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5 Perfect Winter Outings in the Sierra Nevada

The mountains are home to some of the best ski resorts in the country. But you can still fish, climb, soak, run, and ride all winter long.

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(Photo: simonkr)

Winter just might be the ideal time to get outside in the Sierra Nevada. While聽deep snow is piling up for skiers and snowboarders at higher altitudes, if you keep an eye on the weather you can still mix聽up your outdoor pursuits beyond the聽lifts. Plus,听the crowds of summer tourists chasing watersports have long since vamoosed. Here鈥檚 how to squeeze in some multisport fun when you aren’t shredding powder鈥攁nd cap off the adventure with the mountain range鈥檚 namesake beer.

Soak and Stay 国产吃瓜黑料 of Mammoth

The greater Mammoth area is rife with backcountry hot springs, but after a day of winter shredding, you鈥檙e better off extending the tub life and staying the night in the ranch house at the , some 50 minutes east of Mammoth Lakes. Unlike their wild counterparts, the resort鈥檚 nine spring water-fed tubs feature hot and cold taps for temperature regulation in a scenic setting ringed by old-growth cottonwoods. The entire place has a welcoming and freewheeling vibe, and pets, tent campers, and RVs are all welcome.

础辫谤猫蝉 Tubbing Is Best Paired With: All that warm water and cold air might make you a little sleepy. The dry-hopped, aggressive but balanced 聽should perk you back up.

Run Donner Pass

The Donner Party? Getting lost in a storm and cannibalizing each other never seemed like much of a party to us. Better to head out on the same terrain for an hour-long winter run. The high-country running stays accessible longer than you might think鈥攅specially if you鈥檙e willing to run in studded 鈥渕icrospike鈥 shoes or with Yaktrax (chains for your shoes). So says Jackie Cianci, shoe buyer with Tahoe Mountain Sports in Truckee. 鈥淕oing up high is the most fun,鈥 she says. 鈥淚鈥檇 send people to the Judah Loop. It鈥檚 about five to six miles, with views of Donner Lake, Castle Peak, and Sugar Bowl. If it鈥檚 too snowy, you can always head to lower-elevation meadows and run the boardwalks.鈥

础辫谤猫蝉 Trail Running Is Best Paired With: The . Don鈥檛 be fooled by the name or the label, which features a snow-covered cabin. While it鈥檚 a holiday beer and is typically available only from November to January, you won鈥檛 find any nutmeg or cinnamon here. True to form, it鈥檚 a classic American IPA鈥攖hat just happens to pair perfectly with your post-run feast, be it turkey or fish and chips.

Cast for Golden Trout

Need to mix up the fishing between fly-casting and rod and reel to keep the family happy? You鈥檙e not alone. And the Sierra has you covered. After November 15, most of the golden trout fisheries are closed for the season, but sections of the Kern River (it flows out of Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra) remain open year round for catch and release (with barbless hooks only.) The kids can fish nearby reservoirs all year long. High Sierra Outfitters in Lone Pine will set you up with the right knowledge and gear for both. Ask for Tackle Dan. 鈥淲e鈥檙e the building with the giant fish on the roof,鈥 says Dan. 鈥淭he fish has been up there since 1947. And it鈥檚 never been caught.鈥

础辫谤猫蝉 Fishing Is Best Paired With: You released the trout you caught. But you can still serve Sierra Nevada鈥檚 聽with tonight鈥檚 grilled salmon. A startlingly bold 55 bitterness units cut through the salmon鈥檚 rich, fatty aftertaste.

Sport-Climb a Year-Round Crag

Driving Highway 395 outside Bishop, you鈥檇 never imagine the Owens River Gorge was there. Unless, that is, you鈥檙e a rock climber who鈥檚 keen on the ravine鈥檚 single- and multi-pitch sport climbs on vertical to overhanging volcanic tuff. 鈥淚t鈥檚 different than most of the rock in the area,鈥 says Jessica Ary, with 聽in Bishop. 鈥淭he orange hues light up at this time of year, with the sun low in the sky. But the bottomland by the creeks stays green and lush late into the season. We climb all winter in the gorge.鈥 Newbie sport climber? Sign on with SMG for a six-to-one client-to-guide-ratio outing with all the gear.

础辫谤猫蝉 Sport Climbing Is Best Paired With: The , an unfiltered IPA that has a golden luminosity not unlike the cliffs you just scaled.

Bike the Sierra鈥檚 Gravel Roads

Want to get in an easy spin to let your ski legs recover? Winter is the perfect time of year to ride some of the Lake Tahoe area鈥檚 lower-elevation gravel roads and trails on your mountain bike or gravel/adventure bike (essentially mountain/road hybrids). If there鈥檚 too much snow above 5,000 feet, a typical winter outing for Tom Giller, lead mechanic at High Sierra Cycling in Reno, and his brothers involves heading south to Carson City and linking a mix of pavement and packed farm roads. (Scope your route on Trailforks.com.) But, for hero dirt wait for the snow below 6,000 feet along Highway 395 (to the north) to melt and then head out when the dirt refreezes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 perfect frozen hardtack,鈥 says Giller. 鈥淚f you plan it correctly,鈥 says Giller, 鈥測ou鈥檒l spend your time on ranch roads, gravel, and doubletrack.鈥 Stop in at the shop for route advice. And don鈥檛 fear recent snow. 鈥淚t gets mild quickly after storms,鈥 says Giller. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had winters where we鈥檝e ridden up high straight through February.鈥

础辫谤猫蝉 Ride Is Best Paired With: Sierra Nevada鈥檚 original , on account of the refreshing hints of light citrus from the American hops, which are as perfectly balanced and precise as when the beer debuted 38 years ago.


#EnjoyOutdoors Contest

Share photos of your outdoor adventures with #EnjoyOutdoorsContest and @sierranevada聽for a chance to win a trip to Mammoth Mtn.聽and exclusive ski gear from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company!

,听is for the outdoors. For lost signals. Starry skies. Wild places waiting to be explored. They鈥檙e for sequoias as tall as skyscrapers, conferences around the campfire, and sunsets so beautiful, they鈥檙e hard to capture in a single frame. Sierra Nevada is for the mountains that call to us, taking our adventures to new heights, reminding us that sometimes it鈥檚 our own batteries that need recharging,聽and that getting lost is the best way to be found. It鈥檚 why they make beer. Beer that brings us together. The kind that refreshes the spirit, and proves the strongest connections are made offline. So as long as we have wild places to explore, and an independent spirit to guide us, will continue to forge their own path, and simply enjoy outdoors.

Lead Photo: simonkr

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