Mud Season 2022

March 25, 2022

Mud season is magical to a 3-year-old on Crossett Hill in Duxbury. Photo by Alyssa Mullan

“This quicksand is TOTALLY deep!” declares Nolan Bouchard in shin-deep mud on Crossett Hill Road in Duxbury. Photo by Alyssa Mullan

James Jennings got an even closer-up view on Crossett Hill.

Emaline Dubois nearly loses a mud boot in a rut on Crossett Hill in Duxbury. Photo by Molly Dubois

Shaw Mansion Road is blocked by a vehicle last weekend. Photo by Krystin Brynga

Gregg Hill Road won this round with Lilli Biedermann's sedan. Photo submitted by Biedermann

It helps to have a tractor in times like these. Ken Biedermann arrives to pull the car from the ruts. Photo by Lilli Biedermann

Closeup of a rut on Kneeland Flats Road by Ring Road which was better suited for walking than driving last week. Photo by Tom Strasser

Perry Hill Road was closed off to through traffic for much of the week. Photo by Dennis Scannell

Another section of Perry Hill was pretty much impassable. Times Argus photo by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

Help is on the way. Grading is under way as town road crews work to scrape and fill ruts and return roads to passable condition. This grader works on Valley View Road. Photo by Gordon Miller

Photo by Gordon Miller

Walkers navigate the mud and freshly graded swath along Valley View Road. Photo by Gordon Miller

Most regular cars could have a hard time getting out of ruts like these on Perry Hill once their tires sink in. Photo by Gordon Miller

Sometimes you need to use the other side of the road. A Subaru navigates the ruts on Perry Hill on Monday. Photo by Gordon Miller

Truckloads of crushed rock are spread along some of the worst spots to fill in and provide traction. Photo by Gordon Miller

Perry Hill by the Davis Farm looks driveable but deteriorated higher up on the hillside. Photo by Gordon Miller

Photo by Gordon Miller

In some cases like this stretch of Perry Hill Road, a single lane is created with road crews planning to return to do the rest. Photo by Gordon Miller

Shadows cast a zig-zag pattern on the muddy ruts along Valley View Road. Photo by Gordon Miller

Photo by Gordon Miller

---

Mud season has posed significant challenges to local residents on dirt roads and the crews that take care of the roads. We asked readers to share photos from their roads and travels. Photographer Gordon Miller caught the Waterbury Highway Department in action as well.

Special thanks to Dennis Scannell on Perry Hill for sharing a short video (below) of a sight he captured during the worst of it on March 19 as an SUV drove past in his neighborhood. The clip racked up over 200,000 views on Facebook (although many said they might have played it more than once).

Drive carefully everyone.

~ Waterbury Roundabout