Mt. Ashland's Windsor Chair Gets One More Winter, and the Mountain Is Counting Every Day
The Windsor chair has carried riders up Mt. Ashland since 1978. It's a Yan double, and the ski area's chairlift project page calls it the "portal" lift because it serves most of the mountain. Windsor will run again this winter, and the Mt. Ashland Association says both Windsor and Ariel are safe to operate for 2026-27. The association has also said that a critical part of Windsor has reached the end of its service life, and that repairs could cost more than seven figures.
That mix of "safe this season" and "out of time soon" explains most of what changed on the mountain since last spring. Mt. Ashland is a small community nonprofit. The pass credits, the end of the shuttle, the lift schedule and the new general manager all come back to one goal: keeping the mountain's main operations healthy until Windsor can be replaced in 2027.
Mt. Ashland opened late last winter, on a limited basis on December 29, 2025. At first only Lithia, Sonnet, Comer and the First Act carpet were running. Windsor, Ariel and the terrain they serve stayed closed because there wasn't enough snow. The Rogue Valley Times followed the season in stops and starts: three days from December 29, then January 7 through 12, then January 14.
KOBI-NBC5 reported on March 12, 2026, that the mountain was closing for the season after record-low snowfall and unusually warm temperatures. It had been open 17 operating days and seven twilight nights.
Under the season pass policy Mt. Ashland posts, a standard unlimited pass promises at least 50 operating days. For each day short of 50, passholders get a 1% discount on the next season's pass of the same type, up to 50%. Twilight passes promise 15 sessions, with a 3% discount for each missed session. Here is how last winter worked out under those rules:
| Pass type | Promised minimum | 2025-26 actual | Shortfall | Credit toward the next season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | 50 operating days | 17 days | 33 days | 33% |
| Twilight | 15 sessions | 7 nights | 8 sessions | 24% |
Those percentages are exactly what KOBI reported for returning passholders at the spring pass sale. The policy pays out as a discount, never as a refund. Passes stay nonrefundable even in a short season, there's no guarantee of snow, terrain or lifts, and any credit has to be applied by May 31. The policy page says it was last updated in April 2024, so passholders should check it again before counting on those terms for this winter. A bad snow year at Mt. Ashland means a smaller pass bill the following season, while the nonprofit keeps the cash it needs to operate.
Low snow is what shortened last season. The association also says Windsor ran only on and off during the 17 days the area was open, and it warns that losing the lift completely could cost more than $1 million a year, on top of repair costs. In its chairlift replacement update, the association calls that "an existential challenge for the nonprofit community ski area."
The U.S. Forest Service has approved replacing both Windsor and Ariel. Ariel has run since 1964, and together the two chairs reach more than half of Mt. Ashland's terrain. The association started its Chairlift Replacement Campaign in 2025 but didn't raise enough to install the first new lift in summer 2026. Ashland.news reported on July 9, 2026 that $1.87 million was still needed for Windsor, and that the Karen & Sid DeBoer Foundation will match up to $500,000 in donations. The goal is to raise just under $1.9 million before May 2027.
Ashland.news also described the plan for each lift:
The work stays inside the existing lift corridors, and no new terrain is being developed. The association says they should mean shorter lift lines, more reliable service and better handling of high winds and winter weather. Until then, it says, the old chairs will keep running, giving guests, staff and longtime supporters
"an opportunity to say bittersweet goodbyes."
If the fundraising stays on schedule, this is the last full winter on the 1978 chair. The association's case for donations reaches beyond skiing. It estimates Mt. Ashland brings about $9 million a year into Southern Oregon's economy, employs more than 250 seasonal workers and gives over $50,000 a year in scholarships to more than 1,400 young people through the Student Learn to Ski & Ride Program and Alpine Adventure Camps.
The mountain report on Mt. Ashland's website sorts runs into terrain groups. It doesn't assign each run to a single chair, but the groups make clear how much of a typical day starts near Windsor.
Ariel serves the hardest terrain on the mountain. Last December, when Windsor was closed, all the terrain it serves was closed too. Windsor's reliability affects the middle of the mountain, where most of those Shakespeare-named runs are.
The same priority of protecting core operations is behind the end of the guest shuttle. In a note signed by then-general manager Andrew Gast, Mt. Ashland said it had launched, paused and reworked the shuttle several times. The service kept losing money, and the liability and regulatory rules for carrying passengers had grown well beyond what the ski area is set up to handle. The association said it would help connect guests with a shuttle if a local transportation company or organization ever runs one. Its own bus now carries employees only, which the ski area says helps with parking congestion.
The Rogue Valley Times reported that Gast resigned at the end of January to become president and general manager of Eldora. His successor, Rachel Canada, started September 1, 2026. She was Director of Mountain Operations at Willamette Pass and has more than 20 years of experience in mountain operations and resort management. She starts with an aging lift to keep running, a fundraising deadline in May and a mountain that most people now reach by car.
Without the shuttle, the drive up comes with a few requirements.
The pass policy, permit rules and chain law described here are general information, not legal or financial advice. Please confirm the current terms with Mt. Ashland, ODOT or the Forest Service before you go.
Patrick and Polina at Leiser Real Estate Group pay attention to what makes daily life in Ashland what it is, and a nonprofit community ski area on the town's namesake mountain is part of it. If you live in town and want to know what your home is worth this winter, ask us for your home value. We're happy to talk about Windsor's last season too.
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Patrick and Polina have lived in Southern Oregon for more than a decade. They know – and love – this area and often refer to it as “America’s Best Kept Secret.” Whether you are looking to purchase your dream home, sell your existing property or build your real estate portfolio, this dynamic duo has the insight, creativity, and a clear understanding of the market to ensure your success. While Patrick and Polina work collaboratively throughout the process, you will see that each of them brings something unique and valuable to the team, giving you the competitive advantage in every scenario.