DEC is urging hikers to postpone hikes on Adirondack trails above 2,500 feet until high elevation trails have dried and hardened. DEC resources provide information for hikers on how to reduce negative impacts on all trails and protect the natural resources throughout the Adirondacks during this time. Despite recent warm weather, high elevation trails above 2,500 feet are still covered in slowly melting ice and snow. These steep trails feature thin soils that become a mix of ice and mud as winter conditions melt and frost leaves the ground.