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Santa Croce Sanctuary |
September 11, 2014
From Dobbiaco, a train ride plus a bus ride get us to Corvara, which sports a population of 800 plus a couple thousand tourists. I am delighted that our new facility has good Internet access, and that my electronic stuff will work better. As soon as we dump our luggage in the room, however, we're off on a new adventure.
The room
The spacious balcony
The bus from Corvara gets us to the bigger town of Brunico, where we catch another bus to the little hamlet of Pedraces, which features a long chair lift. The ride proves delightful once we figure out how to pull down the retaining bar that will prevent us from falling out of the chair.
Near the Corvara bus stop
I haven't been on one of these things since Argentina
Floating right over farms and residences alike
Not what one expects to find at the top of a chair lift
A climb of about 600 feet should get us to the top. A bit of light rain seems imminent, however.
The 14 Stations of the Cross are beside the trail
I have not seen that feature on a trail previously. I suppose that there are countless such trails in this country.
It does rain on us a bit here, for the first time on our trip
Getting out of the rain in the chapel
Since we have barely begun our walk, we don't bother to check out the interior of the restaurant.
Rifugio Santa Croce (Sacred Cross)
At a trail junction, we opt for the longer route which leads to a different village. That is perfectly fine as long as there is a bus stop.
Fireweed
Right down through a farm
Unexpectedly, we find ourselves back in a natural park viewing the nicest waterfall we have seen so far. It isn't mentioned in The Book:
Rudeferia Falls
I am fascinated by the way the local national parks (called "natural parks"
here) are managed. Although they are everywhere outside the populated
areas, administration is very low-key. At major trailheads there
usually is a signpost with a map; but this is the second time that we have
encountered a nice little exhibit of some kind, seemingly in the middle of
nowhere. (Around here vandals don't destroy everything.)
There are no official entrance stations to these parks; the closest thing to them is the automobile parking lots. I now wish to retract what I said on the first hike about the parking fees being exorbitant. If they are used to support the parks themselves, then that is money very well spent. In the U.S., federal trailhead parking areas currently charge just a token five dollars; it ought to be more.
Historical events are matched up with tree growth rings
Several such gates take us in and out of park land
Heading down into San Cassiano
Pleasant though this walk has been, the constant down-grade can
take its toll, and Dave's knees are more susceptible than mine.
Hunting for some dropped Ibuprofen pellets
I gave him my pill stash on the first walk; why he has not subsequently visited a pharmacy is unknown. I personally have not taken ibuprofen since my last root canal. I pack it just to combat possible altitude sickness, which I never get anyway.
Edging Lobelia & Zonal Geranium
§: This was a nice, albeit not overly exciting outing. I found
the optional leg down to San Cassiano to be the most enjoyable part of the walk.
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| Difficulty | |
| Personality |  |
| Solitude |  |
