Maximiliansweg Day 2: Hochrieshuette to SonnenAlm

Day 2: Thursday July 14

The goal of the day was to hike down from Hochries to Aschau, then up Kampenwand to the SonnenAlm. 

Another view from the Hochrieshuette--the field where paragliders launch

Heading down from the hut, we greeted our first cows of the day:

Looking back past the cows up to the hut:

Then it was down down down through the woods...

...with an eventual view of the Chiemsee (which we also saw much of the previous day from Hochries) in the background, with Aschau below the trail:

We learned that the elk in the woods above Aschau speak Boarisch Bairisch Bayrisch Bayerisch and don't like noisy surprises at dawn and dusk:

The town of Aschau presumably grew around the castle on the hill, Hohenaschau, which was first built in the 12th century. We paused in Aschau for lunch, after which Leslie and I parted ways for a few hours. While I hiked up to the SonnenAlm, she visited the castle, then took the gondola lift up. 

I enjoyed more Chiemsee views on the hike up. 

It was a hot day; even the cows were feeling the heat:

There's probably a word for a photo of a selfie-in-progress...

Cows below the SonnenAlm. This is what it means for the hills to be alive with the sound of music...

We ate dinner outside, but inside, the dining room was illuminated by elk antlers:

Ta da! 11 miles.