Mud season hiking suggestions

The days are getting longer and the sun is higher and the smell of spring is in the air. The woods and hiking are calling out to us.

BUT it is mud season and the trails with frost still in the ground are particularly fragile. Hiking boots going through the mud on top of the frost do more damage to the trail than the hundreds of boots in the summer and fall. The mud tends to temp folks to hike to sides, widening the trail and damaging vegetation on the sides of trails.

WHAT IS A HIKER TO DO?
Find the low elevation trails that lose the frost early and dry out early.

Some suggestions in our area:

The lower mountain trails in Equinox Preservation Trust in Manchester Village - maps available at the kiosks at the trail heads or on line - for more information http://www.equinoxpreservationtrust.org/index.php 

The West River Trail in South Londonderry and Jamaica - maps available on line http://www.equinoxpreservationtrust.org/index.php

Lye Brook Falls trail from Manchester to Lye Brook Falls - information available at the USFS Manchester Ranger Station or in the Green Mountain Club "The Walker's Guide to Vermont"

Prospect Rock via the Rootville Rd in Manchester - information in the GMC "The Walker's Guide to Vermont"

Taylor Series Slide Show - Hiking and Touring along the Dalton Highway in Alaska

On Friday evening January 27 join us at 7 pm at the Manchester Community Library Hunter Room for the Green Mountain Club Taylor Series of Adventure Slide Shows. Marge Fish will share the adventure she and her husband went on with an REI led adventure along the Dalton Highway, hiking, paddling, visiting with some of the locals.

Talk Tonight 1/12 at the Newfane Library

A talk at Newfane library: "Lessons from the long trail, or how 25 days changed my life" , free

Schedule for Next Two Months

We have had several excellent work trips and several excellent hikes in the last 5 weeks.
There are more planned for June and July - check the activities schedule for details. We welcome non members to join us on our hikes.

Next Hike

Join Joe Ninesling for the third in this series of hikes on the West River Trail  - see the full information on the activities calendar

Report on the Hike to Angel Falls - BAll Mtn Dam to Winhall Campground

Nine hikers had a great hike from Ball Mtn Dam to Angels Falls and on Winhall Campground, including an interesting crossing of the Winhall River on the temporary bridge.

Report on the hike on 4/17 from Jamaica State Park to Hamilton Falls and back

Hi Marge, we had 9 persons go on the Hamilton Falls hike. I am informed we hiked 7.2 miles with an elevation gain of 1000 ft. It was a beautiful afternoon and there was a cool breeze at bottom of  falls. It was decided also to hike to top, thus the extra mileage. There were Bob and myself, a couple from Mass. a fellow from Saxton Rivers, two British speaking individuals, Val a new young person who moved to Manchester, a women from Arlington area and one more. happy trails, Joe

Next hike is Sunday 4/24 - hike to Angel Falls and on to Winhall campgrounds where we are meeting at 1 pm, RSVP to Joe Ninesling, runraft@aol.com or 802-289-2801