Given that the floods kept me unable to enjoy the hills this year, I’m taking the chance to look back at some past hikes, long before I started this blog.
Back in 2012, I was yet to buy my own camera, so most of the photos were either taken by my father’s camera or my mother’s phone camera (as I was still using a “dumb” phone by then). And the quality, compared to today’s phone cameras, wasn’t always that good. Especially in poor light.
The first hike of September 2012 was to a place I have, since then, visited many times but not the same trail. The plan was to return there the previous year but the footbridge at the end of the trail was closed down for repairs so it was postponed, probably into 2025.
The weather wasn’t exactly favorable back then. Light rain in the lowlands that turned more intense in some parts of the hills. Given the miserable and chilly weather – fitting early November more than September – we took the cabin lift up to the pass instead of walking uphill. By then, the lift was newly repaired after decades of decline.
At the pass, we were a bit luckier to be somewhat above the lower layer of clouds, so the rain wasn’t that strong. But the cold wind led to some degree of discomfort. While walking managed to keep most of my body warm, I soon lost sensitivity in my fingers, exposed to the cold wind and rain.
And even though the rain receded and, eventually, stopped, the damp grass would take more time to dry. As would we, given the weather remained damp. The first part of the trail was the upper portions of the hills, exposed to the elements with just grass, blueberry and cranberry shrubs, and patches of dwarf pine.
And even when we finally descended a bit to get to the woods, water dripped on us from the leaves. Eventually, we reached the only chalet at this part of the trail, where a handful of other hikers sat around the fireplace, trying to dry their clothes at least a bit and making the small space feel like a sauna given the ever-present dampness from our wet clothes. From our hiking club, 40 people participated that day but only 8 of us went for the highland trail, the rest remained in the valley – and were drenched even more.
At the end of September, we went for a 3-day trip with the hiking club a bit father from home. By that time, I was still a rare participant in the multi-day trips – something that only changed in the late 2010s. The journey started on Friday afternoon, with the goal to reach the destination in the early night, and spend Sunday to Monday (which was a public holiday) hiking, with Monday afternoon on our way back home.
The journey there was, once again, quite rainy – but that wasn’t a problem while we were on the bus. It merely meant that the first hike was quite damp. And, likewise, chilly. Which was definitely a strange feeling after August, which was one of the hottest months ever.
The first hike led us around a lookout we couldn’t enjoy not just because of the gloomy weather but also because the banisters were being replaced, to the main peak of the area with a lookout we ascended but lasted only a few minutes because of the chilly wind, and to a small spa town in the valley. Unfortunately, most of the photos I have are family pictures – I forgot to copy the landscape photos when I was moving out of my parents and I guess this remained way too low in the priority list for me.
The second day took us to a valley with some smaller waterfalls and a lot of autumn colors, which led me to think that maybe spending just three days in the area wasn’t enough.
Especially considering the view in the photo above was one of the most charming autumn moments I’ve seen so far.
After ascending, the trail led across highland fields before we took a turn downwards and back to the village where we were staying, near some rock formation that, unfortunately, I don’t have a photo on my computer.
The third day was a shorter hike that led us through a trail more popular in winter for cross-country skiing. The area also had some minor rock outcroppings but is mostly known for the peat bog and “cold bowl” – a place where the morning temperatures can drop severely below what’s usual in the rest of the country as the dampness holds the cold in and where the temperature can drop as low as -40°C if there’s a clear night with significant snow cover.
Looking back at those days, especially the three-day trip, makes me want to return to some of those places. And given that we haven’t seen nearly enough of the area back then, probably for more than just three days. In fact, I was considering that some three years ago but was interrupted by COVID shutdowns and the plan has been in the drawer since then. Maybe it’s time to blow the dust off and consider it again…
Tomas - the wandering dreamer 