hiking, outdoors, recreation

Early season challenges hikers

Access roads can be closed or blocked by mud or snow.

Trail crews have yet to maintain route and cut out blowdowns.

Snow patches can hide trail sections and cause falls on steep side slopes.

Runoff can create raging torrents out of streams that will be mere trickles later in the season.

Weather extremes can change dramatically in minutes, causing problems on the road as well as on the trail.

Rich Landers