Mount Ashland

Apart from the fact that the locals rescued Mount Ashland from closure a few years back, there's not much ado about this charming but unremarkable area except for one intriguing fact: many of its trails have Shakespearean names. It doesn't stop there. The town of Ashland has a major Shakespeare festival, and the ski area – 23 tree-lined trails, chute skiing off a cirque and a vertical drop of 1,150ft – decided to echo the town's preoccupation with The Bard. Hence runs like Romeo, Juliet and the back-country area: Much Ado. Mount Ashland – said, rather grandly, to be in the heart of the Oregon Alps – is close to the Californian border and enjoys spectacular views of the Cascade mountains.