I bet you are as tired of icy trails as I am. I sometimes wanted to take off the boots and put on skates and call in the Zamboni to make it a bit smoother. The snow and ice are rapidly going away and what do we get? MUD! The water from the melting snow/ice collects at the surface because the ground underneath is still frozen.
The result is an inch or so of mud.
You won’t sink to you ankles but it is still pretty icky. With rain and warm weather the ground will thaw and allow the water to drain away. However, spring is usually characterized by frequent rain and this, when frequent and abundant, leads to mud also.
The FWT goes after certain stretches of trails known to be muddy, and puts down crushed stone.
I have seen people avoiding a quarter inch of water on the trail and going for the muddy border. My experience is that the trail, even with the water, is the better bet with a firmer footing and no mud. You might try this when hiking our trails.