Was the latest snowstorm on your bingo card for mud season? Well, it was on ours. Check off boxes as you rack up your mud season experiences and try new ways to pass this messy time of year.
Download a copy of the bingo sheet to play along: Mud Season Bingo
Step in ankle-deep mud
You’re definitely an optimist if stepping through mud isn’t on your bingo board. Here in VerMud, it’s pretty hard to avoid a messy boot moment like this, although we do hope ankle-deep moments are few and far between.
One scenario where stepping through mud is smiled upon, however, is when hiking. Should you encounter mud and choose to continue (on an open mud-season-friendly low-elevation trail, of course), DO walk directly through it. The way through is messy, but helps prevent further mud season damage by avoiding widening the trail and trampling trailside vegetation.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Mud Season in Vermont
Go on a recommended mud season hike and check TrailFinder
Mud season does place some limits on hiking as high-elevation trails and trails on state lands close, allowing them to dry out and protecting fragile alpine ecosystems. But there are still plenty of other parks and trails that remain open to enjoy.
Popular mud season walking and hiking options include the Burlington Greenway, Stowe Recreation Path, Colchester Causeway, Mt. Philo in Charlotte, and Vermont’s four rail trails. But many town forests and trail systems also remain open to explore, as well as other less frequented trail options. Find more mud season hiking inspiration and recommendations, including staff favorites, scenic hikes, and accessible trails, on our Hike Recommendations page.
And of course, we recommend exploring TrailFinder to find the open trails all around the state. Through it, you can find up-to-date information on which trails are closed, with updates made by the Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) every Friday.
Spot the first spring ephemerals
One of the most exciting aspects of mud season is being able to spot the first signs of spring plant life. As new growth begins to bring life and color back to the woods, keep an eye out for recognizable spring ephemerals.
Spring ephemerals are wildflowers that bloom, set seed, and die back, all in the short period before the trees overhead leaf out and shade the understory of the forest floor. They provide an early season food source for pollinators like bees and flies. Keep an eye out for common spring ephemerals like skunk cabbage, trout lilies, trillium, and dutchman’s breeches.
Join a spring trail work day
After the winter months, the trails need some TLC before hiking season. The club’s membership sections each host several spring weekend workdays starting in late April and continuing through May.
Spend a day with section volunteers, who have a wealth of knowledge on their local trail sections, and experience a bit of the work that goes into caring for the trails. The work you’ll perform will likely include clearing water bars to improve trail drainage, removing blowdowns, and trimming back branches and bushes along the trail. Find the calendar of section outings and work days here.
Look out for migrating amphibians and returning bird species
As plant life returns to the woods, so too does wildlife activity increase again.
Amphibians like frogs and salamanders emerge from their overwintering sites and migrate to ponds, wetlands, and vernal pools to breed and lay eggs. During this migration period, you’re more likely to see more elusive amphibian species like spotted and blue-spotted salamanders, that are rarely seen until the following spring.
Amphibians are vulnerable during this time as they cross roads near wetlands or ponds to reach breeding sites. Vermont Fish and Wildlife asks drivers to be cautious and drive slower in these areas, and report amphibian crossing locations if possible.
Read how spring peepers, a type of frog well-known for their loud and high chorusing calls, survive through winter.
Other wildlife species making their return in spring include birds like the red-winged blackbird, American robin, and the bobolink. These birds return from their fall migrations to the breeding habitats found here in the state, livening up backyards and woods with their activity – a sure sign of spring.
Check and repair your gear ahead of hiking season
Test it and check it before you go! As hiking season inches closer and you start preparing for those upcoming summer and fall adventures, check your gear. Is everything in working order? Are you missing or in need of any safety gear or the ten essentials? Several local Vermont outdoor retailers are GMC corporate sponsors and business members and a great place to either repair or acquire what you need.
Watch pond skimming at a local ski resort
Snowsports meet watersports in the event that is pond skimming. Many ski resorts hold their own high-spirited and often whimsical pond skimming events during the spring skiing period. Participants accelerate down a snowy run and use their speed, skills, and some amount of luck to try to successfully skim across a pool of water at the base of the run. Perhaps the most important element of pond skimming is the fun and festive costumes that are commonplace for participants to wear. Events in Vermont began in late March, but you can find upcoming April pond skimming events at a few resorts.
Visit GMC’s new Visitor Center
The club’s visitor center on Route 100 in Waterbury Center is open throughout mud season to help hikers find open and mud-season-friendly hikes and prepare for hiking season. Visit Wednesdays-Saturdays, or register for an upcoming workshop: Backpacking 101, Essentials of Map and Compass
Enjoy local Vermont-made maple products
Mud season coincides with Vermont’s sweetest season: sugaring season. Learn about the tapping and sugaring process at a local business (call individual businesses to confirm open hours) or celebrate this year’s crop of liquid gold at events like the Kingdom Maple Festival in St. Johnsbury or the Vermont Maple Festival in St. Albans.
Sugarbushes that are open to the public also make a great place for a mud-season walk!
Attend a GMC event or workshop
It’s easy to feel antsy during mud season while waiting for the trails to dry and reopen. Fortunately, GMC has several spring events and workshops for you to add to your calendar, helping you embrace spring and prepare for hiking season.
Join us to refresh or learn new backpacking skills, explore the logistics and experiences of an End-to-End Long Trail hike, and explore more of Vermont’s ecology. Registration is required, but most of these offerings are free and open to all interested hikers. Find the full schedule of upcoming events and workshops here.
Share mud season guidelines
Your own mud season actions play a big part in keeping the trails well-cared for and preserved for many more seasons of hiking. Help us spread word about how to steward the trails in mud season by sharing the message with friends and family and posting a friendly community reminder on your local Front Porch Forum.
Thank you for doing your part to steward the trails throughout mud season!
[…] Have you stepped in ankle-deep mud yet? If you have, you’re one square closer to bingo. Play along with us, marking your bingo board with mud season experiences and activities to pass this messy and muddy time of year. When you’ve reached bingo (5 in a row across, down, or diagonal), send us a photo or copy ofyour board with the spaces marked: DM the GMC account on Facebook or Instagram, or email the visitor center. Send yours in by the end of April and receive a copy of the Day Hiker’s Guide and green GMC beanie (while supplies last). Download a copy of the bingo board and learn more about some of these board items on the GMC blog. Blog link: https://www.greenmountainclub.org/mud-season-bingo/ […]