On a rail trail, spring is about the conditions, not the calendar. Snow and ice give way to mud season. Before you know it, the trailsides are greening up, signaling a time for tuning up bikes and putting away boots.
If winter kept you indoors, spring will nudge you outside. It’s tempting to get back to the trails and trailheads even when they’re muddy. The resulting ruts would be a problem down the line, though, so a little patience is in order while the mud recedes. Even the paved trails can be reluctant to give up their icy patches. Again, patience. Spring will win out.
It takes hold a bit at a time, beginning at the Seacoast before sweeping inland and up to the North Country. Biking through a wetland, you might see skunk cabbages showing off their vivid green leaves while everything around them is still in winter drab. A couple of weeks later, you’ll find shrubs and trees in flower. Keep an eye out for ladyslippers and trillium blooming trailside.
Londonderry Rail Trail
Not all of New Hampshire’s rail trails are in rural areas. Urban trails like Rochester’s Lilac City Greenway reflect the season, too. Enjoy a cool walk past forsythia and specimen trees whose leaves are just starting to appear. By summertime, the path will be shady on the hottest days.
Spring is an important time for trail maintenance. Rail trail organizations around the Granite State offer volunteers a chance to help prepare the trails for the season. (An online search for the name of your favorite trail is one way to turn up contact information for your local trail association.) Essential tasks include clearing away trash and blown-down trees, trimming back encroaching brush, and checking the condition of trail bridges and boardwalks. Work done this season will benefit trail users all year.
Celebrate springtime with an excursion on one of New Hampshire’s rail trails. You’ll soon be planning another.
Text and Photos by Ellen Kolb. For more of Ellen’s walks visit her blog: granitestatewalker.com