On New Year's Day, O.K. had driven us back to his place. His parents had invited the family for their traditional New Year's meal of Badische Schäufele and spuds salad, so we knew our dinner was sorted!
The next day was dry and cold, with misty clouds resting firmly in the lower parts of the area. We knew it had to be sunny higher up, and so we took a short drive to the starting point of a hike in the Black Forest, in an area where we'd last been 3 1/2 years ago. You can compare what the same places looked like in the summer if you click here to see my post from 2016.
Many people did not start work until the 7th this year, and so we weren't surprised to see many others walking or cycling the same path. Still, it wasn't too much, and we enjoyed the hike very much - especially once we had reached the tower. I am not very good with long stretches of uphill, and the first 5 km or so of our hike were nothing else - not steep, but seemingly endless, and I had to catch my breath a few times, with the excuse of stopping to take a photo.
Moosturm. You can read more about the place here on wikipedia.
Views from the tower:
It was very windy up there, so we didn't last long.
We walked the short distance to Lothar monument. Lothar was a storm (sometimes even classified as a hurricane) that swept across our part of Germany on Boxing Day of 1999. Now, 20 years later, you can still see traces of the damage it did.
The monument commemorates what was a life-changing event for many people in that area, and has changed the forest in its wake forever. Some say, for the better, because what used to be a strict monoculture of firs has grown to a more varied woodland, which is much healthier than any monoculture.
As you can see, the views were a beautiful combination of land- and sky-scape.
This was close to sunset, almost back at the car:
It was a wonderful start of another year of (hopefully) many more hikes and walks for us.
Glorious. I love the Black Forest but its quite a while since we were last there. Thank you for sharing your hike.
ReplyDeleteI, too, love the Black Forest, and am glad that I can go there relatively often, since it is so close to O.K.'s home - it really starts on the hills just behind the village.
DeleteNice day here today for a short walk in the Peak District around/above Langsett reservoir.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds very nice, too. My sister and I have been to the Peak District once during one of our Yorkshire Holiday, in the Hope Valley. It was beautiful!
DeleteVery interesting, thank you, and I will look up Moosturm to see where it is. Rachel
ReplyDeleteGlad you found it interesting, Rachel.
DeleteWhat a beautiful way to start the new year. All of your photos are amazing and I especially like that tree that is growing up around the large stones. You've taken some very special pictures from the tower. Thank you for sharing these lovely photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bonnie!
DeleteI love woodland in all seasons and weather, but there is something magical about it when the sun filters through the trees and lights up the ground, isn't there.
The views from the top were wonderful, too, in that the clouds made the valleys look like lakes and the tops of the hills like islands.
This set of photos has some really atmospheric pictures. I've just been sitting enjoying them. I have to admit that my walking this year has been minimal.
ReplyDeleteI loved the valleys looking like lakes and the tops of some hills like islands.
DeleteThe year has only just started, so I hope you'll have more occasion for walks.
It's good to "begin as you mean to go on" and a beautiful hike is a fine way to begin 2020, I think. I had to look up Badische Schäufele and only found photos which make me think it is a kind of ham, or cured meat. Sounds really good. I love the pictures of your hike, especially the ones with the blue, blue skies. The tower is amazing. And the Lothar memorial is a bit sad. I hope no one was killed in the storm. I am not so in favor of monocultures in forests or probably anywhere. It looks as if it were almost an all day hike, ending as the sun was going down. Well done!
ReplyDeleteBadische Schäufele are indeed a kind of ham/cured meat, and it is traditionally eaten with horseradish and potato salad.
DeleteLothar actually claimed 110 lives altogether, 13 alone in Baden-Württemberg on the day of the storm itself, and several more in its aftermath when already broken trees fell and hit them.
Our hike did not take all that long, actually; we started at around 1:30 in the afternoon and were back at the car before sunset.
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of life! That was indeed a terrible, terrible storm.
DeleteEven now, 20 years later, the effects are still visible.
DeleteSo beautiful! I love the Black Forest. My mother's family is from there and I try to visit whenever I can. Such a gorgeous part of Germany!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that your mother's family is from the Black Forest! It is indeed a beautiful part of this country.
DeleteBreathtaking (!) views ;) ... If I were to pick a favourite photo it would be No 6.
ReplyDeleteBreathtaking in more than one way, yes ;-)
DeleteMy favourite is the last one, I think. I do have a thing for such skyscapes.