Getting fresh tracks before the middle of November is always nectarous, but when the snow is light and bottomless--and then the sun comes out, no less--you know you have it good.

A series of storms tracking south from the Gulf of Alaska paid Washington, Oregon, and southern British Columbia a welcome visit last week, causing Mt. Baker, Crystal Mountain (pictured), Mt. Hood, White Pass, and Whistler to scramble to find enough employees to get lifts and lodges open for eager skiers and riders.

Ski Journal staff members, never ones to work when turns can be had, took advantage of conditions on Baker's opening day (which really felt like a continuation of the last day of last season) by graffiti-tagging everything in sight. On Sunday a rally to Crystal Mountain proved worthy, as the resort remained white and fluffy despite the threat of rising tremperatures. Topping out at 7,012 feet has its advantages, and as usual, the mountain delivered the goods. Not bad for Nov. 15.

North of the border, Whistler continued to get pounded. Originally set to open on Nov. 26, the resort instead opened a week and a half early. If reports are to be believed (and our Canuck connections are generally spot on if not several cans of Kokanee deep into a blurry night), it was epic.

Alpental and Stevens Pass need a few more feet of snow to open, but with the forecast looking good later this week through Turkey day, Cascade skiers should have their pick of powdery destinations near and far.

Here's hoping you get yours very, very soon.

Nov. 14 - Filmmaker Warren Miller made a surprise appearance at the Seattle premiere of Level 1's "Refresh" on Saturday evening, taking the microphone for a few minutes to reflect on his long career and to pay tribute to Level 1 director Josh Berman and to "Swift Silent Deep" director/producer Jon Klaczkiewicz, both of whom Miller called "the leaders of the new wave of ski films."

Miller, now retired and living outside of Seattle, deadpanned to the audience that during his career he "managed to screw up a lot of people's lives" with his films, and now he's trying to help Berman and Klaczkiewicz along the path so they "can have giant auditoriums filled like I used to."

The evening was a double billing of "Swift Silent Deep," Klaczkiewicz's documentary about the Jackson Hole Air Force, and "Refresh," a film that has gotten both Miller and Berman in a bit of legal hot water due to Miller's partial narration of the movie.

In September Warren Miller Entertainment (WME), the company that produces the annual Warren Miller films, filed a compalint against Level 1 Productions in the U.S. District Court of Colorado for trademark infringement. Miller sold his company and use of his name in 1988, and in the complaint WME cited a 1995 agreement between itself and Miller in which WME owns the exclusive rights to the name, use of voice, and the likeness of Warren Miller in all media.

Along with the trademark complaint, WME also entered a motion for a temporary restraining order to prevent more showings of the film. The motion was quickly denied in court, and Berman has continued touring his film despite the ongoing controversy.

For his part, the 84-year-old Miller has been outspoken in his support of Berman and in his distaste for the actions of WME. In October Miller released a statement distancing himself from WME artistic endeavors. "I would like to clarify that I am not, nor have I been involved with Warren Miller Entertainment (WME) or their ski movies for quite some time," he wrote. "It has been six years since I have had anything whatsoever to do with the films bearing my name."

"I stopped working with WME because our ideas on what the ski films should be weren't on the same page," the statement continued, "and they demonstrated that they didn't want my involvement in making ski films any longer." Miller also called some of WME's assertions "absurd" in his statement, and that he believes WME has no valid claim against Level 1.

At the King Kat Theatre on Saturday night, Miller drew cheers from a crowd keyed in to the seemingly rebellious nature of his appearances both in person and on screen. And while Miller reiterated that he's done making films, skiers can take heart knowing that Warren Miller--and his independent, ski-bum spirit--isn't going anywhere any time soon.