Hiking During Mud Season
That’s right! Spring might be full of rain, blooming flowers and lovely temperatures, but it’s also filled with lots of mud. Whenever I see mud on the trail and my kid walking through it, I think “ugh, how many loads of laundry am I going to have to do when I get home?” And it’d be two… the answer would be at least two.
But as much as you might cringe when you see your kids walking through (or perhaps rolling in) the mud, did you know that they’re actually doing the correct thing? It’s true. You’re supposed to walk right through the mud, not around it. It also depends on the type of mud conditions you encounter.
Let me explain.
Mud makes trails extremely fragile. Every step from a hiker in muddy conditions, changes the trail. Over a few days (or perhaps even a few hours), trails can dramatically widen and deepen due to more and more hikers walking on it. Hikers can damage trails so severely with muddy conditions that every year, local and state agencies will actually close trails for a few weeks during “mud season”. This is when winter snow has started to melt and spring rains have come in, making very mucky trail conditions.
Image: water-soaked trail with a widening muddy path on the right
In the above image, you can clearly see a water-soaked trail from spring runoff and another trail to the right made by hikers trying to get around the water. If they had been prepared, they would’ve walked right through it and caused much less damage to the trail.
It’s good to remember that mud season can be any time of year too. If there’s been a significant rainfall or if there’s been a mid-winter thaw, trails can easily become muddy. The springtime is still usually the worst, so take extra care during those months. Because if you don’t come prepared, it can ultimately lead to more trail maintenance or loss of a trail altogether.
So what do you do if you suspect you’ll encounter muddy trail conditions on your next adventure?
Bring traction/good footwear. Mud can be just as slippery as ice, so go with traction (YakTrax or microspikes will suffice). At the very least, wear waterproof boots and some gaiters.
Be prepared to potentially turn around. If you encounter a lot of mud on the trail, your first instinct should actually be to turn around. Head back to your car or do a different loop, but do not continue forward. For the reasons listed above, continuing this should be your first course of action.
Walk through the mud, not around it. If you only encounter a small patch of mud on the trail and don’t suspect there will be more, feel free to continue on your hike. But DO NOT walk around the mud, stay on the trail. If anything, walk straight through the middle of it. Your kid will likely thank you for it anyway. However, if you have a kid not wanting to get a little dirty, then carry them through it. Do not allow them to walk around it; even their little feet can wreak havoc on a trail.
Limit playtime in the mud. We know how much fun mud can be for kids. We implore you to play with it at home (and look below for fun mud games to play with your kids). But playing in the mud creates even deeper gullies and wider depressions on a trail. Bring goodies for kiddos to entice them to keep moving. M&Ms and gummy bears always work for my kid.
Image: muddy conditions on a trail in New Hampshire created a social trail to the left
Ideas for muddy games to play at home:
If your kid (or perhaps yourself) loves to play in the mud, I’ve got some fun games for you to try out.
Muddy River: dig a small trench in your yard or garden and line it with aluminum foil. Use the pile of dirt that you dug from your yard/garden to make some mud with. Have your kids make a dam made of mud and pour water into the aluminum foil drainage. Play with the dam to see what keeps the water from breaking through!
Chocolate Ice Cream: or is it? Get some sugar cones and fill them with mud. Add sprinkles or flowers for toppings. Just make sure not to try the ice cream, it won’t be very delicious.
Mud Kitchen: grab some utensils, a colander, some bowls, and measuring cups and let your kids’ imaginations run wild! Make some pies, cupcakes, or whatever your child is excited to make.
Mud Brick Building: get some molds and fill them with mud. Let them dry overnight and then construct some buildings outside. Wait for it to rain and do it all again!
Tea Time: get an old teapot (check out some thrift shops) and some mugs and play tea time with your kids. Instead of tea bags or hot chocolate, use dirt and mix all the ingredients from some delicious (or perhaps not) drinks.
Bulldozer Car Wash: after playing construction site in the mud, set up some tubs for your kids to wash their cars in. Bonus, playtime equals clean up time!
Painting With Mud: pour some mud on some sidewalk or driveway and let your kid paint with their fingers.
So there ya have it. The rainy season doesn’t necessarily mean adventuring has to stop. It does mean that you have to be a bit more prepared for plans to potentially change due to trail conditions though. Worse comes to worst, you can always head back home and try out the mud games we’ve listed above. Now let’s get dirty!!
In addition to acting as WildKind's in-house renaissance woman (her current titles include: sustainability expert, fundraising machine, and social media guru), Sarah is an accomplished writer, ecologist, and outdoor advocate. She is currently working on completing the 4ooo footers in the White Mountains in her home state of New Hampshire. Follow along on her and her son's adventures on Instagram: @mtns2motherhood and @publiclands_loveyou
