Jen makes her way under the chairlift.
To state that the natural scenes in Bulgaria are outstanding is superfluous. We don't think our thoughts and words are able to capture the essence of the beauty which in and of itself is obvious. Most parts of the world are beautiful so one should not interpret the earlier comment pertaining to this country only. Nevertheless, the autumn colors, the mountains and alpine lakes and the manner of reaching these positions on foot are awesome. We discovered this last year and our return to this region is as a consequence of the earlier visit and an endorsement of our earlier opinion and view, the latter in both meanings of the word.
Besides the outstanding visits to Pirin National Park, a place covered in mountains including a couple of hikes we rate our best, Rila Lakes provides access to alpine lakes, specifically, the 7 Rila Lakes. We visited the park on two separate days and approached the hikes differently. In fact, for a person to capture a view of all seven lakes from one position, a hiker has to climb quite high to reach the ridge. We did this on Friday. On Sunday, we focused on one lake, Kidney, and approached it from the other side where there is a goat path. Should one look at general pictures of this lake, they are always taken from the popular side, along the trail. Instead, we climbed to a peak on the opposite side of the trail, where we were alone and attained incredible views. We estimate there were a few hundred people in the park and yet not a soul in nearly two hours was anywhere near us. The period included breakfast and a rest in the surprisingly warm sunlight. We also observed an 8th lake from this peak.
We do find that by exploring both the regular trails and going off-trail, at times, we obtain added stimulation, face additional challenges and observe incredible sights. The climb up the mountain, while creating an adrenaline rush, made the day. It's hard to get much better than that. On each day, we accumulated close to 3,000 feet of elevation gain.
We have published a few pictures from both hikes, a summary rather than a full blog. The idea is to absorb the beauty, coloring and unique area while relaxing with a beer (Diet Coke) on a Sunday.
On her way down from the peak, Jenni tries to rid herself of the adrenaline pumping through her body. (Lower-left)
Two days earlier, we reach the ridge and observe all seven lakes from one position.
On our way down, an opening in the forest reveals a miracle...another one.
Kidney Lake from our recently discovered peak. The picture below reveals the peak climbed. Note another lake behind it and to the side.
Kidney Lake, the earlier hike, from the regular side although higher than the typical viewing point.
Reflections off glass.
Giving the 'eye' to a lake of that name (Eye).
Enjoying the high point of the 'lake district'.
Love this one.
We'll show the hikes and complete selection of pictures at a later stage.
Cheers,
Jenni and Jeffrey
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