Staining cedar railings on 3 different decks/stairs

I have 3 different situations to deal with and could use some advice. The railings on 2 decks and stairs are cedar. They were built last summer (2013). One deck was stained last year with ArborCoat semi-transparent stain. The others have not been stained at all. What wasn't stained weathered a lot over the year. What had the ArborCoat also weathered but the color hides what it didn't prevent. In preparation for staining the untreated cedar before the winter I powerwashed with water and then, after dry, sanded down one of the decks to remove any remaining silvering. Maybe a mistake? I cannot use any chemical cleaners or brighteners because of environmental regulations (I'm on a lake and the run-off goes into a rain garden and then the lake). Now I have one deck that is sanded down, one that has a coat of stain and the stairway that is still in its year-old weathered state. (They are all on the same side of the house so I'd like them to match, eventually.) The weather is turning cool and damp. I covered the sanded railings with plastic to keep the rain off thinking I'd have a few dry days to stain before it really gets cold. More rain is expected on and off over the next week so they are still covered. I need advice on how to proceed. Should I uncover the freshly-sanded railings and let them weather through the winter again? Should I try to stain? What about the one with the ArborCoat that needs a refreshing or something different? Do it now or wait - and with what? And the railing that never got anything? Let it go until spring? Do it now? How to prep? I tried an application of a California alkyd stain on the back stairs that don't have to match the rest. I liked working with the alkyd material although after 24 hours it is still tacky and I can't tell if/how it will dry. All advice appreciated on how and when and with what to proceed. By the way, the reason for staining the cedar at all is because the wood is quite irregular in color and grain from one board to the next and I wanted a more uniform appearance. I do like some grain to show - or I would have used a composite material as I did for the decking. Thanks.