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You said it yourself. You can't throw a rock without hitting a hiking trail. That means it's easy for people to spread out.
The PNW population exploded in the 2010s when we came out of the recession and tech started hiring anyone with a pulse. So most of them are casuals new to the area and don't go a few miles beyond nearby trails (like rattlesnake ledge or mt si; seattlefags know what I mean).
The reason people drive Subarus around here is because it only snows 2-3 times a year so the cities can't justify spending lots of money on salt and plows, but because our terrain is hilly, half the city is completely fucked during those 2-3 snows a year. Also a lot of people like to ski/snowboard. If you drive in the mountain passes during the winter, awd/4wd cars are mostly exempt from tire chain requirements, which means staying in your comfy ride while laughing at the poorfags putting on chains on the side of the road in the middle of a blizzard.
