Tread Lightly this weekend! (and always)

ExploringNH would like to encourage everyone to Tread Lightly this weekend (and always). "Easter Sunday Mud Bogs" may have been a tradition since the invention of four-wheel-drive, but events like these are damaging to the environment, the ...roads and trails we use, and our relationships with other recreational users.

Please keep "mudding" activities limited to sanctioned events to reduce our impact on the environment and trails and to ensure the safety of everyone. For those of you looking for a "mud fix," check out Vermonster 4X4 (Bradford, VT) coming up in a couple weeks and Barnyard All Terrain (Livermore, ME) and Toy Farm Mud Rally (Pittsfield, NH) this summer. These are all legal, sponsored events which use temporary, man-made mud pits, designed for everyone to have a good time with minimal impact on the earth and our sport.

As a final reminder many of the Class VI roads in the state are legally CLOSED for mud season. Consult with the town before exploring this season as anyone caught driving on a road that is closed can/will be fined!

For more info on the negative effects of "mudding":
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/willamette/recreation/ohv/?cid=stelprdb5097794

For info on how to Tread Lightly offroad:
http://treadlightly.org/quick-tips-for-responsible-four-wheeling/

A Link to our (incomplete) list of mud season closures by town. This is just to be used as a reference, not an official source:
http://forums.exploringnh.com/showthread.php?23197-Official-Mud-Season-Closure-List-2014

Finally, a few links to sanctioned mud events this year:
Vermonster4x4 (Bradford, VT) - http://www.vermonster4x4.com/
Toy Farm Mud Rally (Pittsfield, NH) - http://www.toyfarm.org/
Barnyard All Terrain (Livermore, ME) - http://www.barnyardallterrain.com/
Monadnock Speedway Mudslinger Series (Winchester, NH) - http://www.monadnockspeedway.com/schedule.htm