The mud’s here. Although hikers may be in the grip of spring fever after a very snowy winter, the snow, rain and melt are creating some very wet conditions for what could be a pronounced mud season.
With the muddy mess comes the call from various groups to use caution during the next several weeks, as hiking and other activities can have severe impacts on trails and delicate ecosystems.
“We’re asking people to have patience,” said Green Mountain Club membership and communications coordinator Kristin McLane. “We know it’s hard. It’s been a long winter. We have that spring fever, too. We’re asking hikers to take a break and help a trail.”
Whether hiking in the Green or White mountains, super-saturated soils create deep and wide mud puddles sometimes covering whole sections of trail, according to the U.S. Forest Service. These conditions make the trails most susceptible to soil compaction and erosion. Soil compaction reduces the ability for vegetation to grow and the ground to absorb water, causing additional flooding potential. This leads to more erosion exposing rocks and roots.
Plus, snow monorails — hard-packed snow in the center tread of a trail — exist above and below treeline and endure long into mud season. Walking around monorails widens trails and destroys fragile Alpine plants above treeline.
So stay off soft trails, but if you do hike, try low-elevation and south-facing slopes, which have a tendency to dry out faster.
Hikers who venture through the mud can cause less of an impact by rock-hopping when possible. But hiking off the trail doesn’t help. It does more damage to the vegetation, so don’t widen the trail by trekking around the muddy areas.
“Every year, hiking during mud season causes expensive damage to the trail system and natural environment,” said White Mountain National Forest public affairs officer Evan Burks. “Even some of our unpaved parking lots take a lot of abuse when it is muddy. Follow the rules and use good judgment, and you can still have a good time.”
With all the snow that’s hit northern New England this winter, there could be a mindset to venture higher, where winter still has its icy grip.
“This year is tricky because we’ve had so much snow,” said McLane. “Mud season will be extended at higher elevations like (Mount) Mansfield and Camel’s Hump. It might be winter on top, but you have to walk through mud season to get to the top, and we’re asking people not to do that.”
Hikers have some alternatives during mud season. There are crossover activities like road biking, walking, paddling and scenic driving. Durable surfaces like roads and rail trails are fine options.
“A lot of people are walking,” said McLane. “You don’t need any more gear than you do hiking. Vermont has so many scenic roads with beautiful views. With road cycling and paddling you need more gear, but we find a lot of folks in Vermont tend to be multi-sport athletes.”
The GMC has suggested mud-season hikes on its website, based on conditions, like trekking the 3.7-mile paved auto road up Mount Ascutney in Windsor. A more benign option is hiking along the 1.1-mile Quechee Gorge Trail in Hartford along the Ottauquechee River.
In the White Mountains, the easy 2.7-mile long Lincoln-Woods Trail off the Kancamagus Highway near Lincoln is a decent leg-stretcher along the West Branch of the Pemigewasset River. The 3.8-mile Welch-Dickey Loop in Thornton is a well-known spring hike.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation posts weekly hiking trail closures on its website. The site says trails around Mount Mansfield and Camel’s Hump are closed through Memorial Day.
Mountain bikers also say no to mud. Philip Keyes, executive director of the New England Mountain Bike Association, says it’s important that all trail users be respectful of the trail.
“We all can cause a lot of damage when the trails are sensitive,” he said.
He says riders’ consciousness has definitely increased over the years.
“Most understand that it’s much more productive for trail builders to spend time creating new riding opportunities rather than repair trails damaged by riding in mud,” he said.
He suggest mountain bikers take advantage of the upsurge in riding on gravel roads.
“Gravel riding has provided a great alternative for mud season riding,” he said. “It’s got adventure, it’s got dirt, and it builds fitness and endurance.”
So don’t be a dud in the mud.
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Marty Basch can be reached at marty.basch@gmail.com.