There Will Be Mud…

I recently wrote several posts that referred to what I call “The Mud Season,” which is a real thing.

Spring rains and melting snow, along with freeze/thaw conditions on many trails can lead to them being saturated with water.

Melting snow from the mountains also looks to find the most convenient way down to the valleys, often using hiking trails as channels.

Some northern states on the East Coast, such as Vermont, will actually close some trails to hiking so that they will not be damaged by heavy foot traffic in the early spring months.

Vermont has some particularly wonderful mud, which can be experienced year-round, especially after a heavy rain. It’s fabulous variety of textures, colors and abundance have resulted in many thru hikers on the Appalachian Trail referring to Vermont as “Vermud.”

I experienced this myself during year two in my current quest to section hike the Long Trail.

The Green Mountain Club, which cares for the Long Trail in Vermont has an excellent article here explaining how the Trail has earned it’s reputation.