Wet weather forces closure of some recreation trails

LEBANON — A rainy spring disrupted outdoor activities or many in the Upper Valley, including mountain biking, who dealt with trail closures and damage across the region.

One affected area is the Landmark Tract in Lebanon, sometimes referred to as Boston Lot. Austin Feula, chairperson of the Upper Valley Mountain Bike Association (UVMBA), which manages the Landmark Tract, said the group typically opens all trails by the end of April.

But this year, the trail system has had to close twice this year due to weather.

“There’s been pretty decent damage to the trails,” Feula said.

He explained that while trails can usually recover from an inch of rain in a 24-hour period, more extreme weather such as the storms that hit Lebanon in May, and prolonged periods with precipitation pose a serious challenge.

“There were basically streams going down the trail, obviously taking away dirt and other materials from the trail, which just puts additional wear and tear on the trails,” he said.

UVMBA also manages the Union Village Dam Trails in Thetford.

Feula noted that the entire network can be under water, in some cases submerging trails under as much as 10 feet, since the area is used for flood control.

Despite the difficult conditions, trail users have played a crucial role in trail maintenance and repairs, said Jim Barry, another UVMBA board member.

In late April, the association hosted a trail work day that drew more volunteers than there were tools or tasks available.

“Some individuals just go out on their own and walk the trails, and they just do what needs to be done — whether it’s creating drainage with a hoe or a shovel, or putting rocks down to rock armor the trail,” Barry said.

“People are very good about keeping the trails maintained and just taking personal responsibility when they’re out there,” he added.

The weather challenges have been widespread in the Upper Valley.

Mark Harris is a board member of the Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association (WAMBA), which manages more than 30 miles of trails across the Mount Peg Trails, the Aqueduct Trails and the Saskadena Six ski area.

Harris called this season frustrating.

“The soggy conditions have been caused as much by a high water table as by surface runoff, leading to wet spots in areas that don’t usually get saturated from a single rain event,” he wrote in an email.

“Typically, once our trails open for the season, it’s rare that we have to close them for extended periods. However, we did have to shut them down for a full week leading up to Memorial Day, since trail use by both bikers and hikers in muddy conditions can make problems substantially worse.”

WAMBA canceled about 75% of its group mountain bike rides in May due to rain or poor trail conditions, Harris said.

“On weekends, we usually see a surge of visitors from out of the area, but with rain nearly every Saturday, people just didn’t make the trip,” he wrote.

“I think it discourages people from going out,” Barry said.

Feula agreed: “My experience is fewer people are using the trails.”

Now, the outlook is improving.

WAMBA’s weekly group rides resumed in June, and trailheads are once again busy. UVMBA’s trails have also dried out and reopened.

Despite the poor conditions, both Harris and Feula pointed to a silver lining: the rain has helped highlight problem areas on trails that need to be addressed, issues that aren’t always visible during dry spells.

“When it’s been dry for so long, you start to forget where the problem areas you need to work on are, and when it’s wet, it’s a good reminder,” Feula said.

“[The rain] helped reveal our trouble spots,” Harris wrote. “Thanks to volunteers working on rainy Saturdays, we were able to lay down rock armor in the most critical areas. We now feel as well-prepared as any trail organization can be for whatever weather this summer brings.”

Michael Coughlin Jr. can be reached at mcoughlin@vnews.com.