Many of you know this, and if that's the case, carry on. But some may need a reminder, and a few may not have heard. When the temperatures are near freezing, and trail conditions are listed as Freeze/Thaw, trail conditions can change quickly and dramatically over the course of a day. When the ground is frozen, the riding is generally excellent, but as soon as it starts to thaw, it becomes a slippery mess, and the trail is very susceptible to damage (short reason; the water in the soil expands when it freezes, and when it melts, the resulting mud is particularly soupy and unstable; longer explanation
here, among other places). On south facing slopes, thawing can happen well below freezing, especially with no snow cover. Night riding is great fun and the trails will often be in great shape, and early mornings can be good before the sun gets too high. Beautiful sunny afternoons are the worst time to ride; it's not that much fun, and it's really hard on the trails. I know we sound like a broken record on this, and most riders are good about it, but the word needs to get spread further. All of us volunteers would rather build new trail than repair old trail, especially when the damage is so easily avoided. Thanks!
