Monday, April 5, 2021 - 1:18 pm
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is urging North Country hikers to postpone hikes on trails above 2,500 feet until high elevation trails have dried and hardened.
“As snow and ice continue to melt at high elevations, steep trails can pose a danger to hikers due to thick ice and deep, rotten snow,” DEC said. “Thin soils are susceptible to erosion and sensitive alpine vegetation can be easily damaged.”
Despite recent warm weather, high elevation trails are still covered in slowly melting ice and snow. These steep trails feature thin soils that become a mix of ice and mud as winter conditions melt and frost leaves the ground. The remaining compacted ice and snow on trails is rotten, slippery, and will not reliably support weight. These conditions, known as “monorails,” are difficult to hike and the adjacent rotten snow is particularly prone to postholing.
ALBANY The state Department of Environmental Conservation is urging hikers to postpone hikes on trails above 2,500 feet in elevation until these trails
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