Triglav Lakes to Lake Bohinj
At dinner the previous night, we asked one of the workers about the routes to get back to Lake Bohinj, specifically about using the cargo cable car at a different hut, Lyle’s last remaining thread of hope for heading west. Unfortunately his answer was similar to that of everyone else we’d talked to. And with all hopes dashed, we seized upon the route Igor laid out for us, heading east to pick up a shuttle that would take us all the way back to town. We didn’t realize at the time, but this new route would be more scenic and bring us to two smal shepherd settlements along the way.
Our first steep, long incline of the day brought us huffing and puffing to this open view overlooking the thick, expansive canopy of a coniferous forest below. I could feel the richness of this thriving forest. This is what a healthy forest looks like. Not a brown, beetle infested, dead trunk anywhere to be found. It makes me lament the present state of our evergreen forests that are riddled with devastation stemming from environmental impacts such as wildfires, drought, infectious diseases, and human impacts such as illegal deforestation and controversal policies, etc.
The only tree to bear any trace of human impact we came across had a shrine carved into its side, which didn’t look like it damaged the tree’s health any.
Through the forest, we came out to this open meadow harboring a compound of traditional huts used by farmers. A couple of the huts offered food and lodging also. We weren’t hungry, so after snapping a few photos, we quickly moved on.
We knew we had a shuttle to catch sometime around the afternoon, but we weren’t quite clear on exactly how far away it was or even the exact time. Upon arriving at this picturesque hut, we had intended to rest a little and enjoy the beautiful view. Luckily, I insisted on asking the attendant about the specifics on the shuttle. He told us in broken English that we had a little over 2 miles to go and about 45 minutes to get there. We quickly drank our delicious fluorescent green lemonade, strapped our packs back on and picked up our pace.
Fortunately, the way to the shuttle was mostly downhill. However some of the steepest sections were strewn with big loose rocks making it tricky to not slip, slide or roll our ankles if we weren’t careful. As we dropped in elevation, the vegetation changed also. Spruce and larch gave way to magnificent beech trees standing tall along the trail overlapping their light feathery branches protectively providing shade for the many excited hikers who were just about to start their foray into the wilderness or for those weary travelers, like us, who were coming close to the end of their journeys.
After a wrong turn on the road, we met a couple at the end of the parking lot who pointed us in the right direction. We arrived at the pick up spot with about 7 minutes to spare. Good job setting the pace Phong, and nice job keeping up the pace Sandy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sandy walk that fast, but now that we know she can…oh, the fun we can have with that new found knowledge.
Sporadic raindrops began splattering the road as we climbed into the van for a 45-minute ride back to Bohinj. We jumped off the shuttle too early and had to take shelter from the sun behind some information signs on a pole beside the road as we waited for another shuttle to come. The shuttle took us back to the top of the lake. We had to walk across a meadow and down the grassy hill to get to the lake. We found a couple of large trees to hide behind while changing into our swimming clothes and could not wait to jump into the lake to clean off. The water temperature was a little colder than was comfortable, so we didn’t stay in too long. Just long enough to feel clean and refreshed. The eastern side of Lake Bohinj turned out to be a perfect spot to end our 5-day trek in the Julian Alps.
Lake Bohinj was hopping with people and activities everywhere. A Red Bull beach volleyball tournament was being announced on the loudspeaker. Multiple paragliding parachutes were floating in the sky and one was coming in for a landing. Families with kids and bikes and dogs zigzagged their way across the giant lawn to the edge of the lake and the walking path.
Not long after we settled into our seats on the outdoor patio of the restaurant right on the lake for lunch, giant drops of rain started bombing our packs, which were laid outside the protection of our sun umbrella. We saw our paragliding pilot approach a client at a table behind us informing them that they had to cancel due to weather. I wonder how many times a day she has to deliver that sad news.
After lunch, we walked out to the main street, got some ice cream before getting on a bus for a long drive back up the mountain to the start of our trek to retrieve our car. The drive was beautiful, but the humming of the bus along with the warmth in the shuttle proved too powerful. Without guilt, I easily let myself be overcome with sleep. When I awoke at our stop, the world was wet and gray, and I was so thankful that we had missed the awful weather during the trek by just minutes.