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Don't like the snow? Ski again another day As slopes open, vouchers offered at Mount Ashland Forecasters expect snow levels to rise to 7,000 feet for today's season opener at Mount Ashland, but fair-weather skiers and snowboarders take heart. Your local hill now offers a snow guarantee. Those who buy all-day, all-lift tickets and then find snow conditions less than perfect can return to the lodge ticket counter within 45 minutes and receive a full-value voucher for another day. Resort manager Glenn Menzie said he's seen the guarantee in several other ski areas and that it's not uncommon in the industry. On Tuesday, the ski hill's snowpack ranged from 54 inches at the base area to 73 inches on top. All four chairlifts were scheduled to operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. Night skiing begins Friday, and lasts until 10 p.m. The rest of the season, night skiing is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Menzie said he didn't know if the opening snowpack was a record, but said it's certainly one of the best Ski Ashland has ever had. "We have a lot of snow," he said. "It's great we could open for Thanksgiving." Today's opening is about two weeks earlier than normal; the average opening date has been around Dec. 10 for most of the resort's 35 seasons. Last year, the Dec. 10 opening day was greeted by about 800 people at the resort; they enjoyed sunny skies and 29 inches at the base and 37 inches on the peak. Early crowds have ranged from the average of 700 or 800 on most opening days to a record 3,000 on Dec. 12, 1992, the second day of that season. The earliest openings on record at the mountain were both on Nov. 16: exactly 10 years apart in 1984 and 1994. For more information about the ski resort, go to the Mail Tribune Web site, www.mailtribune.com . Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1998, Medford, Oregon USA