A Hot Spot during Chilly Weather

Details: Created on Wednesday, 01 April 2015 14:45; Written by Emma Kaplan

BURKE- While the weather remains chilly and many Vermont residents are questioning when the spring weather will arrive, Kingdom Trails continues to be a hot spot for residents who enjoy outdoor activities. Utilizing the Lyndonville and Burke area trails for different sports depends on the weather conditions.

The Kingdom Trails are popular during the winter and summer seasons for those interested in snowshoeing, hiking, nordic skiing, or fat biking. As winter comes to a close and the weather starts warming up, the trails may close. According to the Trail's website, "Throughout the spring, fat bike and snowshoe trails are opened and closed as conditions fluctuate. When snow is still on the trail and temperatures are below freezing, trails will usually be open. When the temperatures get above freezing and the snow softens, trails will be closed to protect from damage."

Kingdom Trails operation manager Lilas Ide acknowledges just how utilizing the trails could be harmful when the weather begins to warm up, stating "the nature of sports such as fatbiking is that you need a hard-packed surface, and if you're going riding on a melted snow surface, it's going to cause ruts in the snow, and that freezes at night, and the next day you have a damaged and rutty trail."

The extra snow we saw Monday night and the temperatures continuing below freezing have allowed for the trails to remain open for an extended period of time. With the future forecast looking chilly, the trails could stay open longer than they have in previous years, but the Trails need to be ready for the transistion to another season. "Even though the snow's not going to melt, we as Kingdom Trails Association, need to transition to the summer season, so we close the center. The Trails are technically still opening and closing as we dictate, so people can continue use them until they are fully closed for the [winter] season."

Today, the weather has been chilly enough that the trails are open to the public.