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Ski Ashland opens Sunday photo by Jim Craven Ski instructor Al Brokofsky trudges across the main slope at Mount Ashland after making a test run to check the condition of the snow. Ski Ashland is working to cover rocky spots to prepare for a partial-opening day Sunday. Slopes groomed for first day By JOHN DARLING for the Mail Tribune Although conditions are described as "bony" -- 22 inches of snow at the lodge and 33 inches on top of the runs -- Ski Ashland plans to open all four ski lifts Sunday. Most runs will be machine-groomed for rock-free skiing and boarding; some runs, however, including the bowl and south side, will remain closed until more snow falls, said Manager Bruce Meek. A major storm expected next week should improve conditions, he added. In the meantime, Meek said, skiers should not bring their best skis, because some rocks are exposed. Other ski areas in Oregon and northern California also will be opening soon, thanks to a winter storm that piled up snow in the Cascade and Siskiyou mountains. Mount Hood Meadows opened Friday after receiving about an inch of snow per hour throughout the day Thursday. Mount Shasta Ski Park, with a current snowpack of between 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 feet, will open Wednesday -- though the park's extensive snowmaking system will augment the snowpack. New at Ski Ashland this year is a separate snowboard rental area, which should speed up the rental process, Meek said. The main changes since last season are not visible: a $750,000 wastewater treatment plant and a new $30,000 cable on Windsor lift. "Some skiers who remember other lean years might be asking us what we're doing open," Meek said, "but we're pretty sure the storms will be there." This area is likely headed for higher-than-normal precipitation and lower-than-normal temperatures, according to the Scripps Oceanographic Survey's long-range predictions, he said. It's as expensive for the ski area to open in low-snow conditions as it is to open with too much snow -- as was the case last season -- Meek said, because in both cases, snowcats have extra grooming work to do. Mount Ashland's proposed 4,500-foot ski run awaits an Environmental Impact Statement from the U.S. Forest Service this month, Meek said, followed by a public comment period and likely legal challenges. The run would provide 82 acres of mostly easy terrain west of Caliban and below the bowl. Mount Ashland now features 200 acres over 23 runs, with a 1,150-foot drop. The area received 600 inches of La Nina-driven snowfall last year. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA