Mud season has arrived. For many of us that means an extended period of wearing rubber boots and a lingering feeling of concern (or perhaps adventure!) everytime we get in the car for our daily commute across some of Vermont’s roughly 8,000 miles of unpaved dirt roads, now ridged into a potentially car-eating quagmire thanks to thawing ground and melting snow. But mud season also means spring — warmer weather, the first migratory bird arrivals like warblers and red-winged blackbirds, and the emergence of beautiful forest ephemerals like Spring Beauty, Trout Lily, and Painted Trillium.
While the warmer weather, birdsong and budding trees rightfully beseech us to lace on some boots and enjoy the outdoors, as environmental stewards it is our job to resist tromping through the mud on our go-to public hiking trails and instead search out alternative ways to explore the spring landscape. Here at NorthWoods we’ve had some hopeful hikers giving us a call to check on mountain trail conditions in the region – (a great practice, always feel free to give us a call!) – but to keep our trails in good health, we advise hikers to avoid trails in our area from the beginning of mud season in March or April through at least Memorial Day weekend at the end of May.
Serious erosion on a British walking trail. Don’t let this be us!
Why? To answer that, we spoke with VT Forest Parks & Recreation Field Recreation Specialist Luke O’Brien about the fragility of the ground during early season hiking in the NEK.
“We know that waiting until Memorial Day has always been a tough sell to hikers who are anxious to get out on the trails. Unfortunately, this early season hiking causes a disproportionate amount of damage because soils are still wet, hikers walk around mud and trample trailside vegetation, and high elevation soils in particular are thin and easily damaged.”
O’Brien cautions hikers who may think dry valley conditions means its ok to take a spring hike up their favorite peak, “It’s very common for trail conditions down low to be dry while the upper trails are still wet or even have snow and ice.”
While ‘spring-fever-you’ may not mind getting your feet a little muddy in order to hike your favorite trails, ‘summer-you’ – and everyone else, including local plants and wildlife – won’t be thanking you for the trampled vegetation and the compacted and eroded trails your spring hike leaves behind.
Luckily the NEK is full of beautiful vistas at every turn, and hiking is only one of dozens of ways to enjoy the outdoors in the springtime, so it’s pretty easy to do the right thing and simply change plans. Here are a few options for mud season outings in the NEK:
Rail Trails: These are perfect for spring outings by foot, bike or even horseback (location dependent), with a low grade made for trains, and wide finished gravel trail beds. The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail currently has 33 miles open for recreation in the region and will eventually be New England’s longest rail trail, running 93 miles from St. Johnsbury to Swanton. The Newport-Beebe Bike Path is about 6 miles and runs from downtown Newport along the shores of Lake Memphremagog and across the Canadian border to Ayer’s Cliff, QC – so don’t forget your passport!
Road Walks: As we mentioned, there are over 8,000 miles of dirt roads in Vermont – plus a bunch that are paved! Whether by boot or bike, there’s nothing to stop you from getting out on our public roads, enjoying the fresh air, and maybe visiting some neighbors. As always, just follow all applicable traffic laws and be aware of vehicles.
River Outings: One of our personal favorites is exploring the region by river! The first sign of mud may mean hiking trails are closed, but it also means the river season has begun, and it is time to pull out the paddles! Exploring northern New England by canoe or kayak is fun and beautiful. Whitewater and flatwater options abound. If you have your own boat and want to join in, NorthWoods will be hosting a free white water paddle trip on the East Branch of the Passumpsic on May 12th, 2018. If you don’t own a boat, our friends and neighbors at Clyde River Recreation can hook you up with canoe and kayak rentals to explore the extent of the beautiful Clyde River and beyond. Or if you are in the mood for long spring paddling trip, we are lucky to have the Northern Forest Canoe Trail running right through our backyard – check out their site for tons of valuable info for trip planning and camping locations.
Still not sure what to do? Check out the Green Mountain Club‘s page for more ideas on low-impact hikes and other ways to get outside during Vermont’s fifth season, and always feel free to give us a call at 802-723-6551 or email us at info@northwoodscenter.org for more info.
Thanks, and see you outside!