When planning a spring hike recently, I had to remind myself that winter only grudgingly abandons Vermont’s mountaintops. Although in early May when the hiking bug begins to bite it may be warm and green at valley trailheads, the trees on most Vermont summits and even the higher ridges remain bare until nearly June 1. And of course, there’s a white reason why spring skiing can extend well into May.
Driving along the Route 7 highway from Manchester to Bennington in mid-May, I could see a definite line of demarcation up the sides of the southern Green Mountains showing just where spring had not yet quite kicked into gear — the bright green of newly-leafed trees fading into a telltale brown band.
Some hikers relish the broad views that can be scored springtime atop a leafless Vermont summit. I prefer to remain grounded in spring’s fresh greenery — and warmth — and stick to the lower elevations for my spring hikes. Winter’s barrenness will be back soon enough.
Also, this spring in VT the mountaintops were extra muddy due to the long, wet winter so the Green Mountain Club advised all hikers to stay off the higher trails until Memorial Day. Hiking on muddy trails really damages them. They even put up Trails are Closed until Memorial Day signs in northern towns like Stowe.