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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Fire agencies respond to likely human-caused grass fires today, Sunday ... Group files paperwork for $13.50 minimum wage ballot measure ... New printer will get RCC students thinking in three dimensions ... Fire agencies respond to likely human-caused grass fires today, Sunday ... Group files paperwork for $13.50 minimum wage ballot measure ... New printer will get RCC students thinking in three dimensions ... DROUGHT Mt. Ashland survives to ski another season Revenues were down, but so were expenses Comment By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 10:04 AM Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 2:18 PM By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 10:04 AM Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 2:18 PM » Social News Although Mt. Ashland was only open for 42 percent of a normal season, it countered that by saving on expenses by 33 percent — and is now working on getting U.S. Forest Service approval for a range of summer activities, including a zipline, rock climbing, disc golf, geocaching and extreme jumping, to help the drought-plagued ski area balance its budget. That’s the year-end report card of Mt. Ashland General Manager Hiram Towle as he sells early pre-season passes at $299 for adults — $200 below the in-season price and $100 below the autumn price. The spring sale ends Thursday, April 30. After operating for only 38 days of the 2014-15 season, Mt. Ashland fell well short of its budgeted revenue goal of $2 million, Towle said. But expense savings allowed the nonprofit Mt. Ashland Association that's run the ski area since 1992 to finish the season “in a fairly healthy cash position,” according to Towle. The area also brought in $150,000 in charitable donations over the winter from the community. All this has enabled Mt. Ashland to avoid taking out lines of credit, which many small ski areas must do, he said. Proposals for summer recreation activities are moving forward, with the ski area waiting to receive a letter from the Forest Service "as the next step toward getting us operating in more than just four months a year," according to Towle. "Many ski areas are doing this," he said. "In fact only 27 percent of ski areas in the U.S. do not have summer operations.” Selling early season passes helps Mt. Ashland get through the summer and they hope to sell over 1,000 by the end of the month. A bulge in sales, up to 50 percent of total, usually happens in the last few days, he says. Towle painted no rosy picture of Mt. Ashland’s future, noting that with iffy weather and rising insurance costs, small ski areas are going out of business every day. But he said there are steps that can be taken to offset the negatives. “We will never be able to weatherproof Mt. Ashland, but we’re farming (moving) snow out of the parking lot to places where it’s needed, trimming the slopes (for safe skiing over less snow) and diversifying summer operations, aiming those for 2016.” The ski area is also looking at concerts and expanding the hosting of weddings and yoga retreats for the more distant future, he says. Bicycling using the ski lifts has been ruled out because of steepness. The ski area was unable to open during the winter of 2013-2014 due to a lack of snow. It took out a $750,000 Small Business Administration disaster loan to stay afloat. Asked if climate change figured into the long-range planning of Mt. Ashland, Towle said, “You bet it does,” but he added that climate change does not always mean warmer and drier, as shown by New England, where he came from. It just had all-time record snowfall and cold after a dozen years of the opposite. Mt. Ashland had just 71 inches of snow fall during its season — down from 101 inches for its non-season the year before and well down from the longer-range average of 300 inches. “Our goal is to be environmentally sustainable for the future,” he noted. “I believe climate change is upon us and will bring change ... If it remains dry and warm, we are prepared. ... It’s clearly something to worry about.” Towle said area managers are focusing on heightened efficiency and planning for every eventuality, including low snow. “We’re absolutely confident,” he said, adding that much of the doubt in the community is “a perception issue,” with some people even asking him if he opened this season. “Diversifying is crucial to any business that can suffer downturns in their business, and we intend to generate revenue in our off season to undergird our ski area operations.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By John Darling for the Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 28, 2015 at 10:04 AM Updated Apr 28, 2015 at 2:18 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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