Every year we at GORC HQ like to remind our local trail users about the freeze / thaw soil cycle. One of our founding members wrote an article about the process and the unfortunate consequences of riding when the trails are thawing.
Many of you are already aware of the soil reacts to freezing temperatures followed by the warming sun hitting the tread but anyone new to our region or just getting into biking or running should take a moment to read about the natural process and the resulting long-lasting damage that can occur when people use a wet (read: muddy) and thawing trail.