Skiing

Mt. Ashland Ski Area. This winter-sports playground in the Siskiyou Mountains is halfway between San Francisco and Portland. The ski runs average more than 265 inches of snow each year. There are 23 trails, virtually all of them intermediate and advanced, in addition to chute skiing in a glacial cirque called the bowl. Two triple and two double chairlifts accommodate a vertical drop of 1,150 feet; the longest of the runs is 1 mile. Facilities include rentals, repairs, instruction, a ski shop, a restaurant, and a bar. A couple of days a week, usually Thursday and Friday, there's also lighted twilight skiing until 9 pm. Anytime of year the drive up the twisting road to the ski area is incredibly scenic, affording views of 14,162-foot Mt. Shasta, some 90 miles south in California. Mt. Ashland Access Rd., off Exit 6 from I–5, 18 miles south of downtown, Ashland, Oregon, 97520. 541/482–2897; www.mtashland.com. Lift ticket $48. Nov.–Apr., daily 9–4; twilight skiing, Jan.–mid-Mar., Thurs. and Fri. 3–9.