Which means that the snow is piled up even higher than earlier in the winter, but the weather is not nearly as severe.  Three weeks and a day ago, we had a spectacular day here, the kind of day that is all too rare in our winters.  So naturally I drove down to Mt. Rainier to take some pictures and to do a little skiing.

I stopped at Longmire to have lunch.  The National Park Inn believes in keeping their firewood dry.

(Longmire's elevation is just 2,761 feet.  In most Marches, you would not see this much snow at Longmire.)

The snow is still falling, but it is also melting, so the south sides of the trees looked like Christmas trees, decorated with icicles sparkling in the sun.

The north sides of many trees were still covered with inches of snow, and some trees looked just like snowmen from that direction.

(And from the east side, what did they look like?  Similes fail me, but if you think of a good one, let me know.)

Since this was a trip to Mt. Rainier, I should show you at least one picture of the mountain.

The snow was fine for cross country skiing where the snowshoers had packed down trails.  (Sometimes snowshoers make good trails for cross country skiers; sometimes they ruin good trails.)

Cross posted at Jim Miller on Politics.

(Here's my standard advice if you are planning to visit Rainier soon.  If you can, decide on your trip with a "now cast", rather than a forecast.  That is, decide to go on the morning of the trip, after you have checked current conditions.  You can look at the mountain through the main webcam, and at the approach road and the parking lot through the west and east webcams.  And you can hear the park's automated message at 360-569-2211.

The sliding area will be open, though not supervised, through this Sunday.  So if your kids didn't get enough sliding this winter, you have one last chance this weekend.  There is still plenty of snow; according to the automated message, they have 184 inches on the ground at Paradise.

The new Jackson visitor's center should be open this weekend.  It is unfinished and currently serves only cold sandwiches, cold drinks and hot coffee and (I think) tea.  There is room for a picnic lunch there if you want to bring your own.

And if the weather is as nice as predicted on Sunday, I will probably take my own advice, check the "now cast", and if it is good, drive down there for a little more skiing.)