September still has a lot of potential for nice weather, and it’s something I tend to use a lot. The trees start to change their colors; it’s often the beginning of mushroom season, and both provide opportunities for enjoying the views, even at the cost of a fuller backpack, as the mornings are colder but the days are still warm.
Despite the title, I’ll start with a hike from the last weekend of August – as a solo hike, it wasn’t a good fit to include in the two-part post from my hiking holiday. This one led us to the vicinity of Slovakia’s largest ski resort, and a place I’ve visited in September repeatedly in the past, as that’s still too early for lasting snow, especially given the warm summers in recent years. This time, we chose a different trail than most of the time.
For a good part, it led through a tight valley along a small stream that was good proof of the dry summer Europe has been through. There should’ve been a small waterfall somewhere, maybe the place in the photo above, but the lack of water made it hard to guess. I also came across this mushroom which I’ve never seen grown to such volume:
At that point, the trail was already leading us steeply uphill, and the field below the first pass provided a nice view of the main part of the mountain range, including the ski slopes.
Our first target, though, was a mountain right above the pass, which also wasn’t exactly a gentle trail. Unfortunately, clouds started to gather, so the views weren’t as good for the time being – which was a bit pity, as I’ve hoped to take this particular trail for quite a while.
It was only when I was well in progress of walking up the next peak when the clouds started to relent a bit, and I frequently glanced back at the first peak of the day, and its combination of fields, forests, and rocky outcroppings.
A while before I reached the main trail, I caught up with some of our people who skipped the first peak and went straight on, and we could enjoy the show of clouds and sunlight across the nearby hills together.
From there on, the trail wasn’t as harsh. Getting to the peak that’s central to the ski resort took a relaxed walk, especially compared to what it took to get on the central trail. As the weather cleared up even more, we could see the more distant hills to the north as well.
And as we descended the northern slopes, we could enjoy such views for quite a while.
Two weeks later, the hike was quite different in nature – it led us to lowlands. But mid-September can be as beautiful in the vineyards as it can be in the hills. However, we started in quite a foggy atmosphere.
By the time I made it to the other side of the hill and the lookout above the former quarry, it was already receding.
And, by the time I reached the second former quarry, the sun was already high and the fog gone. This one is much more overgrown, as it was abandoned much longer ago.
And when I reached the lookout above, even the town where I started was visible quite well.
The views from the grassy hill were also quite charming, especially with the silhouette of two castle ruins.
And the view of the castle ruins up close was also nice.
But this place has more than just the remains of castles – it also has some rock formations, though their positioning doesn’t always give enough space for good photos.
The grassy plains below the highest peak of this area were another proof of the dry summer, being already yellow.
The last stop was the second, large ruin. Past that, all that remained was to descend the peak to the village where the hike ended.
The next time was a solo hike near my home. I took a side trail that’s not used much, but has this remote cottage, giving it an interesting atmosphere.
I also took a detour from the trail to reach a rock formation, though I had some struggles to find a path up.
But the lookouts were worth it.
Given that it’s an area I know well, and a good chunk of the trail was through the woods, I didn’t take that many photos.
The last hike of September was a return to one of my favorite places. This hike was originally planned for September 2024, but it was cancelled because of a flood warning. So I was quite glad to be back again.
Especially after making it from the village to the pass, with one of my favorite mountains on full display.
Some of the other mountains around were surrounded by tufts of clouds, which gave things quite a lot of charm.
And I especially enjoyed the final part of the trail just before the peak.
The view from the peak itself was also charming.
Fortunately, the trail wasn’t too crowded, which made things easier. The descent was a bit tricky in places, as the trail was a bit muddy. The trail up the second, smaller peak, was much more crowded.
Especially as it contains passages trickier than the one shown above, and the amount of people on the trail slowed things down a fair amount. The trail down was mostly through the woods, it meant fewer chances for photos.
After finishing the main trail, I had enough time to spare to also go through one of the trails around the waterfalls. Even after a dry summer, there was still something to see.
Unfortunately, the upper loop would take a bit too much time, so I had to decide against it, but I was glad to have had time for at least some part of the trail. It was time to turn towards the pass and then descend to the village, enjoying some final views.
And thus, my September hiking was over, with a lot of nice memories. Let’s hope October will bring more.
