Early this morning I started up Subasio, staying mostly on the road in light of recent rains, walking first past the Eremo and then past Colle San Rufino. The sky was heavily overcast and the summit clouded in. About two thirds of the way up, I turned off onto an old dirt road that, according to my map, went on a fairly level path just below the treeline to a point above Armenzano, where there is a steep trail up to the summit. Hoping for some good views of the region north of Subasio, I slogged along this muddy route while the weather conditions gradually improved. Technically the old road is not a Subasio trail, and it passes through one of the more secluded parts of the mountain.
I was fairly far along toward the Armenzano trail when I glimpsed, not far ahead, the hindside of what was probably a black wolf. It disappeared very quickly down a slope into the forest. It's size, shape and color were clear, though I didn't see it's head. Apparently Italy has a recovering wolf population, and it is the only place outside of North America where black wolves are found.
Here's a view looking back from the steep trail above Armenzano.
And looking forward to the climb ahead.
While winter seems to be hanging on in Umbria this year, the wildflowers are starting to appear.
Closer to the summit, there were patches of snow, giving a good workout to my "mud and snow" shoes.
Finally the morning was turning out nicely. After a brief stop at the top, I started back down along the gravel road that runs close to the summit. While most of the high country was clear, this one stretch of road had about a foot of snow remaining, and thus far had been impassable for vehicles.
A couple of hours later in Assisi it was sunny and mild. All in all, a good adventure.
Ciao.
No comments:
Post a Comment