After some circling, we take a 3rd floor room with almost 360 views at the Skabrin Family Hotel in the Old Town (near the church).
The next morning, after a tasty Bulgarian breakfast, Elena the daughter drives us up to the Vihren Hut at 2000 meters. We had planned a loop to Okoto Lake then up to 2500 meters then back to the hut but snow, snow melt, and the obvious snow-related struggles of hikers across the valley caused us to turn around at 2200 meters. Lunch at the hut, then a 4-hour pleasant walk down the valley and through the ski resort to our hotel.
It's a monster of a ski resort featuring too many lifts to count and a 16 kilometer (10 mile) ski road that runs from highest point at ~2700 meters back down to town. The river course has been heavily re-engineered to accommodate the ski road.
Morning view of Pirin Mountains from our hotel.
Starting the hike at Vihren Hut bridge.
Following the trail through snow was not so easy.
Okoto Lake.
Just some of the thousands of purple crocus.
Snow melt streams.
Break time.
Towards Bansko.
Alpine Meadow above Vihren Hut.
Looking towards the Ski Resort.
A 1300-year-old pine tree near the Banderitsa hut.
The lower part of the Ski Road with lights and snow making pipes.
The end of the Ski Road; the beginning of the Cabin Lift.
Some shots of a carpet washing watermill.
The ski resort section of Bankso; the New Town.
Some shots of the Old Town - The Orthodox Church with stork nest on bell tower.
Breakfast at the hotel.
And some video.
The next morning, after a tasty Bulgarian breakfast, Elena the daughter drives us up to the Vihren Hut at 2000 meters. We had planned a loop to Okoto Lake then up to 2500 meters then back to the hut but snow, snow melt, and the obvious snow-related struggles of hikers across the valley caused us to turn around at 2200 meters. Lunch at the hut, then a 4-hour pleasant walk down the valley and through the ski resort to our hotel.
It's a monster of a ski resort featuring too many lifts to count and a 16 kilometer (10 mile) ski road that runs from highest point at ~2700 meters back down to town. The river course has been heavily re-engineered to accommodate the ski road.
Morning view of Pirin Mountains from our hotel.
Starting the hike at Vihren Hut bridge.
Following the trail through snow was not so easy.
Okoto Lake.
Just some of the thousands of purple crocus.
Snow melt streams.
Break time.
Towards Bansko.
Alpine Meadow above Vihren Hut.
Looking towards the Ski Resort.
A 1300-year-old pine tree near the Banderitsa hut.
The lower part of the Ski Road with lights and snow making pipes.
The end of the Ski Road; the beginning of the Cabin Lift.
Some shots of a carpet washing watermill.
The ski resort section of Bankso; the New Town.
Some shots of the Old Town - The Orthodox Church with stork nest on bell tower.
Breakfast at the hotel.
And some video.
2 comments:
Sorry no comments of late. We worked as Sierra Club volunteers in NYC last week. Back to Princeton for one night, now driving to Boston to visit Rich thru Fri. Read thru blog posts but left no comments.
@Ed, see you next week!
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