June this year turned out to be a colorful and unpredictable month when it comes to weather, and so my expectations for hiking were to be constantly tamed. But I’d say the results were quite good.
I skipped hiking the first June weekend – the forecast kept changing, and the weekend ended up full of highly unpredictable rain showers. To the point that, after trying to adjust my plans, I decided to take a break instead. Though, as it tends to be, there were places where I would’ve managed a hike before the first rain showers arrived, though it’d be like tossing a coin.
Thus, the first hike of the month came quite late, on the 14th. This one led me to an area that’s relatively close, but sparsely visited. First, there are very few trails (that miss the nicest area) and second, it’s a bit aside from everything.
In the beginning, we took a forest road that followed a stream full of small cascades…
…and a pair of small waterfalls, though the road itself was visibly and sometimes severely damaged by the September flood. I believe this one is, in fact, marked as a bicycle trail, but the damage would make that quite dangerous.
Once we ascended through the valley, it was a small detour to a minor rock formation with a limited view around, but it was a nice, hidden place to enjoy.
From there on, it was a relaxed walk through the highland woods where we met very few other people, until we were getting near to the lookout near one of the few trail crossings. We left the trail and followed side footpaths to the lookout and a rock formation nearby.
The next (and main) peak of the day is getting a bit overgrown, and the path there is a bit wilder, so there wasn’t that much when it comes to views to share. There were some rock outcroppings, but hardly with enough space for a photo, given the narrow footpath.
We also had to improvise a bit at the end as we entered the small town where we were to meet up, given that the September flood had damaged the path along the river (which, by my memory, was a calm and relaxing place before).
The second hike of the month was a solo trip where I had hoped to put the longest day of the year to good use and go further from home. Well, luck wasn’t with me – multiple maintenance works on the railroads led to delays and missing a follow-up train, so I had to improvise. Thus, I ended up in the area I visited in the late autumn, visiting it in summer for the first time.
Making stuff up on the go, I just looked at the map and hoped for the best. This led me to some smaller rock formations and exposed rock walls.
The warm days just before were interrupted by sparse rains, and I saw a lot of people roam the woods in search of edible mushrooms, but, to quote one of them, “they grow too far apart, and the slugs get them before we do”.
From there, I considered turning towards the castle but that would mean repeating the same trail I took in the autumn, so I changed my mind and headed towards a rock formation in a different direction. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to take a photo of it as there was a dead tree fallen across.
Knowing that the train schedules for that day were tricky, and that I needed to keep my journey home in mind, I started to calculate my options. After a bit of thinking, I turned towards a lookout I visited a couple of years ago (in the autumn, of course).
And, in the distance, I saw the hills I intended to visit that day.
Then, I turned towards the woods that are to the left in the photo above, and then to another plateau, with a smaller lookout at a small vineyard.
From there on, it was a short walk taking the road to the village, which I reached comfortably some 20 minutes before the bus was to depart. And while the journey home was still tricky, it didn’t force any further improvisation, at least.
The last hike of the month was to an area I know – after all, I was leading a club hike in the area for the fourth time – but I was taking a trail I had yet to see, a bit aside from the most popular ones.
The two days before had several waves of rain showers, the last of them during the night, and there were clouds still lingering, as well as dampness around. The morning felt colder than I expected, but being on the move warmed me up well enough.
Once we made it to the pass, the imposing peak above was shrouded in clouds. Which was a pity, as it’s quite photogenic (unfortunately, the trail to the peak itself was closed down before I was born).
The dampness clinging to the grasses, shrubs, and trees wasn’t as big an inconvenience for me as I feared, though, and I even appreciated it a bit in an artistic way.
But, as we progressed towards the main trail, the clouds kept parting, and the sunlight became more present.
And in a short time, more views opened up around the nearby peaks and valleys.
As well as some flowers here and there.
The breeze at the peak was still a bit chilly, so I didn’t stay long, and started my descent, getting a full view of the next part of the chain that was in the plan to visit soon (but that’s something for the July round-up post).
After all, my plan to go down wasn’t to avoid these peaks, but to finally visit the lakes nearby which, despite my hikes to this area, I always missed by staying as long as I could at the peaks and then not having the time to spare to make a detour to the lakes.
And the views from the lakes at the peaks around have their charm as well. Having enough time, I slowed down a bit and enjoyed the scenery along with a bit of rest at the upper lake.
And, finally, taking the trail down with a stop by the waterfall. Strangely enough, despite the full parking lot, I was lucky enough to get there without the place being crowded.
From there, it was a short descent to the main valley, and then the road back to the parking lot, and with that, my June hikes were done. But there’s a promise of more nice places to be seen in July.
So, that’s it for the June hike summary. So far, July weather has been all sorts of unpredictable again, so I do hope it won’t stop me from seeing some other nice places in the rest of the month. Until then, I hope the summer treats you well.
Tomas - the wandering dreamer 