Snowshoes hike and weird findings along the way

It's special to have that much snow in the Alps that early the season. I couldn't help but take the chance and did a nice winter tour up Mount Hochgern (1748 m) near Marquartstein in Bavaria.

For the first time I used snowshoes. I borrowed them from a friend. And they were awesome! I already ordered a pair from Canada online right after my return home. Yes, I'm an easy prey when it comes to new gear 🙄

The tour took a little bit more than 6 hours in the cold. It were just 1100 hight meters and 17 km. But the deep snow slows down every move.

I hoped for sunshine at the peak, but there were just thick clouds. This was all the sun wanted to give.

But something even better waited there for me. I met Roland, a local mountaineer, and we did the rest of the tour together. Maybe a new friend 🙂

It was an extraordinary tour also in another aspect. I found several things along the way: This was sweet. Somebody made this cute tiny snowman.

And the snow itself formed these pillows on the benches and tables of an abandoned Biergarten next to a mountain inn.

But this was gory: A hunter had gutted a deer right next to the trail. A weird behavior. He even left a leg in the snow. I wonder why.

And was this supposed to be romantic? I'm kind of speechless.

But this is really romantic:

We met an elderly lady on the trail. On her rucksack she carried those puppets. They once belonged to her husband. He passed away last year. But she told me, this way he was still with her.

All pics by me, except for the portrait of me, of course