The forecast was for the storm to start at mid morning and last through midnight. The “4wd or chains” sign was not lit so we drove the 14 miles from 4400' to 8755' at Brighton. It just began snowing lightly as we arrived. We got our free tickets for our Gold Snoqualmie Passes. The seasons pass person keeps reflecting your smiles with a great attitude. We were the third chair on Great Western and at the top it had already received 1” and the snow was just the beginning of the storm. The snow pack has grown from our January visit but not to the depth of years ago. Jill and I just moved all around the terrain and the trails received 6-8” and each run was fresh UT POWDER. The beauty of Brighton is that it is mainly a local group with very few tourists or condo folks. We stayed until 2:30pm and then skied to our van. The wind was strong at the summit lift and the temperature was 8 degrees. We left the parking lot for the 14 mile drive down although the “4wd or chains” sign was lit. I did not put on the chains and drove about 15mph without a problem. At the half way point a Highway Patrol vehicle was at the pull out. We stopped and I was getting to chains out when Jill said to the talk with the officer. The officer said the DOT kept the light flashing, but the road was snow covered and should be fine. This saved a lot of time and I did not see any chained vehicles. The great view was the 5 moose we saw just off the road in the marsh area. We couldn't stop and didn't have the camera handy, but it is a moment we will remember. About 6 years ago, after a touring in the area, we saw a single moose in the same area.
February 20
We decided to enjoy the night's remaining storm. The “4wd or chains” sign was not lit and the snow covered road was ok to drive without chains if you never stopped. We were the first vehicle in the lot and parked right in front of the lodge and walked 15 feet into the lodge. We had plenty of time to cook breakfast and get ready. The sun was out but the temperature was in the single digits. Another 4” fell overnight and the light snow flurries with little wind made for a couple hours of fresh lines. The patrol was finishing the back access when the lifts opened. It was a 1PM event. The road was clean and dry on our drive down.. No moose sight on this trip down.
