April 19, 2008, MTTA, Ashford, WA

Snowed here in Ashford all day yesterday and last night, got up to a few accumulated inches and forecasts for potentially heavy snow at Paradise; telephone said they wouldn't open till 11 a.m. (about 10 inches overnight) and I didn't want to sit around, so I headed out and did a XC ski patrol day on Mt. Tahoma Ski & Snowshoe Trail system.  Had to drive thru 2-3 inches on the logging road and started skiing at 2800 ft; the higher I went the deeper the new powder but it was snowing so heavily I couldn't tell overnight from morning snow, maxed out at probably a foot of new at the intersection of Rainier View and Cal's Trail ( probably 4 miles from the car, 1,500 vf gain to 4,300 ft asl, I think); turned around an skied down, about a 2 hr RT ... but a good 5 inches of new on the car!  As I headed home I saw a line of cars coming from Mt. Rainier (about 11:30 a.m.) so I wonder if they opened at all.  Its 2.45 p.m. an still snowing; I think we had more than 10 inches here at my cabin (just outside the Nisqually Entrance to MRNP).  Can't match Amar, Hannah, et al.s trips for vf or miles, but sure had a ton of light powder down low today!