LOCALadk Magazine

Spring 2018 LOCALadk Magazine 5 LOCALadk Spring: Season of Variations A message from the Department of Environmental Conservation You are likely to encounter a wide range of weather and conditions on any given day in spring, especially if moving between elevations. Be prepared for snow, sleet, freezing rain, strong winds, and even thunderstorms. All are common in spring. Check forecasts frequently right up until you leave the trailhead. Be flexible in your plans and timing - you want to avoid inclement weather, if at all possible. Once on your out- ing, assess the weather and conditions constantly. Return to your vehicle if you or any member of your group is not pre- pared for the conditions. In early spring, snow softens as temperatures warm and rains fall. Hard-packed snow on trails becomes "rotten" and easy to break through. Snowshoes are ver y important this time of year, to avoid postholing. When hiking, avoid areas of weakening snow and ice bridges over streams. Ice on trails is common as melting snow refreezes at night. Icy and hard-packed trails in the morning may become soft and wet in the afternoon warmth. In some areas, compacted snow may become an icy "monorail" as the softer snow be- sides the trails melts away. Wear crampons and other trac- tion devices and walk on monorails to avoid postholing in trailside snow and trampling trailside vegetation. In early spring the ice on ponds, streams, and other water bodies thins, and should be avoided. By mid-spring streams and rivers begin to open. Water levels are high, currents are swift and powerful, and water temperatures are extremely cold. Avoid icy and wet streams banks. The aptly named mud season begins as frost leaves the ground. Typically, mud season in the lower elevation of the Adirondacks begins in mid- to late April and ends mid- to late May, although the specific duration in any given location de- pends on specific variables of rainfall, location, elevation, and so forth. During mud season trails are likely to be icy in the morning, but a mix of mud and water for most of the rest of the day. Hiking on muddy trails can be detrimental to trailside vegeta- tion and can cause trail degradation and erosion. To minimize the negative environmental impact of hiking in mud season, wear waterproof footwear and gaiters. Walk through, not around, mud and water on trails, in order to avoid trampling vegetation and widening the trails. Mud season can last into early June. For as long as is neces- sar y, follow DEC's Muddy Trail Advisor y. Winter conditions last much longer at high elevations. Trailheads may lack snow and ice and temperatures may be warm, but in the higher elevations there will be snow, even deep snow, as well as ice and cold temperatures. Tempera- tures on summits can be 20 -25 degrees lower than tempera- tures at the trailhead, and wind chills will be much lower. Rain at the trailhead may be falling as snow or sleet in the higher elevations. In spring, streams may be impassable due to high water levels. Also, even if water levels are low in the morning, rising temperatures over the course of the day may lead to snowmelt and water level rise.The same crossing that was navigable in the morning may be treacherous or impassible the afternoon. Do not tr y to cross through cold, high, fast flowing waters. Stay where you are and call for assistance. The best advice for spring is to pack gear and clothing for the wide variety of weather and conditions you may en- counter, and be prepared to alter your plans and alter your technique as warranted. In spring, you need to be as ready to change as the weather is!

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