I am sure many of you like us have spring fever and are itching to hit the trails, especially if you aren’t a big fan of winter like me. Remember there is another season out on the hiking trails called the “mud season” and with the above average snowfall this past winter, you can expect flooded trails as well as usual mud.
It may take sometime for the snow to melt on many of the area trails and even longer to dry out. Just because the snow in your backyard has melted, you still can encounter several inches (if not feet) of snow on many of the hiking trails in the area. When the snow does finally melt away, you’ll surely encounter mud on the trails. Sometimes you’ll sink ankle, knee or even hip deep in mud!
Hiking on muddy trails can damage the tread of the trail, so its usually recommended to wait until the area has had numerous warm, sunny days to fully dry out your favorite hiking trail. There are some good trails to check out while your waiting out the mud season. Here is a few that I recommend exploring:
The Nelson Swamp section of the North Country Trail – Check out the bridge over Chittenango Bridge. The swamp will probably be flooded, but the trail follows an old railroad grade that should be above the spring snow melt.
The Cazenovia Gorge section of the North Country Trail – You can check out the video below as we hiked the northern part of this section last year in mid March during the spring thaws.
The Canastota to Durham section of the North Country Trail – The NCT follows the Old Erie Canal Towpath which was recently paved. The canal will probably be frozen, however the trail should be pleasant to walk on.
The State Bridge to Lock 21 section of the North Country Trail – Actually we usually do the trail up to Canal Road and don’t do the road walk. This is a favorite of mine to get our hiking legs back after a long winter. Odds are that you won’t see anyone else on the trail on a weekday. The NCT follows the Old Erie Canal Towpath as the canal follows next to busy NY 46.
The Lock 21 to Erie Canal Village section of the North Country Trail – Another stretch of the NCT that follows the Old Erie Canal Towpath, however this stretch also follows the new Erie Canal briefly. Another favorite of ours to get the hiking legs ready for more challenging hikes after a long winter.
Head to Green Lakes State Park to walk around Green Lake and Round Lake. This is another great hike to get your hiking legs back after this long dreadful winter we’ve had.
Also check out Old Erie Canal Historic Park and the Old Erie Canal Trail for more great mud season hiking. Get your hiking legs ready as many area trails dry out and then start heading out to the Adirondacks or the Catskills or on the Finger Lakes Trail or Morgan Hill State Forest. Start planning your hiking adventures and be sure to check out our website to help plan your adventure! http://www.cnyhiking.com/index.html
Spring officially arrives in Central New York on Sunday, March 20 at 7:20pm. Are you ready for some hiking!
