At the beginning of April, I visited my friends and family for a week in Pennsylvania. When I visited it was peak spring. Flowers were in bloom, the birds were singing, and I could walk around in shorts and a t-shirt. To be honest, I was nervous to come back to the cold weather of New Hampshire.
However, to my surprise, when I returned to New Hampshire, all the snow was melted off the ground. My co-servers told me stories about how nice the weather was while I was away. They were wearing shorts and t-shirts on some of the warm days! The days are slowly warming. Of course, there are some days when it is close to below freezing, and there are random dustings of snow, but warmer weather is coming.
I have never experienced a spring quite like this one. I have never lived this far north. I am used to bright colors and spring showers, but it looks a lot different here in New Hampshire. Many New Hampshire residents call spring “mud season,” and I can see why. All the snow melts, leaving patches of brown mush everywhere you go. My little red Toyota Camry has gotten stuck in the mud more than it has gotten stuck in the snow! I can’t tell which is worse.
The rain in New Hampshire is also much more intense than I have ever experienced. As I write this conservation journal, it is day 7 of a week-long rain spell! Looking out the window from the Squam Lakes Association headquarters, you can see the docks in the cove disappearing as the water levels rise and reclaim the docks. There are ducks and geese, however, that found the water-covered docks to be a perfect resting spot.
In addition to the ducks and geese, so many other animals I have seen appear for the warmer weather! We have at least two bald eagles flying around the cove, and there is a blue herring that likes to fly around and tip-toe between the trees and bushes. I have seen cardinals fly around and robins start to pick worms from the ground. A large fish swam beneath my working hands when I was helping raise the docks out of the water.
I love the way spring looks here at the Squam Lakes Association. Trails are closed for mud season, but we are getting more and more hikers expressing their eagerness to hike and get outside. We have the summer boaters de-winterizing their boats in addition to local boaters already out on the lake! More campers are calling and asking about reservations. We are bailing firewood and preparing campsites for our campers. My co-servers and I are studying diligently for our commercial boat licenses and SCUBA certifications.
Whether you call this time spring or mud season, it still means we are closer to summer! I am so excited. The warmer weather and sunlight feel like a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders and chest. You will find me diving to remove invasive milfoil from our lake, testing water quality, campsite maintenance, trail maintenance, and leading adventure ecology programs. I am ready to dive into this summer, figuratively and literally.
Shannon is a full-year member of the LRCC. Learn more about Shannon here!