Skiing and snowboarding have never been big high-school sports in Southern Oregon, but that doesn't mean there aren't kids who want to compete.

Mount Ashland had the dubious distinction this week of having the thinnest snow pack among Oregon ski areas.

A wide variety of unusual fauna inhabits the Siskiyou Mountains, but none are stranger than the tele lizard, a species that converges annually on Mount Ashland.

Cross-country skiers revel in the majesty of Crater Lake National Park's forests with a tour on East Rim Drive. The first lake view is a daunting five miles from the trailhead, but you will be out of the wind where you can experience the forest from a wide roadbed.

Cross-country skiing to Stuart Falls from U.S. Highway 62 in Crater Lake National Park can test your endurance over a long ski day. For your safety and pleasure, bring companions to help you cut this lightly used trail, which stays out of the wind on its southwest course to the falls.

They call it "the Wall" with good reason.

The magnetic draw of Crater Lake makes the three-mile section of West Rim Drive from the Rim Village (7,100 feet) to the west side of the Watchman (7,400 feet) the most popular cross-country ski route in Crater Lake National Park. Backcountry skiers start their tours of the rim here, and day trippers put up with a choppy beginning to indulge in views that often extend to Mount McLoughlin and Mount Shasta.

Lt. Pat Rowland had good reason to smile this week.

The loops at Summit Sno-Park give cross-country skiers ways to tailor their tours to match conditions. If you like a lot of downhill action, this 5.6-mile tour to Summit Shelter will make you think you've defied the laws of physics with climbs and a lively descent on the way out (3 miles) and an all-downhill return (2.6 miles).

East of the Cascade Divide, cross-country skiers find drier snow and colder temperatures.