Reminder: Our impacts in the mountains are significantly higher this time of year!

[DSettahr]

From the ADK website:

During spring mud season, trails are particularly vulnerable to erosion. The spring thaw creates mud that penetrates much deeper into the soil than the surface mud created by summer rains, and trails are thus more easily damaged by hikers' boots. Alpine vegetation, which is fragile and endangered to begin with, is also particularly vulnerable at this time. It is therefore best to stay off higher elevation trails during early spring.

DEC institutes a voluntary trail closure in the Eastern High Peaks during this time of year that asks hikers to refrain from traveling above 3000 feet. This is done to protect alpine vegetation and prevent trail erosion.

From the AMC website:

During mud season, it’s often best to give trails a chance to dry out before piling onto them with Vibram soles. Thoughtful planning can help direct you toward trails that are more likely to be dry.
In general, look for trails at lower elevations that have southern exposure, advises AMC White Mountain Trails Manager Andrew Norkin. The sun has a chance to shine its drying rays on trails with southern exposure, he explains, noting that, until leaf-out occurs, trails in hardwood forests receive more sunlight than those in coniferous forests, so trails there may tend to dry out sooner. He also notes that hikers should seek out areas with well-drained soils and trails with good drainage.

Leave No Trace Inc., a national educational program aimed at minimizing impact on backcountry resources, recommends traveling on durable surfaces, such as rock or gravel to help minimize impacts. Norkin says it’s important to stay on established trails. Hikers traveling off trail and short-cutting switchbacks contribute to increased erosion, he says.

If you do encounter a muddy stretch of trail, don’t walk off-trail to avoid it. “Don’t skirt the trail if you come to a muddy spot, just walk right on through it,” Norkin said. “Skirting the trail can damage trailside vegetation, which leads to erosion. If you stay on the trail you can help prevent the inadvertent widening of the trail and the soil erosion that comes with it,” he said.

After a winter of dynamic weather patterns in the Northeast, it's finally time to exchange your skis for hiking boots. It's also time to take special care of the region's trails. While AMC trail stewards repair winter damage that could harm surrounding land and water sources, hikers can also help promote healthy trails.

This year's snows in Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic region, and high winds in the North Country, resulted in erosion from runoff and blowdowns on many trails, which hikers may come across this spring. In addition, hikers will find wet trails in many places from rain or snowmelt. Soils on wet trails will be less stable than in dry weather: The treadway will be softer, and the trails will be more sensitive to foot traffic.
If you're planning a spring hiking trip, it's helpful to keep a few points in mind:

• Plan ahead. In general, select a route that is on higher, drier ground. However, note that at higher elevations, snow lingers and the ground may be wetter while trails at lower elevations may actually be drier. South facing slopes also tend to dry out earlier.
  
• Stay in the middle of the trail, even if it's wet or muddy. Going around mud will likely trample surrounding vegetation, and can permanently widen the trail as others follow in your steps.
  
• If the trail is so muddy that you can't stay in the middle, turn around and consider trying another trail.

Spring time is when steep high elevation trails in the mountains are most susceptible to erosion and damage from hikers. If you've got an itch you can't scratch except by climbing mountains, please tread lightly. Do the "rock hop" where ever possible.

 

[erugs]

If you do encounter a muddy stretch of trail, don’t walk off-trail to avoid it. “Don’t skirt the trail if you come to a muddy spot, just walk right on through it,” Norkin said. “Skirting the trail can damage trailside vegetation, which leads to erosion. If you stay on the trail you can help prevent the inadvertent widening of the trail and the soil erosion that comes with it,” he said.

I am amazed at the number of times I see people unwilling to do this. Mud is good! Rock hopping is fun and adds to the challenge!

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I am amazed at the number of times I see people unwilling to do this. Mud is good! Rock hopping is fun and adds to the challenge!

To play devil's advocate for a moment:

I prefer not to myself. I've gone in deeper than my knee (Signal Ridge Trail, Rocky Branch Trail, where I opened up a mostly-healed wound on my shin). Mud is slippery. Mud is heavy. It increase weight, friction, abrasiveness, wear and tear. It makes my car dirty. It takes more time to clean up from the day's hike... Some casual hikers I've met prefer sneakers which are not good for walking through water or mud. They may not own gaiters.

