Spring skiing the corn on Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park / Patrick Cone

All signs point to spring: warm winds, green budding trees, flowering bulbs, and... skiing? Sure enough! Spring's a great time to spend some time sliding around on those broad bowls, snow-covered roads, and long ridges. The weather is mild, the skies are blue, and the days are long: it's just a lot more comfortable spring-skiing than going on a mid-winter slog in a blizzard through deep snow. While you won't have this option in every national park, there are some where spring is the season to avoid the crowds.

Out West the options are many, as retreating snowpacks improve road access into the park's special spots. The glacial cirque below Wheeler Peak, in Nevada's Great Basin National Park, is one of those magical places. You'll find solitude and views and the stillness of the wilderness as you glide by the oldest living things on Earth: the bristlecone pines.

Our packs were lighter than usual as we headed ten miles, and 2,500 feet, up the scenic drive from the gate near Lehman Caves. But we still carried enough cold-weather gear to survive a surprise spring storm. A few hours later we'd set up our tents (away from the archaic groves), and after a quick lunch headed into the broad bowls. Protected from a strong western wind, we were soon in shirtsleeves, slathered in sunscreen, as each step propelled us dozens of feet along the corny snowpack. Around us the bristlecones watched us glide by; limestone spires lined the shoulders of the 13,063-foot peak.

Back in camp we had a leisurely dinner and watched the twilight give way to a vast blackness below, punctuated by a rogue headlight from a ranch truck headed to town. Great Basin is known for its astounding night skies, and even an autumn Astronomy Festival, but we had timed our late-March trip for the full moon. Looking down at the horizon a yellow fingernail of light grew to a full orb and seemed five times bigger than normal, lighting up our faces. An old hand, jokingly, had once told me that, "The snow soaks up the sunlight during the day, and lets it off slowly throughout the night," but I wasn't buying it.

The runs at Great Basin are as long as you can climb up/Patrick Cone

We were able to read the map clearly by moonlight as we shouldered our packs and headed to the northern ridge. Trading our skis for ice axes, we clambered up the 3,000 feet to the summit where it wasn't exactly warm. The sleeping desert below was bathed in blue light. One of my partners said, "Well, this is better than virtual reality." He had that right. After spending the witching hour on top we took the quick way back down the ridge, glissading and using our axes as brakes. Back at camp, we grinned wildly at each other, with dreams and reality intertwined.

Here are a few suggestions for your spring skiing:

Great Basin National Park has a number of great, ungroomed ski trails, plus you can camp at the Wheeler Peak Campground for free during the winter. Head up Lehman Creek, and make sure you leave time for a tour of Lehman Caves while you're there.

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks are two gems of the Sierra Nevada in California. From the west you can access a number of ski trails, and even reserve a spot at the Pear Lake Ski Hut for $40 per person per night. It's a steep six-mile-trail from Wolverton Meadow, but worth the hike. Or, you can come in through Kings Canyon's attic door from the town of Bishop by skiing to South Lake and into the head of LeConte Canyon. Take your sunscreen because spring days here are like being in a solar reflector oven. There are a number of guide companies that will share their world with you, too.

Once the Tioga Road opens, the Tuolumne Meadows area in Yosemite National Park is smooth sailing on skis. There are immense snowfields, bowls, and glades, and for a thrill take a run down Mt. Dana, which stands like a sentinel above the pass. Or stay low on the west side of the park, at Crane Flat or Mariposa Grove. Spend a spectacular night at the Glacier Point Hut, accessed from the Badger Pass Ski Area road. It's a 10-mile groomed trail, and it's a bit pricey (prices start at $146 per night per person) but worth the glimpse, straight down, into the Yosemite Valley.

Yellowstone National Park has miles and miles of ski trails, like the Tower Falls area for the adventurous skier and snowshoer. For an overnight adventure (backcountry permit required) ski into the Heart Lake area from the park's South Entrance. Have lunch next to Rustic Geyser, where elk and bison have made their peace, then climb up Phil Sheridan Mountain for the ski of your life.

While Grand Canyon National Park might not show up on your ski-trip list, the North Rim, at 9,000 feet, offers a rolling forest with views of, well, the greatest earth on show. The snow lasts here well into May. Ski over to Saddle Mountain through the long meadows from the Kaibab Lodge for a peek up the Colorado River.

On the other side of the country, a bountiful winter, like this year's, could enable some spring Nordic skiing on the 45 miles of carriage roads at Acadia National Park in Maine. Some are groomed and some are not, and you can rent gear nearby.

Other possibilities are some of the mountain flanks that drop below the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, such as on Roan Mountain near Boone, North Carolina.

Wherever you head, late in the day conditions can turn mushy in warm weather, so earlier is better. A freeze at night will lead to perfect corn snow conditions the next morning once the sun hits the terrain. As always, be prepared for weather and emergencies. Obtain backcountry camping permits where necessary if you're spending the night, and know your snow safety (beware the slides of March), and always carry beacons, collapsible shovels, and a first aid kit.

You won't find a bad view while backcountry skiing the Tetons/Patrick Cone