Friday, March 16, 2012

Spring/ Mud Season

Here in Vermont we have something the locals lovingly refer to as mud season. Other areas of the country might call this time after winter spring but trust me when I say that mud season is a more accurate representation of the time. Spring comes after mud season.

On the mountain there is usually some spring skiing to be had as the last of the base melts away. But generally speaking once the mountain closes there is little else to do. The mountain closes, and many of the small shops, restaurants and bars also close. There are a few who stay open during these times of little to do, as even the locals don't get out too much. In particular there is one bar that stayed open all year round last season and is now where all the locals hang out, I'd be willing to bet that they sell more beer brewed in Vermont than any other bar in town. You all can keep your PBR and Guinness I'll stick with Long Trail and Switchback.

The roads about here turn all frost heave-y and those dirt roads become pot holed and unmanageable in the 6-10 inch deep mud. People barrel down the roads and the mud sucks their tires places they hadn't anticipated. For those who have never really been around lots of mud, it has a smell. When all the bacteria have unfrozen and been steeped in the snow melt, the leaves that fell late in the fall begin to decompose again, and nothing is growing to help clear the air. You may think to yourself 'Wow that sounds like a terrible time of year'. You guessed right.

The only good thing about mud season is that the locals finally have the state to themselves. We no longer have to pull Hummers with summer tires out of the ditch on a night with only 1 inch of snow, when a local gets stuck it's legit. We don't get to the grocery store in town and see that there is nothing left. We can drive through town without getting stuck in traffic. We can order a beer without a bunch of Jersey Shore tools crowding the bar and sipping on their drinks with those little red stirring straws (just a clue guys, but those are meant for stirring. It's not a milk shake, it's a rum and coke.) Don't get me wrong, I love the tourists, without them I don't get a pay check. But it still is nice to pass the grossest season in Vermont without them.

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