It’s that time of year again when the sun shines until 8pm, the pasque flowers start to bloom, and we trade the skis for hiking boots. With the abundance of hiking trails in the Pikes Peak Region, there are endless opportunities to shake off the rust of another Colorado winter with a hike in our favorite park or open space. But spring also means rain and sometimes snow, and mud. While no one likes muddy boots, it’s important to keep in mind the condition of the trail and surrounding environment when mud and puddles spring up in the trail. Leave No Trace principles dictate that the best option when encountering these in-trail obstacles (and others such as fallen trees, rocks, etc.) is to “walk single-file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.” When hikers go around these obstacles, it leads to trail over-widening (or tread creep) and eventually the size of the impacted area is doubled or even tripled. This causes unnecessary damage to the natural environment, and can lead to even bigger drainage issues. So, lace up those boots, put on your gaiters, and don’t forget your rain jacket!