Mt. Ashland Launches 60th Anniversary Celebration
The Mt. Ashland Ski Area kicked off its 60th anniversary celebration this week, revealing the logo and theme for the upcoming season and revealing ambitious plans for the future. The anniversary theme is “Elevate Mt. 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, Mt. Ashland still uses much of the original infrastructure and plans to revitalize the facility as visitation continues to increase.
“We just came off our biggest winter ever, and opening in summer for the first time,” said Andrew Gast, Mt. Ashland’s General Manager. “Our 60th anniversary is a time for us to celebrate the rich history of our mountain, and to look forward to ensure that the next generation of mountain enthusiasts can have the same experiences as those who have been visiting Mt. Ashland for many, many years.”
Mt. Ashland has begun planning for installation of a new chairlift, replacing what used to be a Poma surface lift. This chairlift, to be called the Lithia Chair, will reopen beginner and intermediate terrain that has been inaccessible since the original lift was removed in the 1980s. The project is made possible due to the largest gift Mt. Ashland has ever received, $2 million from the Sid and Karen Deboer Foundation and $500,000 from Sid and Karen Deboer.
Ski area managers have also announced other projects as part of the 60th anniversary revitalization starting with $1 million in upgrades currently underway. This includes the announcement that Mt. Ashland has purchased two demo-used snowcats to provide expanded and improved slope grooming while being more fuel efficient and have less carbon footprint. Other planned improvements as part of the Elevate Mt. Ashland initiative will address night skiing, lodge and arrival services, and aging infrastructure around the ski area.
“This is a historic time for us, as we truly look to ‘Elevate Mt. Ashland’ in everything we do,” said Gast. “We will continue to make it easier and more accessible for everyone to learn mountain sports, while also making some improvements for our experienced visitors who come up to play year-round.”
Mt. Ashland’s mission is to provide and promote a healthy quality experience in an alpine environment. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ski area owned and operated by the Mt. Ashland Association under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service.
