The combination of warm temperatures and Daylight Savings Time has melted out significant portions of the trail and added plenty of daylight to the evenings for after-
work excursions. Places like South Spencer, Lion Mountain, and Skyles are mostly free of snow and are great early season destinations. Meanwhile, there are still sections of ice and hard-packed snow in higher elevations and shadier parts of the trail, such as at Haskill and Beaver Lakes.
Though Spring on the Whitefish Trail is exciting, here are some important reminders as the trail tread adjusts to increased use during the melt-freeze cycles:
Avoid muddy conditions:
Mornings are often ideal because the tread is often frozen. If you do come across a muddy section of trail, stay in the tread. Walking on the sides of the trail to avoid mud can widen the tread and damage surrounding vegetation
Respect private property: Public access has been generously donated. Please respect all private lands and stay on the trail corridor. No hunting, shooting, or fires of any kind, including no smoking.
Be Bear Aware:
Spring is a great time to brush up on being Bear Aware. Take bear spray (and know how to use it!), recreate in groups, avoid using earbuds, and keep dogs under control to discourage wildlife conflicts. Brush up on your bear aware knowledge at one of our upcoming WT education events!
The weather forecast for the next few weeks shows freezing temperatures at night and a mixture of sun and rain during warm days. Taken together, this means that there will continue to be variability across the trail system. Get out and rediscover the world-class trail system that we are so fortunate to have in our community, and please remain aware and respectful of shifting trail conditions. Enjoy! Send us your winter trail reports and photos to info@whitefishlegacy.org!
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