With the warm winter weather this season, many people are already feeling spring fever. Although hikers and bikers will still have to wait for Mother Nature to finishing thawing the outdoor trails and path.

Diane and Timothy Soden-Groves are avid hikers in the Twin Ports area. However, they said they actually had better luck snow-shoeing last year, than hiking near the Piedmont Trail Center this year.

“A year ago we were snowshoeing, not this trail, but a lot of the trails in the area. We loved to snowshoe, and it’s a different experience of our beautiful environment,” Timothy Soden-Groves said. “In this season, to be able to see deep into the woods because of the lack of cover. We just love getting out for the scenery and the exercise and knowing that there’s always more to discover around here.”

Even though we might have seen some sunny and warm days, the trail conditions are still pretty slick for hikers and bikers. Diane Soden-Groves said when it comes to hiking make sure to have a plan if the trail gets too muddy.

“Be as prepared as you can. Have decent boots or shoes. Just be kind of cautious,” Diane Soden-Groves said. “Don’t hike beyond your capability.”

Ansel Schimpff, the Executive Director of Cyclists of Gitchee Gummee Shores said there’s an easy way to know if the trail isn’t ready. Make sure to look if you leave footprints or tire tracks. If you do it’s best to just turn around.

“When that frost is coming out, the trail actually gets muddy from the bottom up. That’s when you get kind of that like almost bottomless feeling,” Schimpff said. “But all the drainage that we build into these trails is what starts to get ruined through walking on the trails when they’re muddy or riding on them.”

Although if there are warmer days out and sunny weather, what can people do if they want to get out and hike or bike? Schimpff said right now sticking with pavement might be the best option for the meantime.

“If you want to get out and ride or go for a run or walk, any of the paved trails in town are great. The monger or the lake walk, some of the gravel trails like the DWP over by Spirit Mountain”

For more information about the hiking and biking conditions you can read more here. Also for other stories with the hiking and biking trail conditions you can read more here