designates stories about treks
Beginning back on June 17, we took our first steps on our Trekking Europe adventure, as we left Porto, Portugal, on the Camino Portugues. Now, after completing that trek and two others in France and Germany / Austria, we had just five days left on our latest hike across Switzerland.
The Swiss Alps are comprised of some of the most iconic mountains in the world. After completing the first six days of our Swiss Alpine Pass Route trek, beginning from Liechtenstein, we were ready to hike among some of these giants during our next 10 day section into the heart of the Alps.
The 230-mile Swiss Alpine Pass Route hike, by far the most challenging of our Trekking Europe adventure, crosses numerous alpine passes, alternating between climbing up mountainsides and descending to valleys. Over the first six days of the trek, we crossed three passes. Each one was different, and we quickly learned to take the passes one at a time.
The Lech River flows 158 miles through the countries of Austria and Germany before it merges into the Danube River. It also forms the backdrop to one of Europe’s newest long-distance trails, called the Lechweg. We spent six days hiking the 125-kilometer (78-mile) path, from Fussen, Germany, to the source of the river, at the Formarinsee Lake in the Austrian Alps.
The Alsace region of Northeastern France has a rich history, with roots in both French and German culture. The area is dotted with Medieval castles and quaint villages. It is also home to the Northern Vosges Regional Park, a UNESCO Biosphere with lush forests. We spent six days hiking a little over 100 kilometers (65 miles total) on the northern two-thirds of the GR53 trail.
The Camino de Santiago is not a distinct path with a designated starting point. Instead, it refers to the destination – the city of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. How you walk there is up to you, as pilgrims historically began from their homes. But no matter where one begins, all paths lead to the Santiago Cathedral, where the relics of St. James are said to reside.
We are currently in Tui, Spain, just across the border with Portugal. After 79.4 miles and six days of hiking the Camino Portugues, we are taking a rest day to relax and explore the city.
Wind Cave, in the southern Black Hills of South Dakota, was created as America’s eighth national park in 1903 and was the first to protect a cave. During the three days that we visited, we took two tours in the cave, unique in its abundant boxwork formations, which are found virtually nowhere else in the world. We also spent time on a safari of sorts, tracking animals, including herd of bison, along Wind Cave’s backcountry roads.
Seventy five million years ago a shallow sea covered today’s Great Plains area. Sea creatures that died sank to the bottom of the sea and became fossils, as well as a gray-black layer of sedimentary rock. This layer is just one of the bands of rock comprising today’s Badlands National Park area, formed as the sea retreated and the climate dried. We spent three days in the park exploring the badlands rock formations and viewing fossils, while hiking on several trails under the ancient sea.
In the 18th century, French Canadian adventurers, known as voyageurs, traveled by canoe on today’s boundary waters between the United States and Canada. Today’s Voyageurs National Park, established in 1975, encompasses 56 miles of the former trade route. In order to best experience a park whose primary access is by water, we arranged to be dropped off on the Kabetogama Peninsula and make our way into the backcountry for 50 hours by foot and paddle.
Lake Superior is the northernmost of the five Great Lakes. The largest freshwater lake in the world by area, it seems more like an ocean or an inland sea, measuring 350 miles wide and 160 miles long. In its northwest corner lies Isle Royale, the largest island in Lake Superior. It is part of Michigan, 55 miles away, but even closer to Minnesota and just off the coast of Ontario, Canada. Its remote location and winter park closure makes it the least visited national park in the lower 48 states.
When we researched national parks to include on our Trekking the Planet NPS journey, we were surprised to discover sand dunes in the middle of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Great Sand Dunes contains the highest dune in North America, Star Dune (at 755 feet). The park lies at an elevation of 8,000 feet, so we were concerned that visiting in late March could be tricky. But little did we know that we would not only be seeing sand dunes, but experiencing snow.
