A money-back guarantee on skiing or boarding? That's the deal at Mount Ashland Ski Area. If after 45 minutes you're not completely satisfied, you get a full-refund voucher to use another day. Not that there are many days that aren't worth the price of a lift ticket. Mount Ashland proves that great things come in small packages. Sure, proponents of bigger is better might point to the mere 200 acres of skiable terrain, but put them on the top of the legendary summit bowl, and they'll quickly become a believer. Mount Ashland arguably has the most expert terrain of any area in the Pacific Northwest.

Snow at Mount Ashland is generally very good. At 7,500 feet, it's the highest peak in the Siskiyou Range. The ski area faces north, so temperatures tend to be cooler than many Oregon resorts, but that means lighter, fluffier snow. The summit can get windy, but vistas are postcard perfect. You have a balcony view of majestic Mount Shasta and the jagged Trinity Alps to the south. Climbers will appreciate the direct line of sight across to Castle Crags, remote granite spires just over the California border. To the north is Mount McLaughlin, and in the distance, the distinctive rocky horn of Mount Thielson and the heavily glaciated Diamond Peak Wilderness Area.

While the chutes and drops into The Bowl provoke expressions that resemble Munch's painting "The Scream," the novice runs are sure to make beginners smile. Despite the predominance of expert terrain, Mount Ashland does a great job of catering to the novice crowd. The My Turn program is dedicated to developing new snow fanatics. Beginner students get three days of lifts, lessons, and rentals for about

A money-back guarantee on skiing or boarding? That's the deal at Mount Ashland Ski Area. If after 45 minutes you're not completely satisfied, you get a full-refund voucher to use another day. Not that there are many days that aren't worth the price of a lift ticket. Mount Ashland proves that great things come in small packages. Sure, proponents of bigger is better might point to the mere 200 acres of skiable terrain, but put them on the top of the legendary summit bowl, and they'll quickly become a believer. Mount Ashland arguably has the most expert terrain of any area in the Pacific Northwest.

Snow at Mount Ashland is generally very good. At 7,500 feet, it's the highest peak in the Siskiyou Range. The ski area faces north, so temperatures tend to be cooler than many Oregon resorts, but that means lighter, fluffier snow. The summit can get windy, but vistas are postcard perfect. You have a balcony view of majestic Mount Shasta and the jagged Trinity Alps to the south. Climbers will appreciate the direct line of sight across to Castle Crags, remote granite spires just over the California border. To the north is Mount McLaughlin, and in the distance, the distinctive rocky horn of Mount Thielson and the heavily glaciated Diamond Peak Wilderness Area.

While the chutes and drops into The Bowl provoke expressions that resemble Munch's painting "The Scream," the novice runs are sure to make beginners smile. Despite the predominance of expert terrain, Mount Ashland does a great job of catering to the novice crowd. The My Turn program is dedicated to developing new snow fanatics. Beginner students get three days of lifts, lessons, and rentals for about $120.

If Shakespeare skied, Mount Ashland would have been his favorite area. Many of the lifts and runs are named in tribute to the Bard, in harmony with the nearby town of Ashland's world-class Shakespearean theater and festival. Beginning classics include the kid-friendly Poet Rope Tow that gently ascends a low-angled bunny hill. The beginner chair is the Sonnet Lift. The run is groomed daily, with a top section that's somewhat steeper than traditional novice runs, with a long, sweet, slightly graded run out at the bottom. To notch it up, take the Comer Lift, a good place for newcomers cut their teeth before venturing farther up the mountain. Off the Comer Chair are Lower Juliet and Lower Romeo, both challenging, wide-open intermediate runs, groomed daily, with plenty room for practicing turns of all types.

The two other chairs, Windsor and Ariel, also access some excellent intermediate terrain. Mount Ashland's "signature" intermediate run is Dream. From the summit perch of the Ariel Lift, Dream is almost a mile long, with a lot of fun cruising. Caliban, just to the west of Dream, is also a long, moderate cruiser that cuts a wide path through the pine forests. Traversing the ridgeline to the west of Ariel leads to The Bowl, a large snow-filled cirque accessed by four chutes. If there's been recent snow, the powder in the Chute rivals the best of Utah and Colorado. All options into the cirque can be a humbling experience, even for expert skiers, but Chute 3 is the hardest. Successfully descending The Bowl (taking off your board or skis and sliding down doesn't count) is a rite of passage for locals. The Ariel's "lift line run" and Upper Tempest, to the west of the chair, are also steep mogul territory not for the faint of heart. Twilight skiing on the lower mountain starts in early January and runs Thursday and Friday nights from 3 to 9 p.m.

Calling Mount Ashland a "community area" doesn't do it justice. In the old days, the mountain was characterized by the scraggly, young free-heel and alpine skiers who attended the nearby Southern Oregon State College. The college has matured to a full-blown university, and there are more Subaru Outbacks in the parking lot than VW buses. There is a thriving telemark population, with plenty of boarders and alpine skiers thrown in the mix. The crowd is a healthy balance of the collegians; families from Ashland and the nearby towns of Medford and Klamath Falls; refugees from Sacramento and San Francisco seeking an uncrowded mountain experience at a bargain price; and the chic, well-heeled newcomers who have relocated to Ashland for the culture and quality of life.

The lodge has a homey, friendly atmosphere. Head to the espresso bar in the Balcony Bistro for tasty coffee drinks, lip-smacking biscotti and home-baked pastries. The appetizers at the Mountain Café on the main level are delicious, and the T-Bar Lounge serves up a mean hot toddy. The real nightlife, however, is a half-hour drive away in the town of Ashland. The town boasts more than 70 restaurants and bars, so if you ski hard, you can dine and dance the night away. For an alternative to the traditional apres-ski experience, Ashland has great theater, with a year-round cabaret that features musical comedies. Shakespearean productions start in mid-February. For a Falstaffian-style pub crawl, start in the plaza in the center of town. Within a stone's throw are the Black Sheep, the Standing Stone Brewing Company, and Creekside Pizza. Mount Ashland has a dozen lodging partners in and around Ashland, which offer great stay-and-ski packages. Fun choices are the Ashland Springs Hotel or one of Ashland's Victorian bed-and-breakfasts.

Where: Mount Ashland Ski Area is about seven miles north of the California border, just off Interstate 5. Take Exit 6 and travel eight miles on the well-maintained road. The mountain is about halfway between San Francisco and Portland, and approximately 60 miles as the crow flies from the Pacific Ocean. An Oregon Sno-Park permit is needed for the parking lot. Day passes are $5 and can be bought in the lodge.