Ultralight Hike
The many public holidays made May a worker-friendly month. So after just two weeks I could hit the trail again and continue my hike on the Mittelweg.
On Friday morning I got on the train and rode to Freudenstadt. I reached the station at midday in glorious weather and set off straight away.
I realized that spring was definitively over, because the sun's radiation was already very intense. I was very glad that after just one kilometer I left the little town behind and entered the shady, cool Black Forest. From the deep green of the leaves you could tell that spring was over now and summer was moving in.
Unfortunately I had forgotten my sunscreen on this tour and could only buy some the next day. So there was nothing left for me but to trust a peaked cap to keep my head safe from sunburn.
The water supply that day was unfortunately anything but optimal. The only spring for the day's stage lay just behind the starting point. So the backpack became several kilos heavier right at the start. A stroke of luck that at least the rest of the gear was light.
The next kilometers led me through a commercial forest. On these trails I was reminded several times of the damage the timber industry can cause to forests.
Fortunately this only affected a small part of the trail. On most of it no damage was to be seen. Instead, nature invited you to linger in many places.
At this point I put forward the thesis that the trail would get more and more beautiful towards the south. The ever-narrowing paths proved me right, at least for now.
In the evening the weather service warned of severe thunderstorms, so I considered spending the night in a shelter hut. After a quick look at the map I had found a potentially suitable hut with a spring nearby. That settled today's destination for me.
The chosen shelter hut turned out to be a good choice. The later it got, the more the sky clouded over. In the distance I could already see the first flashes of lightning and I quickened my pace to reach my day's destination before the storm broke.
So I set off. The shelter hut I was aiming for was supposed to offer me a dry and pleasant night as the thunderstorm approached. When I arrived at the shelter hut I made myself a tea and started preparing my dinner when the storm broke. Water scarcity was no longer an issue for me from then on. About a liter per second flowed from the rain gutter and I had water in abundance.
Over the next few hours the rain got heavier at times and then weaker again. The lightning flashed sometimes every second and lit up the adjacent meadow. It was impressive for me to make out the green lawn in the pitch-black darkness in the light of the lightning.
The next morning the thunderstorm was over and I could peel myself out of my sleeping bag again. I had only slept a little that night and was therefore exhausted. When I arrived in the next village I called Bimbi to tell her that I was fine and back on the trail.
At noon I realized that I would probably manage everything I had planned for this weekend.
In the evening the next thunderstorm moved in and I wondered where I would spend the night. Should I lie outside in the forest in the storm again, or stay at the nearest guesthouse? I postponed the decision and first enjoyed a portion of cheese spaetzle. With a full stomach you can make sounder decisions after all, and this time too it should prove true. When I was done, the thunderstorm moved on and my decision was made.
The next day my decision for the early night camp took its revenge. Because that way I had hiked a whole eight kilometers less than planned. That meant I would have not 30 - but 38 kilometers ahead of me today.
So I set off early in the morning and enjoyed the beauty of the Black Forest to keep my thoughts off the length of the stage. This approach allowed me to get my long day's stage behind me successfully and in good spirits despite the changeable weather. Unfortunately I took hardly any pictures on this stage, and among the ones I did take hardly any were presentable. My priorities were clearly to arrive in Titisee-Neustadt on time the next day in order to catch the train home at midday.
Despite my brisk pace I took the time to add benches, shelter huts and springs to OpenStreetMaps. I was very curious when I would see my first changes in the map data in OSMAnd+.
My plan worked out - I reached the station shortly after twelve and made my way home.
The Mittelweg has cast its spell on me. The stages got more beautiful with every day. I can't wait for the next stages!
Only 70 kilometers were now missing to complete the Mittelweg. So I already planned the final stages on my way home. I would tackle them on my next free weekend.
