SKYKOMISH, Wash. — By early December, the base area at Stevens Pass is usually buzzing with chairlifts spinning and skiers carving their first lines of the season. This week, the only movement on the hill came from hikers and snowboarders trekking uphill for a few preseason turns. One snowboarder summed up the feeling in one sentence.

“I just wish we could be on the lift right now,” said Cole Govlirsch, who hiked his board up the mountain on Tuesday.

That’s the mood on the pass. Skiers and riders are ready, but the mountain is not.

“It needs a little bit more to get on top of those bushes,” said skier Bo Johnson, describing thin coverage and exposed brush still poking through the snow.

According to Stevens Pass General Manager Ellen Galbraith, the resort is fully staffed and prepared t

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