Short Reports 2021

Published on 2021-1-1 by Michael Stanton

Wendelstein

December 31, 2021

Last day of the year! Barbara and I enjoyed hiking up Wendelstein from Bayrischzell. Wet, rotten snow higher up. On the summit a nice man had a little dog, but the dog didn't want "streicheln" from Barbara, which left her feeling sad. As usual with my girl, she thought about it and found a positive side. Mara is always there in her heart and memories, and dogs in general tug at her.

I tried bombing down the ski piste for part of the descent -- what a mistake! My socks were soaking wet from falling through the snow into bogs.

Wallberg

December 18, 2021

Barbara and I snowshoed up and down Wallberg. She had a laughing attack as usual in the first 30 minutes with the duck feet on her feet. :)

Kramerspitz

December 17, 2021

Really enjoyable hike, up and down in the usual loop way that I do. I used snowshoes on the ridge and the traverse around the north side, taking them off during the steep shortcut down unmarked way that avoids going all the way to the alm. Wow, this trail felt very steep today! It was slow going on the one-foot-width way down!

Look, the Father, the Son, and Mary. Three crosses, facing the son.

On the ridge walking towards the summit.

From the same place, looking to the summit.

Feldalphorn

December 10, 2021

A great time skiing up the Feldalphorn today. Beautiful powder on the way down. A gentle introduction to skis after a long layoff.

Beautiful powder coming down from the summit.

Heuberg

November 27, 2021

Fantastic hike, up the usual way. We only saw one person, a trail runner on the way down. It snowed on and off, and the upper mountain was quite snowy. We were glad for our boots!

Looking down to the Inn.

Barbara and I on Heuberg.

Wildbarren

October 26, 2021

A lonely hike up via the road on the north to the upper ridge. I shared the summit with a trail runner who came up from the south. I went down to the southwest, then after visiting the lake, hike up and over a pass to then go down to the north.

A cold, still winter lake...

Großer Riesenkopf

November 20, 2021

Barbara and I hiked up, it was her first time to see the steep and interesting ascent route.

Sulzberg

October 15, 2021

Barbara and I hiked up after her work finished. We ran down. What a good time!

Großer Riesenkopf

October 11, 2021

After work I hiked up and down, carrying nothing. Legs felt good.

Karkopf

October 9, 2021

Barbara and I hiked up Karkopf, because the Lamprechtfels rocks were just too cold to climb! We got above the clouds on the summit and enjoyed time with some friendly dogs. Later, we went back to climb "Kinderspiel" (IV+), and although I got up with frozen fingers, Barbara had no interest after her feet kept slipping on icy, muddy holds!

Oh, a man recognized us from the Brünnstein hike 4 weeks before. Very interesting!

Barbara on the ridge, coming into sun.

Above the clouds felt so good.

Looking out...

From near the Karkopf summit, looking back on our route.

Cold in the forest...too cold to climb!

Naunspitze

September 24, 2021

Jakob and I hiked up the Naunspitze. He brought a vintage Nikon camera with filters and fixed focal length lenses. What a pleasure to look through the viewfinder! It conjured up prior worlds, that I only know through television from the 1970s. A curious washed-out look that made me think of the problems and pleasures of life in West Berlin in the 1970s for some reason. Jakob was a quick hiker and had to be patient with my slow, plodding pace. We talked about politics and the environment, about living in the right places in the right way. Thanks Jakob!

Wonderful picture Jakob got of me on the summit. I like my portrait a lot!

Gamshütte

September 17, 2021

I intended to hike up the Vordere Grinbergspitze, a massive hike near Ginzling, but the thick clouds at the Gamshütte combined with their hot chocolate and a delicious piece of cake convinced me 1100 meters was enough elevation gain for the day. I followed the steep and wonderful Georg-Herholz-Weg. I like the german from a mountain club web site about the trail,

"Wunderschöner Aufstieg auf schmalem und auch steilem Pfad durch eine faszinierende Waldlandschaft."

Wonderful cliimb on a narrow and steep path through a fascinating forest landscape.

1100 meters up and down.

Brünnstein

September 12, 2021

Barbara and I hiked up to the Brünnstein Hütte, 2 days after lovely Mara passed away. Barbara missed her so greatly. There was a couple there with a little dog named Vanilia. She was so happy to be allowed to watch this little dog for a few minutes. We had a nice conversation with the couple, then went down a different way, leaving the summit climb for next time.

