As temperatures are rising, the snow and ice will finally melt, returning our trails to us. However, the transition from ice to dirt makes the trails very vulnerable for a variety of reasons:

• Melting snow mixed with rain means there will be a huge amount of water and saturation on the trails, more than just a rain event.
• When the ground first froze, the moisture that was in the ground will have caused frost heave (see picture), which softens the normally well compacted trail. The snow then protects this weakened ground, but with the melt it becomes exposed again.
• A lot of trees and debris has fallen due to snow loading and wind, which can block trails and their drainage systems.

What you can do:

• Choose your trails carefully (refer to the wet weather riding guide)
• Opt for a hike instead of a ride, and clear out some drains and pick up some debris off the trail.

Within a week of the melt, everything should be back to normal. Thanks in advance for being considerate.