This is a photo of an advanced run (The Canyon) at Mt. Baker ski area that looks to be accessible by most reasonably capable snowriders, yet exudes tons of character: http://community.webshots.com/photo/117200437/117206780kOdVTB
The Pacific Northwest is a region I have never skied, but Mt. Baker, WA sounds like my kind of place. Located about 3 hours northeast of Seattle, the modest lift served vertical of 1500' and top elevation of 5250' don't convey the scope of its bounty: 1000+ skiable acres, 600" of snow each winter, and spectacular backcountry scenery.
Here's a gorgeous shot taken from the same album of ski slopes beneath nearby Mt. Shuksan:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/117200437/117206599oOAMNa
Mt. Baker is a fav among snowboarders, read more about it at: http://www.goski.com/resorts/rusawa/mtbaker.htm

WA state has some cool underrepoted skiing. Haven't been to Baker but I've skied Stephens Pass a couple times. I hear Crystal Mountain recently got its master plan approved, and if that's true, you're likely to hear a lot more about the skiing up around Seattle in the coming years; it will be the first of the WA ski areas to become a destination style resort. Hopefully this won't encourage any of the others to do so.

Jim-- About four years ago, Baker set the snow record for Washington state with over 1200 inches of snowfall. 1000 inch snow years are occasional but not particularly exceptional in WA state. The backcountry skis year round on the glaciers, and most snow fields are skiable/shreddable at least through July. Popular spring/summer spots include Mount Adams and the snowfields beneath Muir Camp at Rainier. Mount Adams provides 6 to 8 thousand feet of vertical even in early July and Muir is 4000 feet of vert back to the Paradise Lodge. The breadth and availability of backcountry skiing-- combined with the relatively mild air (rarely drops below zero F)-- makes skiing in OR and WA unlike anywhere else in the continental United States.

Having lived in Renton,Wash a suberb of Seattle I can tell you that the snow you speak of was a whole lot of rain 1st!#1 suicide rate in the country because of the dismal weather.Thats why when i could, i would drive up to snoqualmie pass to go sledding(couldn't afford to ski then).The snow up there would be so deep that you couldn't see past the walls built up on the sides of the road.You would just see the tops of some homes with smoke from the chimneys.When we talked football up there i would say i was a washington fan..washington redskins that was but They would just hear the 1st part!.