Spring has sprung which means a mixed bag of variable weather from warm and sunny skies to strong winds and snow days. As I am writing this, it looks like winter outside as snow flurries fall and the temps are in the mid 20’s but within 2 days, the forecast is calling for sunny skies with temps in the upper 60’s…gotta love spring in the mountains.

For me, spring shoulder season we are inching towards summer (my favorite season) but there it is still that weird time where the backcountry is frozen, roads may or may not be open, and many lakes are not yet quite thawed but the frontcountry at lower elevations are open to hiking, biking and running (and even paddleboarding).

E-biking closed roads

I recently purchased a pretty fancy e-bike so I can ride down roads that are clear of snow but are still closed to motorized vehicles. This happens only during shoulder season for a pretty short window but it is pretty glorious to ride down into Reds Meadows or up to the Lakes Basin from my house on my e-bike. The following are fun roads to ride that are closed to motor vehicles during this short window:

Tioga Pass
Reds Meadows
Lakes Basin
Lake Sabrina
Rock Creek
South Lake
North Lake

If you are a real gunner, some of these areas are skiable; meaning you can strap a backcountry ski setup onto your back, ride up a closed road and have a pretty big spring day without any other people around.

MTN Biking

Mountain biking rock creek and chipmunk canyon which are usually clear of snow during spring shoulder season. Depending on the year, Mammoth Rock Trail via the Sherwins may or may not be clear of snow.

Paddleboarding

Paddleboarding June Lake and Convict Lake (before Fishmas since these two lakes become pretty overwhelmed with anglers). Any drive-up lake may be worth checking out to see if it is thawed out and ready for paddleboarding.

Road running and trail running through Shady Rest Park
Benton Hot Springs (if you know, you know and if you don’t, look it up)
Bodie Historic State Park
Hot Springs and car camping in Bridgeport
It’s Bishop season meaning all things Bishop before the weather becomes too hot. Bishop has a lot of events during the spring shoulder season so make sure to look on their event calendar.