August 9, 2024
In Bad Tölz.
A Tale of Two Walks
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The thought of getting on the bikes this morning was not very appealing to either of us. After 1 250kms of riding, we decided we'd keep the bikes parked in the hotel garage and go on a walk instead. The right choice because today's walk was exceptional.
We took a look at AllTrails and thumbed through some contenders for a walk on our phones, and decided on a loop northeast of town towards the village of Ellbach; and this loop would bring us onto the cross-country skiing trails used by the locals during the winter. It looked pretty appealing.
Bad Tölz's main street is on a good slope as it rises away from the Isar River, and folks wanting to reach the upper part of the main Altstadt have a bit of a climb. We wandered along the cobbled streets up and out of the Altstadt and through the town gate on the north side of town without too much trouble, gradually climbing away from the Isar River and up into the rolling hills that surround Bad Tölz . Before long we were out of the Altstadt walking amid quiet residential neighbourhoods and, with one turn down a narrow lane between two houses, we emerged into the farming land just outside of town. We wandered through pasture lands and across what appeared to be a narrow public through-way allowed by the local farmer, and past a turnstile into one of the most memorable walks we'd both had in some time.
| Heart | 8 | Comment | 2 | Link |
2 months ago
Today's walk had a bit of everything, and we both agreed that this was one of the nicest walks we've taken in a long while. There was just a good mix of everything and enough to keep the walk interesting; and each turn in the trail made us curious to see what was around the next bend.
From the wide open and rolling pasture lands, we were led into the cool and deep greens of beech and oak forests. Just when we were heating up, we were once again led back into the cool forest, and it seemed to work out this way all day.
| Heart | 5 | Comment | 0 | Link |
There are countless trails around Bad Tölz that you could get 'lost' in, but the signage in this part of Bavaria is impressive and it would be very hard to lose your way. Today, we just began to follow signs towards the town of Ellbach, but we were also prepared to let the trails lead us away knowing that we'd find our way back to Bad Tölz eventually; only when our legs told us it was time to head home. We received so much joy from today's walk; from watching the birds, observing plants, insects and fish, and meeting friends along the way.
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2 months ago
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Soon after reaching Ellbach, the path led us to the highlight of today's walk: The Ellbacher Moor. The following is translated from the Interweb:
The Ellbacher Moor was a protected area in 1940 , so cross-country walking off the paths is not allowed.
The diversity of habitats is remarkable, consisting of raised bogs, mountain pine and pine moors, intermediate moors, moor ponds, fens, wet meadows and moor forests.
Many rare plant and animal species find a refuge in extensively used meadows. Some so-called "Ice Age relic species" such as the dwarf birch or the peat sedge still find suitable habitat here. In addition to various orchids and gentians, rare butterflies such as the golden fritillary and various amphibians and reptiles such as the small water frog and the adder can also be found in the area.
This area long ago used to be a lake, and now has filled in with heather, peat bogs and various other plants. You can see that it holds an abundance of water and the deeper pools contained large trout and incredible aquatic plants, as butterflies flitted around, and a variety of birds sang from the fringes lined with birch trees. I wish I had taken more photos, but we were both too enraptured by the setting. This was a truly special habitat.
| Heart | 9 | Comment | 1 | Link |
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2 months ago
We have our own Grass of Parnassus in Ontario, bro. Parnassia glauca.
2 months ago
2 months ago
As we walked along, I spied something far in the meadows. It stood there looking at me. I wasn't sure how long it was there, but once I got my eyes on it, somehow it knew I had spotted it, and it began to trot off back into the meadows. But, I was able to let Sue know and we both watched the fox disappear, and every now and then it would stop and look back before slinking off again before we lost sight of it altogether. But, somehow I imagined the wily fox to still be out there with its eyes still fixed on us, hiding behind tall grasses. What a treat.
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We were both disappointed when we realized we had already made a loop and we recognized landmarks that we had passed from the beginning of our walk. It was over too soon. But, it was also lunch time, so we headed back to town, ate our sandwiches and promised each other we'd head back out again on another walk. This morning's walk was spectacular.
So, after a quick lunch break, we headed back out the door to do some more exploring. This time, heading towards the Isar River for a riverside stroll up to the dam and back into town. Although no where near as beautiful as this morning's outing, it was nice to walk along the river. And, I was able to get a quick dip into the Isar at the end to cool off.
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By the time we arrived back into town, we were both pretty tired after our two walks today. With almost 20kms of walking today, it was time for a beer. We sat along the banks of the Isar under the shade of an umbrella, and the breeze flowing up the river topped off a perfect day. As we sat, we watched cyclists ride along the riverside, children dipping their toes into the cold Isar, and people splayed out on blankets napping in the park. The colourful flags across the bridge waved in the breeze, and across the river the frescoed and ornately painted buildings of the Altstadt could be seen. To top it all off, I held hands with my best friend, and we once again thanked our lucky stars. Take me now.
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2 months ago