From the time the last flake falls in the Spring I dream about the magical moment of the first snow of the Fall. It’s a long wait.

Through the end of Spring and into Summer I don’t miss the falling snow because there’s still plenty of snow on the ground. Many of the mid-elevation hikes don’t fully melt out until June and that’s about when the higher elevation trailheads open. (You can snowshoe at Mount Rainier’s Sunrise and Paradise areas to celebrate the first weekend of Summer.)

As the Summer sun beats down, though, the snow becomes harder to find. In July, the snow is confined to north-facing slopes and shaded valleys. By August, it’s only at high elevation and shaded from the sun. By September, the snow has retreated to its fortresses high in the mountains.

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