At last, mud season is over and at last we announce the winners of our first Mud Season Haiku Contest! (Not to mention, at last we can hike the Long Trail in warm weather!)

Judging any kind of art is highly subjective – here we award the three poems that we thought best captured the spirit of mud season. Still, don’t miss the opportunity to read all the poems Long Trail hikers sent in! Click here for a complete listing of the spring and mud inspired poetry we received.

Thank you to all who participated in our contest!

1st Place

Digging in garden
Looking towards snow-capped peaks
Patience - I must wait

Barrett Grimm
Huntington, VT

2nd Place

crocus tulip mud
boots sit ready car sits stuck
a mere blip in spring

Keri Foster
Wyoming

3rd Place

Restraint

What is the reason
We keep off the Green Mountains?
Dratted mud season!

Neal Zierler
South Burlington

1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners receive Green Mountain Club guide books.

Here are some of our other favorites in no particular order:

Too early for shorts,
Should be wearing hi-top boots,
mud season prevails.

Don Hill, St. Albans

Mud Season Alternative

Mud baths and hot stones,
Massage that lasts forever -
Take me to the spa.

Peter Briggs, Burlington

A Green Mountain State
Robust with trails to hike
Time to air the tent

John Zaber, Craftsbury Common

new spring. new boots found
showroom shine not meant to last
maybe just stay home

Becky Fullerton, Roslindale, MA

Car stuck in the mud
It got my rubber boots too Slimy,
dark quicksand.

Meagan Swahn, Tunbridge, VT

rutted roads catch
unsuspecting weave to and fro
try to escape

Michelle Kennedy, Jericho, VT

Time for spring walk-through
Volunteers with chainsaw gear
Mud up to our knees

Cat Eich, Waterbury Center

The phone rings and rings
When does the Long Trail open?
May twenty-seven.

Matt Larson, Waterbury

If not for the mud
And the scarcity of baths
I would be cleaner.

Ray Parker, Waitsfied

Mud is like choc’late
Waiting to be eaten.
Pudding in the sun.

Lexi Graham, Waitsfied

For information about the contest and writing haiku, click here.

To see all submissions, click here.