Mt. Ashland, Ore. – Mt. Ashland Ski Resort Manager Hiram Towle looks over the construction that covers nearly every square inch of the 52-year-old lodge.
Towle said, “Pretty much every part of the lodge except for the fourth floor is getting some sort of work.”
From a kitchen remodel which is going to help with the flow of food and beverage out of the lodge to the addition of 1,000 square feet–and a completely new–rental space in the basement.
Towle said every single update in this renovation came from recommendations from patrons. “If they don’t have an enjoyable first trip we are not going to be able to convert them into skiers and riders which is what we are intending to do here.”
Towle added, “Another area getting totally revamped is the bar. Gone are the walls and ceiling that once hid original wood detail.”
If all stays on schedule, the lodge should be mostly complete by the end of November, just in time for what the mountain hopes will be as busy a season as last year.
“We generally have about 70,000 skier visits. Last year we did 80,000 so we have more people to serve and so we want them to have a comfortable experience,” Towle explained. “Our intent is to keep this place here for future generations and that can’t be done without the support of our community.”
Speaking of community support, Towle said the renovation is possible because of donations from companies like Hughes Lumber, Murphy Plywood, Grisam and the Karen and Sid DeBoer foundation.
The renovation project has raised more than one million dollars.
The resort still needs about $500,000 more to complete the work.
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