A Puddle of Emotions: Mud Season in Fraser

Ah, springtime in Fraser. Or as the locals lovingly (and begrudgingly) call it: mud season. It’s that magical 4–6 week window where Mother Nature spins a wheel every morning to decide if we’ll get sunshine, sleet, sideways rain, or an inch of surprise snow on your bike seat. Spoiler alert: sometimes it’s all of the above — before lunch.

You don’t really live in Fraser until you’ve experienced a day that starts in sunglasses, shifts into snow boots, and ends with a mud-splattered dog and a resigned, “Well… we need the moisture.” That phrase is basically the town's mantra this time of year — our polite way of making peace with the brown slush melting off our driveways and the ever-multiplying puddles taking over the trails.

What to Expect During Mud Season

• Wardrobe roulette – You’ll leave the house in a hoodie, come home in a beanie, and question your life choices around 3 p.m. when it starts hailing.

• Trail limbo – The trails are almost dry… until they’re not. The Phases might open first, but everything else is a game of wait-and-see (and step carefully).

• Moods as moody as the skies – One minute you’re planning your garden; the next, you’re back inside Googling tropical vacations.

• Random sunburns and frostbite – Often on the same day.

And yet, something is endearing about this shoulder season. It’s quiet. It’s real. It’s the calm before the summer buzz, when the valley slowly starts to thaw and the promise of warm days lingers just out of reach.

How to Survive (and Maybe Even Enjoy It)

• Layers, always – Think of your outfit as an onion. Be ready to peel and re-wrap at will.

• Get cozy – Mud season = prime time for local coffee shops, book reading, and guilt-free hibernation.

• Respect the trails – If it’s wet, give it a rest. Future you (and the trail crews) will thank you.

• Lean into the weirdness – Embrace the chaos. Or at least laugh about it over a beer at the brewery.

So here’s to Fraser in the spring: wild, unpredictable, and just a little muddy around the edges. It might not be postcard-perfect, but it’s authentically us — and honestly, that’s even better.

And remember, if you’re standing in your driveway looking up at the sky wondering what just hit you… it’s probably graupel. And yes — we do need the moisture.