Black Forest - already so far?

I realised, I've gotten further than I expected. Starting early in the morning with only short breaks and arriving after sunset I finished the black forest 2 days earlier.

The trail led me along the west ridge line of the Black Forest with a great view of the Rhine valley. I met a lot of day hikers as well as cyclists. In the evening I had a long ascent until I got to a hut where I met 4 other hikers. One of them also had a long journey ahead of him, walking through Germany to his hometown over a few months (Carrying a 1,6 kg singing bowl with him as one of his most important items). Another one went on his first multiple day hike with a friend and met another friend after they realised, they were hiking in the same region. We talked for hours about god and the world with a lot of funny stories but also some intense topics like moral conflicts about death.

The next day I started with the one also hiking for months until he stopped for breakfast. Later I met him at a water spring, where I stopped for a bigger break. There a group of people collecting mushrooms talked to me and gave me apple slices after I shared my story with them. In the next village I had another break in the community hall to charge my phone. I realised, I still wanted to finish the black forest that day and this meant walking in the dark for the last 30 minutes before I got to Pforzheim. There I walked to the graveyard, usually a safe water source but this time all the taps were running empty. I slept close by in the open not willing to walk any further in the dark.

In the morning I was surprised by a few rain drops, so I left early and bought breakfast in the next supermarket. I contacted different people for accommodation in Karlsruhe but the first one was far away. After I called my mum she advised me to ask my sister's boyfriend, who has family living in Karlsruhe. A little while later he told me, I can stay at his brother's place, which turned out to be close to the trail. Trying to walk by the way marker I lost the trail several times. At the edge of the Rhine valley on a beautiful lookout I had a long break before I descended leaving the last mountains behind me. Once I arrived at the brothers home, who was still working until late, I surprised a cat with my unfamiliar face. The cat ended up sleeping next to me once we got to know each other.Read more