Ashland resident Andrew Gast chosen to succeed Hiram Towle
By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news
Andrew Gast, a lifetime skier and outdoors person who lives in Ashland, will take over duties as general manager for the Mt. Ashland Ski Area.
He succeeds Hiram Towle, who accepted a position as general manager of the Bridger Bowl Ski Area in Montana.
In making the announcement, Curt Burrill, president of the Mt. Ashland Association, said, “The board is thrilled to find a talented person like Andrew in our own backyard. Andrew understands how special Mt. Ashland is and he is ready to further enhance the experience on the mountain.”
Gast will start in his new role on Dec. 21 and be responsible for the long-term goals of Mt. Ashland, a nonprofit ski area, as well as management of its day-to-day operations. According to the Mt. Ashland Association, the mission of the area is “to provide an outstanding alpine recreation experience for people of all ages and skill levels.”
“My immediate goal is to listen and learn from our amazing team and this community of skiers and snowboarders,” Gast said. “Then we can focus on continuing the evolution of Mt. Ashland to elevate our experience and sustainability.”
Gast learned to ski in the mountains of the southeast as a child, has nearly two decades of ski and outdoor recreation experience, including work at Sky Valley Ski Area in Georgia, Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana, and Antelope Butte Mountain Recreation Area, another nonprofit ski area, in Wyoming. He is a graduate of the Ski Area Management program at Colorado State University and has an MBA in tourism and an undergraduate degree in outdoor recreation. Gast is an avid mountain ultramarathon runner and recently started competing in “skimo” (ski mountaineering) events.
Gast is active in a variety of organizations focused on outdoor education, recreation and youth programming.
“I’m a lifelong skier and lover of the mountains”, he said. “I’m excited to join the team at the mountain that I already consider home and am truly honored to be chosen as a steward for this amazing ski area and outdoor community.”
Mt. Ashland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ski area owned and operated by the Mt. Ashland Association under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service.
Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at 337lee337@charter.net.
