Mailtribune.com - Oregon Outdoors Sections

Skiing the endless winter

So you think the ski season is over.

Recap of the winter that almost wasn't

The winter that's ending won't go down as the best season in Mount Ashland's 45-year history, but it was far from the worst.

Family, friends pick up the pace at 17th annual Sloan Cup race

March Madness on Mount Ashland means seeing how goofy can you look going down a race course. For the second weekend in a row, skiers in crazy costumes flooded the slopes as young racers, coaches, friends and families participated in the 17th annual Mt. Ashland Race Association's Sloan Cup Family Fun Race.

Remember 'Chene' and ski for free

Gene Landsmann died just over a year ago, but he will be remembered this weekend in ski races at Mount Ashland and Mount Shasta.

Snow Wars

Darth Vader and his stormtroopers officiated. Chewbacca was there. So was Princess Leia.

Mount Ashland closure a tough call

What's good for skiers and snowboarders isn't necessarily good for the folks who manage their winter playgrounds.

Skiing for dummies

A bunch of dummies competed on the slopes of Mount Ashland Saturday, and it got ugly for some of them. The Dummy Downhill Race pitted crash dummies, created by Southern Oregon University students, against the mountain and each other. Contest rules dictated that dummies could not weigh more than 125 pounds, they had to be mounted on one snowboard or two skis, and they couldn't be constructed with glass, sharp metal objects or explosives.

Wind Walkers

BEND — Finally, a gust of wind blew hard across the cold white terrain, puffing a swirling cloud of snow into the blue sky on a ridge near the east base of Ball Butte.

Dummies will start flying soon at SOU

You can expect snow on the Southern Oregon University campus Monday — at least on the grass near Stevenson Union.

Throwin' it down at Rail Jam

Despite low-snow conditions, 60 snowboarders and skiers competed Sunday at Mount Ashland's third annual Rail Jam at the Comber terrain park, more than double the number who entered in 2008.

Dream a little Dream: storms line up for snow

Powder hounds have had little to howl about this winter, but storms at midweek raised hopes that the second half of the ski season will be something to shout about.

Skiers vs. snowboarders

On the slopes these days, most skiers and snowboarders give little thought to what is strapped to whose feet. They go about their similar goals of riding powder, catching air or just reaching the bottom of the slope.

Hoodoo Ski Area

With snow taking a vacation from Southern Oregon, skiers might want to take a look north to the Hoodoo Ski Area.

Local freestylers nail Mount Bachelor tricks

The Medford Ski/Snowboard Education Foundation freestyle team started the year with high hopes. With the lack of snow on Mount Ashland this year, however, their hopes were turning sour.