The Sierra Nevada have gotten a TON of snow this season! With the sun shining and folks losing interest in winter, the resorts will begin to shut down. If you’re truly over ‘winter sports’, check out our post to prep your gear for storage so it’s in tip-top shape next season. But, if you’re like the Local Freshies® crew and not finished shredding, consider a trip to the Eastern Sierra. It’s a special place without people, majestic views and lots more snow.
Why Should You Visit The Eastern Sierra This May/June
What’s so special about these mountains? First, they are some of the highest peaks in the lower U.S., topping over 14,000 feet! California’s population may concentrate by the coast, but the eastern side of this mountain range sits on the sparsely populated Great Basin. This means you can easily get away from the crowds. Second reason is most of the spring touring around the area starts in May and June, as roads like Tioga and Sonora passes don’t open till summer (around May) depending on the snowpack. Third factor revolves around the weather. This region’s weather is conducive for amazing freeze/thaw cycles forming some of the best corn snow on the planet! Now that we’ve got your attention, where can you stay?
Lodging
If your feeling particularly ‘woodsy’, you can of course camp in the wilderness. But if that’s not your thing, Mammoth Lakes is a great choice. From here you have access to amazing backcountry but also are given the opportunity to get some lift-assisted spring skiing in at Mammoth Mountain. Their target date for closing this season is at LEAST JULY! Another option is to stay in Bishop or if you’re coming from the North through Lake Tahoe, Bridgeport is a great home base as well.
Where To Slide
Depending on your comfort level or backcountry skills, there are a few ways to figure out where to ski/splitboard. If you’re an experienced backcountry enthusiast, we suggest purchasing the book: Backcountry Skiing California’s Eastern Sierra by Dan Mingori and Nate Greenburg. If you’re more tech-savvy, they’re creating a new mobile app as part of rakkup. Feeling less comfortable or a novice? Don’t worry, you can still have a great trip. There are several backcountry guides that can get you out there and help keep you safe:
Additional Activities
Spring skiing isn’t just about sliding down a mountain. It’s also a chance to get in some other adventures.
Go For A Dip
A great option to consider is to hit up some hot springs. Up and down the Eastern Sierra are natural pools and tubs scattered in the high desert. These are typically accessed via dirt roads and are not maintained. Use them at your own risk and pack out anything you bring in. Personally, we’re BIG fans of the Inn at Benton Hot Springs. A uniquely charming and rustic B&B resort featuring seven rooms housed in a 1940s historic building. The property features private hot tubs filled with arguably some of the purest water on the planet. As the sun sets, the ability to soak and take in the stars in a historic locale is what makes this place special.
Explore The Great Unknown
One of the coolest things about the Eastern Sierra is the opportunity to just explore. Due to the volume of public lands, you can pretty much embark on a dirt road and see what’s beyond the next bend. A great place to start is the Bishop Big Loop Auto Tour. Sixty-two miles in length, its part dirt, part paved, and a whole lot of fun you can do in under an hour or spend a few days taking in all the sights that are here.
Cheers To A Brew Tour
Not feeling like a dip? All that snow needs to go somewhere and it becomes the foundation for an assortment of award winning beer. In the town of June Lake, you’ll find the ever creative June Lake Brewing as they say making “super awesome beer”. While in Mammoth Lakes, you have the institution of Mammoth Brewing as well the envelope pushing Distant Brewing (formerly Black Doubt). Then in Bishop is the award winning Mountain Rambler Brewery. All of these are a perfect pit stop for some crowlers to-go before heading into the wilderness.
Enjoy The “Meat” Of Bishop
While backcountry skiing is all time in the Eastern Sierra, the star of Bishop’s backyard is its bouldering. In fact, it’s world renowned with professional climbers beelining here in winter and spring to test their limits. The same place that provides access to ski descents such as Mt. Tom is also a hotbed for bouldering, albeit at a lower elevation – the Buttermilks.
All this talk about the amazing terrain everyone can access has us drooling! We’re planning to head south later this spring and hit the Eastern Sierra so stay tuned for our adventure. Until then, if you do hit up this mountain range or any other, tag us on any of our social media feeds and we’ll be sure to share the best of them. Happy late season hunting!
Distant Brewing rocks!