Here is a good example of how the two seasons compare. Videos were shot coming up the same trail, (the only ATV trail, thats why the 1984 Suzuki only has 440 miles on the odometer) in winter and summer. With the low snowfall we have had the last two years those alders you see are usually almost 100 percent under the snow. The summer video shows how hard it is to see through the alders. Maybe 10-15 feet at the most.
CUT your trails wide during snow out & wide , took us 5 years . Chainsaws to the ground !!! Just my take from doing this since 1968 Sloth
You are correct. I've been amazed at just how fast the alder reclaims lost ground. Many of my winter snowshoe "trails" are impassible during the summer. You truly haven't lived until you try busting through miles of alders on a summertime hike. Or grab onto a Devils Club with your bare hand...