MONTPELIER — This weekend marks the Green Mountain Club’s season opener for hiking season — with the Memorial Day holiday signalling to hikers that mud season is receding, and trails are ready for summer use.
GMC Director of Field Programs Keegan Tierney said that date isn’t based so much on actual trail conditions as it is on tradition.
“It’s kind of culturally recognized as the start of hiking season in Vermont, and most of the active hiking public sees that now,” he said. “We try to set our standards around providing folks education around that. It just happens that this season saw a little heavier snowpack.”
The Green Mountain Club warned that elevations above 3,500 feet still have icy and snowy conditions. Tierney said anecdotally, he knows Mount Mansfield, Camel’s Hump, Jay Peak and Killington Mountain all still have snow. He recommended that hikers of those trails bring microspikes or snowshoes, or just avoid the peaks entirely.
He said snow itself is totally fine for people to hike on, but the mud created by the freezing and thawing cycle can put the trails in tough shape.
“The more folks that are out there hiking in that sloppy mess, the more work we have to put into the trails to keep them up throughout summer,” Tierney said.
The 109-year-old hiking club is the official maintainer of the Long Trail, which estimates 200,000 visitors a year. This season, GMC will employ about 40 seasonal employees to take care of high-use areas and fragile alpine summits, and maintain trails and shelters throughout the summer.
Tierney said volunteers have already been working to clear trails of winter debris, though they were delayed in starting spring maintenance due to late season snow. He said about 1,000 people volunteer on an individual basis doing chores like clipping vegetation and repainting trail blazers.
The GMC put out a number of safety recommendations for hikers, including seasonal advice, like watching for high waters and bringing gear for both rain and snow, and year-round recommendations, like planning ahead, bringing a map, and carrying out what you carry in.
Tierney also noted for hikers to watch out for ticks. He said this year’s tick season is on par with previous years, with most ticks having already gone through their nymph stage, where the insects are still “tiny,” and beginning to emerge in their adult stage — though he said the exact timing of the tick cycle varies significantly based on location and elevation.
As far as the rest of the animal kingdom is concerned, Tierney said the only other thing to keep in mind is bears.
“We don’t have too much of a problem with that here,” Tierney said. “But bears are out of hibernation and wandering around. As with any time of the year, just utilize bear boxes or secure your food.”