[at-l] Fewer trees . . . .

[Mara Factor]

Sounds like you got some good information about deep snow from Mrs. Gorp.  
Don't forget your crampons and snowshoes as well as plenty of knowledge of 
winter hiking and mountaineering adn maybe a buddy, too.  It's still winter 
up there.

Even if they do have a major melt before you get there, you may also want to 
consider that the Long Trail in Vermont is particularly susceptible to 
erosion during mud season and the powers that be (Green Mountain Club, etc.) 
actively discourage spring-time hiking until the trail stabilizes.

After one particularly dry winter, I decided to spend a few days day hiking 
on the Long Trail.  I had thought with the dry winter it would be OK.  But, 
I abandoned the attempt after just one day.  It was just too obvious how 
much damage we were doing to the soft, muddy, trail in places even though 
they hadn't had much snow.

We went kayaking in the Adirondacks instead.

Here are the two way I deal with springtime hiking...  Go further north, 
earlier, and higher and stick to winter conditions as long as possible.  As 
long as you're walking on snow and ice, you're not going to affect the trail 
all that much.  Or go further south and stay low where there's an early 
spring.  Other things I've done is to stick to trails so rarely used they 
still have good drainage, don't get muddy, and remain stable or stick with 
trails so overused, the entire trail is already eroded down to rock.

Whatever you do, have fun out there!

Mara
Stitches, AT99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit my Travels and Trails web site at:

http://friends.backcountry.net/m_factor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




>From: Pete Randrup <hardhead at 1956.usna.com>
>To: at-l at mailman.backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [at-l] Fewer trees . . . .
>Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:59:50 -0500
>
>Hi --
>
>My guess is that the PA, NJ, NY, CT, and MA trail portions
>(plus SW VT portion of the AT) are pretty clear of deep
>snow.  Is that right?
>
>Hope to be SOBO VT, east of Manchester, in ten days.
>Thought about phoning the Ranger station . . . how
>good would that be from your experiences?
>
>Must have hit a balmy 50-deg. today in B-more.
>
>
>Regards to all,
>
>"Dewdrop"

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