Comparatively low prices and small crowds at Mt. Ashland have historically attracted out of town visitors. This season, Rogue Valley locals are visiting the mountain in unusually large numbers.
鈥淢ostly, we鈥檙e a local ski area," says Hiram Towle, the general manager at Mt. Ashland. "We鈥檙e a drive market, we serve the Rogue Valley primarily. That鈥檚 our bread and butter. We have a lot of season pass holders who are locals who have been skiing here for a long time.鈥�
Towle says that this year, they aren鈥檛 doing any advertising out-of-state in an effort to preserve the space for locals. Still, he says they are anticipating a record-breaking 100,000 skier visits this year.
Towle thinks that the pandemic has kept people cooped up indoors this winter, and outdoor recreation, like skiing, is a relatively safe way to get out of the house and get exercise.
鈥淲e are definitely seeing new people entering the sport," says Towle. "It is, I think, partly due to COVID and there鈥檚 not a lot of other sports. You know, folks who would generally be indoors working out are still looking to stay healthy in body and mind. And skiing and riding and being in this environment does that for them.鈥�
The ski area has put in place a variety of safety measures, such as enforcing social distancing and mask wearing. They even closed down the lodge, but sales are still skyrocketing.