Spring hiking requires use of care for trails’ sake and your safety

Spring can be a tough time for a diehard hiker.

Earlier this week, New Hampshire trails at elevations above 2500 feet or so still held snow, while at lower elevations, recent summer-like temperatures had hastened melting and led to muddy conditions on many trails.

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.

Before heading out, be sure to grease up your hiking boots so they’ll shed water efficiently, and wear gaiters to help keep stones and muck out of your boots.

Melting snow also contributes to swollen streams, so it’s important to keep an eye on the weather and use care when approaching stream crossings. Spring rains coupled with melting snow can be a recipe for raging torrents, and hikers are better off avoiding crossing such streams. Again, proper planning can help enhance your enjoyment and safety in the backcountry. Get a weather forecast before heading out, so you’ll know if precipitation is predicted, and plan your hike to avoid hazardous water-crossings.

“Keep in mind that water could be higher later in the day, because early-morning snow and ice may melt as the day warms up, and lead to higher water levels,” Norkin noted.

Hikers should also be aware that spring run-off and high water can damage or destroy bridges, Norkin said.

The force of flowing water can be incredibly powerful, and hikers may find the best course of action when encountering a stream crossing to be rerouting the trip, turning back, or waiting until the flow subsides before attempting to cross.

Whenever crossing a stream, hikers should unfasten hip and sternum straps from their backpacks so the pack is more easily shed in the event of a fall. Using hiking poles or sticks can help a hiker maintain balance when crossing a stream.

Spring also brings with it biting insects. Pack a head net. They’re light, inexpensive, and indispensable. If they were the subject of a MasterCard ad, they’d be priceless.

Here’s another reminder: If you really want to lend a hand to the maintenance of the trails you love to hike on, mark your calendar for National Trails Day, Saturday, June 4. Volunteers are sought for a variety of tasks, including brush clipping and clearing waterbars. Watch this space for more information on National Trails Day activities as we get closer to the date. If you can’t wait to sign up, contact Terry Robinson at tmrobinson@outdoors.org.

Rob Burbank is the Public Affairs Director for the Appalachian Mountain Club in Pinkham Notch. He can be reached at rburbank@outdoors.org.