by Alicia MacLeay
Today is the first day of spring, though you wouldn’t know it from the several feet of snow still on the ground here in Maine. But soon enough that melting snow will bring on mud season.
Muddy trail or access road, like above? Head straight through, not around mud or water.
Certain hiking trails should be avoided during mud season, especially more fragile terrain at higher elevations. Some trails may even be closed to protect them (Vermont, for example, closes trails on state land from mid-April until Memorial Day weekend). Even if a trail isn’t closed, consider whether you can hike it responsibly.
If you do encounter a muddy stretch, remember to stay in the middle of the trail and hike single file through the mud, not around it. Trying to keep your feet dry by circumventing muddy puddles just tramples vegetation, causes soil erosion, and spreads the mud—and trail—wider and wider.
If a trail is too muddy to travel straight through, consider turning back and hiking somewhere else, rather than causing irrevocable damage. Hikes at lower elevations and those with southern exposure are likely to have drier conditions.
Lastly, remember that that melting snowpack can raise stream crossings by several inches in a day. So carefully evaluate the safety of crossing a particular stream both heading out and returning, when water levels can be higher and currents faster. You may want to avoid trails with stream crossings during spring.
Be a safe and responsible hiker, but don't let a little mud or rain keep you inside this spring either. After all, you know what comes after mud season, right? Black fly season.
