We want to visit this area in the 2nd half of May. I've been reading that a lot of the mountain passes can be snowed over until June and that the mountain hiking season doesn't really begin until sometime in June. And I've noticed that some hotels in ski resort areas are closed down until mid-June. That tells me I should be nervous about going to some of these areas. We want to do more than just drive through and look at scenery, so are interested in doing some hiking. Our intention isn't to really do any true mountaineering type activites but rather some nice day hikes. And we are not really looking for total wilderness areas. Can you tell me what areas I should avoid if I don't want to just encounter mud and possible snow and/or which areas would be desirable? Would it just be the true ski resort areas or are there other areas where things haven't even leafed out yet and it is still crummy in the end of May? Thanks.

It's been a cool spring in the western Pyrenees (Pyrénées Atlantic) so you should expect to encounter some more snow between now and late June. It was in the lower 30's in the foothills at night over the Easter weekend to give you some indication.

So in other words I should probably stick to more the foothills and lower elevations if we don't want to be challenged by snowy conditions. Thanks.