To the Kellerjochütte

August 27, 2021

Two weeks post surgery, why not try a bigger hike? I decided to more or less repeat my hike to the Kellerjoch from July, and see if I'd still suffer the next day lying in bed because I couldn't walk! Also, I might be able to use less lift support for the way down.

Today the weather was poor, but at least it wasn't raining. I hiked up under the lift, then took the side trail to the Geolsalm, passing a crowd of folks who thought they were the only ones crazy enough to be out in bad weather. They admired the umbrella on my pack.

Here I'm walking up and making a little video. The camera kindly records a screen shot along the way.

First view of the Gartalm, and you can barely see the house of the Kellerjochhütte on the skyline.

Looking towards Innsbruck from the Kellerjochhütte.

At the hut, I ate a delicious vegan soup, the Kellerjoch-Dal (Dahl), with lentils, corn, tomatoes, all kinds of stuff. Extremely good! I skipped the summit, instead taking the steep little side trail that connects to the way to the Spieljoch on the north side of the Kellerjoch. From this point, it rained on and off, and I alternately used my umbrella and stored it between my back and the pack. My foot felt good enough to walk down to the middle-station. About 1700 meters up and 1000 meters down.

Zillertal biking weekend

August 20, 2021

I took Violetta the bike in Mantra the van out to the Zillertal for a couple of bike trips. First I did a tour on the Zillertaler Höhenstrasse, which was a real pleasure because of the well-maintained asphalt road. I had to push the bike for much of the upper part of the tour as it became extra steep. The weather was excellent. I ate a fantastic lunch at the Wedelhütte at the end of the tour. This was about 1900 meters up and down.

I had a great evening and chatted with a man there with his grandkids about life a little bit. In the early evening, I visited a wonderful new or restored rustic church in Hochfügen.

The next day I did a tour to the Lackenhütte from Fügen, then down to Buch, and back along the flats around the mountain. This tour was a more moderate 1500 meters up and down. I really enjoyed the descent, especially from Kuglmoos on down -- 600 meters of asphalt road, not too steep, just coasting and enjoying the scenery.

Geigelstein

July, 2021

Great hike up the Geigelstein. On the way down at a hut I met the cook, a guy also named Michael! He said that in the winter skiers come on a Wednesday or Thursday and they set up a sauna. I said I'd be back then!

Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte

July, 2021

Hiked up in the afternoon to the Vorderkaiserfeldenhütte for a Weißbier and a nice look around.

Decided to become a vegetarian based on Abbot George Burke.

Kranzhorn

June 28, 2021

Quick hike up the Kranzhorn after work.

Alpspitze

June 18, 2021

Hiked up the Alpspizte from the parking lot. It was neat to walk some of the ski trail. I joined it where it exits the tunnel. I used the Nordwand Klettersteig to the summit, and came back down the same way. 1900 meters up and down in total.

Großer Riesenkopf

June 13, 2021

Nice quick hike up and down in the evening.

Großer Riesenkopf

May 30, 2021

Up with a 9 kilogram pack, down somewhat lighter.

Vogelsang and Seebergkopf

May 23, 2021

I hiked up the Vogelsang by the steepest way. Very fun! I descended, took a short rest, then hiked up the Seebergkopf on the other side of the street. Rather muddy over there.

I had some rain on the way down from the Vogelsang, but no big deal.

On Vogelsang, looking north

Bayrischzell country

Same, from Seebergkopf

Steep slopes below the Vogelsang

Family with pet goat

Mud

Trail on Seebergkopf

Wildbarren

May, 2021

Testing out my new pack.

The Kaisergebirge

Goodbye, sun.

Looking towards the north from Wildbarren

Me, sanguine

Wonderful morning

Gorgeous forest

Sulzberg

April 28, 2021

Evening hike up Sulzberg, many paragliders there. Really fun run down.

Barbara, small dog and sign

Me, not unhappy

Me, pleased

Wildbarren

April 24, 2021

Barbara and I hiked up the steep way. We played a game as we approached the summit: how many people would we find there? She guessed 4. I guessed 12.

We arrived and counted 11. Right at that moment a single woman hiker arrived, making it 12. And no one else came for many minutes. I won!

