With the clocks being turned ahead this weekend, the arrival of spring seems to be upon us. Before you take advantage of the additional hour of daylight and the start of your spring hiking, here are a few things to keep in mind before hitting the trail.

• Even though temperatures may feel balmy in the valleys, chances are there is still snow in the mountains. Keep your first hikes of the season at lower elevations where you can.
• Access roads to trailheads in the mountains can still be icy and treacherous. Be wary of roads and trails on the north facing sides of the mountains as they will be likely to contain fields of ice and snow.
• With spring comes muddy trails. Try to hike on trails that get a lot of sun, such as those found on south sides of mountains or in forests where there are no pine trees. If the trail you are hiking on is muddy, just march on through it. Skirting around the muddy trail can damage trail-side vegetation, widens the trail and contributes to soil erosion.
• Be careful of stream crossings. Spring runoff can cause many small creeks to becoming swift flowing streams that are a formidable challenge to cross. Use of trekking poles will assist in keeping your balance during stream crossings, and if it looks to dangerous to cross, look at rerouting your trip or turning back.