Jargon: What is Mud Season?

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Spring comes slowly to the high country of the Rockies and other mountain ranges in the western United States. As the days get longer and temperatures rise, summer backpacking season seems tantalizingly close. But between the snow melting and the summer wildflowers blooming is a period of time colloquially referred to as "mud season". Depending on elevation and latitude, mud season might last from mid-March to late May, give or take a few weeks...

We define mud season along with hiking tips that can help to deal with this time of the year - take a look in our Issue 45 Jargon installment:

Jargon 45: Mud Season

Issue 45 Page 1

[Dogwood]

Looking at the trail pic for the article my first thought was 1) pick a hardened tread hike instead 2) WP socks such as made by Hanz, SealSkinz, Showers Pass, etc 3 ) WP shoes aren't absolutely a necessity. Perhaps a WP sock, gaiter,  and a WP or WR spray application for non WP footwear may suffice 

[PaulGS]

It's definitely 'mud season' for the most part in Alberta right now. Our provincial parks just reopened but all our national parks still remain closed.

[Tephanie H.]

I never heard of the term "mud-season".  In the Southwest (El Paso, Texas) it doesn't snow enough to have a mud season. We go from two months of wind, to a nice two weeks of Spring  to STRAIGHT UP HOT at 100 Degree Temps! But it's a dry heat.