[arel]

I had my first taste of mud season today. My first mud season adventure.

I was driving to someone's house on a dirt road in Putney, and it was all I could do just to stay on the road! I had heard that mud season made a mess, but I didn't know that it made it so hard to steer.

I remember thinking that this might be mud season, but half-dismissed it because it is only mid-March. When I arrived, I mentioned how hard it was to steer on the dirt road. She responded, "Mud season...Welcome to New England."

When I asked, she said a Subaru tracks a little better than a FWD, but you still have to be careful.

I drove very slowly back to the main road. I was very happy to see asphalt.

And this is just the beginning...

[mustmove]

Wait until the ruts dry solid but before the road grader gets there. And right after the road is graded the roads have a bit less traction than normal- might not notice unless you are going a bit fast. Enjoy. I find the nice weather with wet trails/fields to very frustrating. Plus the water is to cold to safely go boating.

[arel]

The road was uneven and I found that I didn't have the same control of the car that I do on paved roads, or on dirt roads at other times. I found myself drifting towards the edge ot the road. I had to drive smack in the middle and slow down to 5-10 mph. Thankfully, there were no other cars on the road. At one point, I saw a jogger. For safety, I moved to the other side and slowed down almost to a stop. I was relieved when I safely arrived at my destination.

The return trip on the dirt road was much easier, because, I think, I knew what to expect. Earlier, the steering difficulty took me by surprise.

This was my first experience with mud season. I knew that people sometimes got stuck in the mud, but I had no idea about steering and traction problems.

My studded snow tires did not seem to be of much help, although, who knows, maybe without them I would have had even less traction.

Once I was back on the asphalt, everything was fine.

[mustmove]

Sounds mild, you can get ruts in the mud 8 + inches deep. Once in the rut you go where the rut goes. Unless you get stuck. Nothing to be afraid of you'll figure it out.

[arel]

There's an article in the Brattleboro Reformer about the muddy conditions on dirt roads this week.

A muddy mess - Brattleboro Reformer


And yes, it was mild for mud season. I never got stuck. I just had to pay very close attention to my steering and the position of the car.

I had never experienced mud season conditions before, and the loss of traction and easy steering control was an unpleasant surprise. I had to drive very slowly, and with focused attention.

Maybe my next adventure is to get stuck in a mudhole. I hope not.

[MRVphotog]

I live on a dirt road...ya never know how bad mud season is until it's over. Every year it's diferent depending on the weather and the road. It's been a cold winter so the ground/road is frozen deep. Roads which are open to the sun dry out faster than those without.

A warm bunch of days with some rain can produce mud so deep your tires are totally submerged and your not going anywhere. My road is fine now with a short bout similar to the road you drove on but other roads in the area are closed. This is just the beginning but it might not be too bad this year or it .....

[Lilybeans]

Mud..ugh....

[GypsySoul22]

We have 99% paved roads here in civilization but there are huge pot holes and cracks all over the place (thanks to snow/ice/expansion). Mud, yes, we're enjoying it...

What is this, month 5....still wearing boots...

[flu189]

Every year on my road there are a few who learn that the smooth sections are very slick and there are no real snow banks to keep you from skidding off the road. There are also the unfortunate few who will sink into the seemingly bottomless ruts with their vehicle chassis frames resting on what used to be the road surface. This is why it is good to know alternate routes as road conditions can change by the day. Despite the conditions there has been only one time where I had to wait for the gravel trucks and grader to arrive to make my road passable.

[arel]

I need to learn mud season terminology.

What is a rut?

What is a grater?

Are there any other terms or concepts I should know?

I experienced nothing like this in Brooklyn, simply because there are no dirt roads (that I know of). With the exception of that tornado, and the ever-present risk of a hurricane, New York hazards tend to be man-made.