Major mud on trails

With the first really warm weather in weeks, snow is melting and mud is multiplying. Generally, you can assume mud won't get too bad on any trail that crosses the gritty Pikes Peak gravel in places like Barr Trail and Cheyenne Canyon, but I can't tell you first hand deep and sloppy in the sedimentary dirt in the upper reaches of Red Rock Canyon. The lower sections of Stratton Open Space and parts of Ute Valley and Palmer Park can also get very muddy. Give it a few days to dry out. If you do come to a muddy spot, keep erosion down by walking in the mud, not in the grass on the side of the trail.