Barbara chose the way down: the steep way, then visit a trail that traverses under cliffs to a road. We did this! Well, we took a wrong turn and climbed about 100 meters accidentally. But then got back on track. Great day, about 1200 meters up/down.

Großer Riesenkopf

April 23, 2021

After work hike up this deceptively interesting peak. The summit, although it appears to be a small bump barely sticking out of the forest, is quite satisfying. Also, the very steep hike up past the Maiwand is enjoyable. There is a section with ropes and a very serious drop off. Not for dogs or small children! Also, it's easy to knock off some rocks in the final steep climb to the ridge crest there. I knocked one rock off and was glad there was no one else on the trail.

I went down the normal way past the Petersberg.

Wendelstein

April 21, 2021

A hike with snowshoes, starting from Bayrischzell, encountering snow about halfway up, and using snowshoes to the summit. An avalanche knocked out a short portion of the upper trail, but folks routed around it by kicking steps up a slope for about 8 meters.

Petersberg

April 15, 2021

A nice hike up after work. It snowed heavily for a while!

Hochries

April, 2021

Barbara and I hiked up Hochries for the first time. We discovered amazing crags in the forest, and even met the main pair of dudes who are setting routes on them. Later we heard them drilling and setting new routes. Really cool.

We climbed up and down several grade II+/III- lines on this cliff:

Here we are at the top of Hochries in strong wind. We both got pretty tired by the long low-angle trek across rocks on the summit ridge. Boah!

Here is Mara in that rocky stretch, happy like clam:

On the steep trail down to middle meadowlands:

Großer Rauher Kopf

April 10, 2021

Tired from the day before, I climbed an incredibly steep road near a place called the Kastensteinerwand Alm. Then it became a steep trail, made more interesting by wet, heavy snow and water just like the day before. Wearing these big mountain boots and lugging snowshoes in my pack is a kind of hard life, especially so today because everyone on the trail was wearing trail running shoes. I hate the way the soles of my boots will slip so easily on wet roots -- trail runners are just way better about that somehow. But anyway, I was the big slowpoke, and got used to finding a good place off to the side of the trail to let the people pass going up and going down.

Mittelstaufen

April 9, 2021

A hike in the late afternoon, snowshoes on my back. The forest was covered in wet, melting snow, making deep pools of water held in place on the trail. The trail was called the "Bartlmahd." Shortly below the summit, a young man ate soup and prepared to bed down for the night. After slogging through deep snow, it was interesting that the final steep way to the summit was snowfree. Gorgeous sunset views to the Chiemsee.

I was able to avoid using a headlamp all the way until the last few minutes of the trail.

Kranzhorn

April, 2021

Barbara and I hiked to the summit, what a great day. We talked about love and religion and everything in between.

Hiking near Wendelstein

March 28, 2021

Barbara, Mara and I hiked up in snow from the parking lot to a summit. Really great.

Bike ride to the southeast

March 27, 2021

Here is the tour on komoot. 81 kilometers, about a 1000 meters up and down. Really fun...very long and beautiful, too.

Bike ride to the southeast

March 26, 2021

Here is the tour on komoot.

Osterfelderkopf

March 25, 2021

Skied up from the Hausberg parking lot. First time to ski this year. Happily, my foot is okay in the boot, if a little tight.

Heuberg

March 13, 2021

Barbara and I hiked up on a beautiful day.

Wildbarren

March 6, 2021

With Jong on a snowy day.

Sulzberg

March 3, 2021

Night hike to the summit and back.

Wildbarren

Wonderful day, up steeply and down the secondary way to the same trailhead.

Sulzberg

March 3, 2021

With Barbara and a small dog -- much fun!

Wildbarren

Up steeply, but this time traversing around to the west and the dramatic sub-summit. From there, the ridge is easily followed (game trail?) to join the trail to the summit near the small pretend-chapel. Down the secondary steep way. Difficult, muddy time in the forest on steep, icy slope with ice under leaves.

Heuberg

Night hike to the summit and back, thence to sleep in mountains.

Kranzhorn (partial)

February 7, 2021

I hiked up on the german side of Kranzhorn. Very interesting trails!

Heuberg

February 6, 2021

Barbara and I enjoyed a great spring-like day.

Sulzberg

February 2, 2021

A great hike up and down.