders still felt optimistic Sunday, despite the howling wind and challenging conditions. "We�ll be back tomorrow if it snows tonight," said Fauble, the snowboarder, as he loaded his gear and headed home." "Just to be out in the fresh air is still nice," said Ute Sherbow, of Ashland, who was skiing with her sons, Toby and Mark. Sherbow, a season pass holder, said there�s still time for plenty of skiing if the snow comes. If it doesn�t, she and other season-pass holders could get a partial refund on their investment. Ski Ashland�s season passes guarantee that the mountain will be open for at least 90 days. If the ski area has been open for fewer than 90 days when the season ends, season-pass holders will be eligible for a partial rebate, based on the number of days the mountain was actually open for business. If for example, Ski Ashland were to operate just 80 days, season-pass holders would be eligible for a one-ninth rebate. Hanson said it�s far too early to speculate about rebates. "We really won�t know until sometime in April whether we�ve met that (90-day season) or not. "We�re hoping to get enough (new snow) to have a good day...Tuesday." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.