Seattle skiers know it as the Summit at Snoqualmie dichotomy. One day you can be whipping down their signature run, Upper International, on a fresh layer of powder, the next day fighting the ice, rain, and fog on a cruiser like Golden Nugget that's supposedly groomed, thus earning the nickname, "Snowcrummy." That's the chance you take when tackling four hills whose base elevation is the lowest of any ski area in the Cascade Range. On the plus side, there's the convenience. Less than an hour drive on I-90 from Seattle, more skiers flock to Snoqualmie than any other ski resort in Washington and Oregon. This can lead to crowded parking lots on weekends. It's far more tranquil on weekdays, especially at night when the lights stay on until 10 p.m.

One fact that's undeniable: More Seattle and Tacoma skiers have learned to ski at Snoqualmie than any other mountain in the state. Summit West has gentle slopes and more than 500 instructors on hand to teach the skills necessary to link together those first turns. Wide-open groomers like Easy Rider and Little Thunder help the newbie skier and boarder gain confidence. Also on this short summit is a halfpipe and terrain park to show off your latest tricks.

The music is also blaring at Summit Central's terrain park, with big launch ramps, great jibs and boxes, and some easy rollers. Hot doggers congregate around the superpipe with 17-foot walls. Central is where beginners graduate to once they hone their skills on West. Try the intermediate cruiser Golden Nugget off the Central Express Quad or Outback off the newest high-speed quad installed, Silver Fir. There are also some introductory blacks off this lift, short

Seattle skiers know it as the Summit at Snoqualmie dichotomy. One day you can be whipping down their signature run, Upper International, on a fresh layer of powder, the next day fighting the ice, rain, and fog on a cruiser like Golden Nugget that's supposedly groomed, thus earning the nickname, "Snowcrummy." That's the chance you take when tackling four hills whose base elevation is the lowest of any ski area in the Cascade Range. On the plus side, there's the convenience. Less than an hour drive on I-90 from Seattle, more skiers flock to Snoqualmie than any other ski resort in Washington and Oregon. This can lead to crowded parking lots on weekends. It's far more tranquil on weekdays, especially at night when the lights stay on until 10 p.m.

One fact that's undeniable: More Seattle and Tacoma skiers have learned to ski at Snoqualmie than any other mountain in the state. Summit West has gentle slopes and more than 500 instructors on hand to teach the skills necessary to link together those first turns. Wide-open groomers like Easy Rider and Little Thunder help the newbie skier and boarder gain confidence. Also on this short summit is a halfpipe and terrain park to show off your latest tricks.

The music is also blaring at Summit Central's terrain park, with big launch ramps, great jibs and boxes, and some easy rollers. Hot doggers congregate around the superpipe with 17-foot walls. Central is where beginners graduate to once they hone their skills on West. Try the intermediate cruiser Golden Nugget off the Central Express Quad or Outback off the newest high-speed quad installed, Silver Fir. There are also some introductory blacks off this lift, short steeps like Hog Wild and Wildcat that are fun runs for solid intermediate skiers. West and Central are groomed at 4 p.m. many nights in winter so night skiers can have their fair share of corduroy, but call in advance before making the drive.

There are no high-speed quads on Summit East, just a double and triple chair, and this part of Snoqualmie is often closed on weekdays. Yet don't let that dissuade you from trying this remote corner of the ski area when it is open. Summit East has more vertical than West and Central and some great tree skiing on nice pitches. Vic's to Rampart and Kendall to Creek Run are a thrill when the fluffy white stuff creates the perfect welcome mat.

The fourth peak, Alpental, or "Alpy" as locals call it, has very little in common with the other summits. It stands across I-90 from its brethren, with its cliff-exposed tip daring the best skiers to hop on the Edelweiss lift and give it a shot. More than 75 percent of the trails are rated advanced, including 500 acres of backcountry play that leads to some serious glades and bowls. This is the challenging terrain where Olympic giant slalom gold medalist Debbie Armstrong learned to slice and dice.

If you have the chutzpah, take Edelweiss to the 5,420-foot summit and try the vertiginous Upper International or the aptly named double-diamond Adrenalin, guaranteed to have that heart pumping. Deep stashes of snow can be found at Snake Dance or off-boundary in the backcountry, but first you have to take a trial run with ski patrol before you're given a pass. Debbie's Gold, named for the Olympian, is a fun blue run off the Armstrong Quad, good for intermediates who want to test their mettle.

Now that you have the rundown of all four mountains that make up Snoqualmie, you realize that the terrain can be just as complex as the weather, appealing to novices as well as experts. The one true knock against Snoqualmie is the lack of solid intermediate to advanced runs on the four summits, good long cruisers with steep enough pitch to appeal to the high-blue, low-black crowd. It seems like you're either coasting down the mountain effortlessly or staring at a ridiculous straight-down pitch better suited for an Olympian. Certainly nothing like the variety of terrain at competing Crystal, which has 1,000 feet more vertical, though it's an additional hour drive from Seattle and more costly. This could change with future developments at Snoqualmie. After a decade of negotiation, they received government approval for a major expansion that will add 25 new trails and six new chairlifts. Hopefully, this is the impetus needed to take all skiing levels into account.