If the rocks are obvious, then hopping is not too bad. If I can at all avoid mud without widening the trail or trampling vegetation, I will. Persistent mud will almost always have a herd path around it, however.

Tim

 

[erugs]

To play devil's advocate for a moment:

I prefer not to myself. I've gone in deeper than my knee (Signal Ridge Trail, Rocky Branch Trail, where I opened up a mostly-healed wound on my shin). Mud is slippery. Mud is heavy. It increase weight, friction, abrasiveness, wear and tear. It makes my car dirty. Tim

I have gone deep, too, and like post-holing there is a chance you won't come out unscathed. I've developed a bit of a reputation, so "have" to say I like mud. (north of Ice Gulch, Mt. Success south on the AT, Carrigan, for examples)

 

[Rainman]

To play devil's advocate for a moment:

I prefer not to myself. I've gone in deeper than my knee (Signal Ridge Trail, Rocky Branch Trail, where I opened up a mostly-healed wound on my shin).
Tim

Hiking poles help with this. Mine have found several knee deep, or endless, mud holes before I stepped in them.

 

[DSettahr]

To play devil's advocate for a moment:

I prefer not to myself. I've gone in deeper than my knee (Signal Ridge Trail, Rocky Branch Trail, where I opened up a mostly-healed wound on my shin). Mud is slippery. Mud is heavy. It increase weight, friction, abrasiveness, wear and tear. It makes my car dirty. It takes more time to clean up from the day's hike... Some casual hikers I've met prefer sneakers which are not good for walking through water or mud. They may not own gaiters.

If the rocks are obvious, then hopping is not too bad. If I can at all avoid mud without widening the trail or trampling vegetation, I will. Persistent mud will almost always have a herd path around it, however.

Tim

Allow us to play devil's advocate in return:

Are saying that keeping heavy mud off of you, keeping your cleanup at the end of the day short, and keeping your car clean are all things that are more important that minimizing your impact in the backcountry?

And that because everyone else goes around mud, it doesn't matter if you do the same?

 

[TDawg]

I'll rockhop when I can, and I agree poles help. But if the trail looks like the photo below, I'm going around and so will most hikers.


Cedar Brook trail en route to Hancocks, post-Irene.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

If you do encounter a muddy stretch of trail, don’t walk off-trail to avoid it. “Don’t skirt the trail if you come to a muddy spot, just walk right on through it,” Norkin said. “Skirting the trail can damage trailside vegetation, which leads to erosion. If you stay on the trail you can help prevent the inadvertent widening of the trail and the soil erosion that comes with it,” he said.

It's true there are some bogs that can't be avoided. The wisest thing would be to put in bog bridges. I can think of a number of trails, however, that could have been-should have been ---could be-should be rerouted with the old section being blocked off. To do so would ensure that hikers stay on the trail and nature would eventually reclaim the abandoned sections. This has been done with great success by the AMC-LEA work crew on a small stretch of the Ledges trail on Pleasant Mt. ME. Often it would take relatively little work. It does take a willingness to admit that the trail was originally laid out in the wrong place.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Hiking poles help with this. Mine have found several knee deep, or endless, mud holes before I stepped in them.

Yes, they help but are not infallible. In these two particular cases, they did not help. I always hike with poles.

Allow us to play devil's advocate in return:

Are saying that keeping heavy mud off of you, keeping your cleanup at the end of the day short, and keeping your car clean are all things that are more important that minimizing your impact in the backcountry?

And that because everyone else goes around mud, it doesn't matter if you do the same?

For some people, the answer to your question is "YES! Do I look foolish enough to get myself all dirty?!?!?"

Tim

 

[Tom Rankin]

Like many other issues, this has 2 (or more) sides.

Yes, we should minimize our impact when we might be damaging the trails.

On the other hand, these chronic problem areas should be fixed, or re-routed, or whatever...

