22 April 2010, Mt. Rainier, Paradise YUCK

1-2 inches of new over 6 or more inches of half-frozen slush; Paradise cameras showed glimpses of blue sky, so up I went; at the base of Pan Face, could hardly see my hand in front of my face; closed my eyes and skied down into Edith Basin, then blindly wandering, then backtracking to the boot pack to the bridge at the falls.  2nd hand report was some blue sky at Pebble Creek and 50 mph winds at 9,000 ft.  Saw a bunch of cars parked at the closed Stevens Canyon Road--time to break out the bicycle (earlier it was signed "No Entry" as opposed to previous years "Closed"--signs are well set back now, so I couldn't read them).  Paradise Valley Road nicely plowed to the plowed 4 xing parking lot; they were not working on it today or it looks like for several days but the road is closed.  Typical spring shenanigans to inhibit snow enthusiasts while complaining to the Tacoma News Tribune that visitation is down at Mt. Rainier but up at other parks.