The Mount Ashland Ski Area kicked off its 60th anniversary celebration last week, revealing the new logo and theme for the upcoming season and revealing some ambitious plans for the future.
The 60th anniversary theme is "Elevate Mount Ashland" as the ski area focuses on enhancing the visitor experience and better serving those who are new to mountain sports.
First opened in 1964, Mount Ashland still uses much of the original infrastructure and plans to revitalize the facility as visitation continues to increase. The resort is coming off its biggest winter ever and it opened this past summer for the first time.
Mount Ashland has begun planning for installation of a new chairlift, replacing the current surface lift. This chairlift -- which will be called the "Lithia Chair" -- will reopen beginner and intermediate terrain that has been inaccessible since the original lift was removed in the 1980s.
This project is made possible due to the largest gift Mount Ashland has ever received -- $2 million from the Sid and Karen Deboer Foundation plus $500,000 from Sid and Karen Deboer themselves..
Ski area managers have also announced other projects are part of the anniversary revitalization starting with $1 million in upgrades currently underway. Mount A has purchased two demo-used snowcats to provide expanded and improved slope grooming while being more fuel efficient with a smaller carbon footprint. Other planned improvements will address night-skiing, lodge services and infrastructure.