 

[erugs]

It's true there are some bogs that can't be avoided. The wisest thing would be to put in bog bridges. I can think of a number of trails, however, that could have been-should have been ---could be-should be rerouted with the old section being blocked off. To do so would ensure that hikers stay on the trail and nature would eventually reclaim the abandoned sections. This has been done with great success by the AMC-LEA work crew on a small stretch of the Ledges trail on Pleasant Mt. ME. Often it would take relatively little work. It does take a willingness to admit that the trail was originally laid out in the wrong place.

Yes, Ed'n Laukey! Some trails are so wet that their position needs to be reconsidered as to whether it is still the best approach. Maybe it was fine when the trail was laid out, and was good for many years. And maybe conditions have changed due to overuse or beaver activity or whatever. Sometimes when I see where people have changed the path of the trail over time I think: "Ah, the people have spoken. Let the trail maintainers listen."

 

[DougPaul]

When a significant portion of the trail is going to be damaged by one's passage, one could consider turning around and hiking somewhere else (or doing something else)...

Doug

 

[RoySwkr]

My goal Thurs on Garfield was to scuff out enough waterbars to redirect water previously flowing down the trail to make up for the footprints I left

Net gain or loss to the environment - who knows? But at least I tried, and anyone who scuffs waterbars leaves the trail better than if they didn't

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

Yes, Ed'n Laukey! Some trails are so wet that their position needs to be reconsidered as to whether it is still the best approach. Maybe it was fine when the trail was laid out, and was good for many years. And maybe conditions have changed due to overuse or beaver activity or whatever. Sometimes when I see where people have changed the path of the trail over time I think: "Ah, the people have spoken. Let the trail maintainers listen."

Quite a few of the viewers on this site maintain trails. The trail maintainers are listening, but we are usually too thin on the ground to stabilize every site that needs it. What is needed is more hikers stepping up to spend time working on trails under the direction of experienced maintainers. The split between hikers and trailworkers, or consumers and producers, is unnecessary. More hikers volunteering to learn how to drain and harden trails on occasion rather than spending all their mountain time peakbagging and redlining would be really beneficial.

 

[erugs]

Quite a few of the viewers on this site maintain trails. The trail maintainers are listening, but we are usually too thin on the ground to stabilize every site that needs it. What is needed is more hikers stepping up to spend time working on trails under the direction of experienced maintainers. The split between hikers and trailworkers, or consumers and producers, is unnecessary. More hikers volunteering to learn how to drain and harden trails on occasion rather than spending all their mountain time peakbagging and redlining would be really beneficial.

Good point about more volunteers working on trails, and also bravo to the others on this site who help maintain a trail, whether officially or unofficially by kicking out some waterbar drains.

The trail doesn't have to be a big, long one. There are shorter, "easy" trails available. Or, adopt a trail with friends! I maintain a portion of the East Pond Trail and its great fun to feel I make a difference.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Quite a few of the viewers on this site maintain trails. The trail maintainers are listening, but we are usually too thin on the ground to stabilize every site that needs it. What is needed is more hikers stepping up to spend time working on trails under the direction of experienced maintainers. The split between hikers and trailworkers, or consumers and producers, is unnecessary. More hikers volunteering to learn how to drain and harden trails on occasion rather than spending all their mountain time peakbagging and redlining would be really beneficial.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that a trail maintainer does not have the right to reroute a trail without permission from higher up.

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that a trail maintainer does not have the right to reroute a trail without permission from higher up.

Ed, you are quite right. When the goal is to stabilize the trail on a better location, such permission is usually forthcoming.

 

[Billy]

If I come upon a big section of wet deep mud that can't be rock hopped, I'm going around it. Always have, always will. Above treeline with the delicate little plants and flowers, that's different, I stay off those little dudes. But the forest is pretty rugged. There are worse sins than creating a little herd path around a huge section of mud. If doing that prevents me from getting elected "trail steward of the year", I can live with that pain.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that a trail maintainer does not have the right to reroute a trail without permission from higher up.

It probably depends on how large a re-route you are talking about. One side of a tree vs the other, go for it. beyond that, I'd ask.

I also want to point out that you can adopt just a section of a trail. Any length is better than nothing.