Spring rains mean sensitive trails

gan Tierney, director of field programs for the Green Mountain Club, a trail protection nonprofit.

BY CORA SMITH Community News Service

With mud season upon us, experts warn that Vermonters should stay away from high-elevation trails for now to protect natural areas from erosion and damage.

Climate change is leading to increased precipitation in the form of larger, more in-

“More water means more erosion,” said Claire Polfus, recreation program manager for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “As there’s more big storms — where there’s an inch to 5 inches of water — that is where we’re seeing the most damage.”

That’s especially prevalent along older trails. When the Long Trail was constructed over a century ago, most of the paths were built straight up the mountains, increasing the likelihood that hikers will encounter water on the trail. With larger crowds using the trails every year, the risk of erosion grows.

“You almost never want to run straight up the mountain, which is what a lot of our legacy trails do,” said Tierney. “When you run straight up the hill, you catch the water, and the trail tread eventually becomes the stream bed.” tense storms, which can be detrimental for Vermont’s trails.

Storms can also cause damage when trees and debris fall across trails.

“The intensity of the rain events that we get now has a much higher potential to do severe erosion of the trail tread,” said Kee-

“We haven’t seen any major reports of blowdowns or other issues from the winter, which is good,” said Tierney with the Green Mountain Club. “And season to season, it’s hugely variable.”

The Department of Forestry, Parks and Recreation sends full-time and seasonal staff out to clean up trails. Volunteers also do a lot of the work.

The Green Mountain Club hosts around 1,000 volunteers each year to help clean up trails across the state. Some belong to chapters of the club and have a section of the trail they are responsible for. Others volunteer through organizations like Boy Scout troops or school groups.

“All our annual maintenance is done by volunteers, and we’re always looking for new folks,” said Tierney. “And I think that’s true across the spectrum for trail maintainers.”

If you are thinking about going on a hike, Polfus from the Department of Forestry, Parks and Recreation recommends checking if the trail is open first, either on a website like Trail Finder or the Vermont Mountain Bike Association’s website.

“We all have to be stewards of these great trails that we have in Vermont, and we just ask people to pay attention,” said Polfus.

Tierney added that even if a trail is open, you should turn around if you are making deep tracks in the mud. But if you’re going to travel a muddy path, it’s better to walk through the mud than try to sidestep it.

“The most resource impact comes from folks who are trying to avoid the mud and they end up widening the trail,” said Tierney.

Tierney encourages folks to contact local trail clubs to get the most up-to-date information on which trails are open and closed.

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