Digital Wanderer

We live as long as we fly

The Grand Snowdrop Hike - Part 2

2011-07-12

вылазки хайкинг туризм латгале латвия природа друзья подснежник фото

So, we keep walking to Daugavpils. Līksna is already behind us, but the ice drift is up ahead. To be honest, I've forgotten everything because so much time has passed; I only remember that it was all unrealistically cool. I never thought that walking on foot, and not even in summer at that, could be cool, but here it was on par with my best bike trips.

Spring landscape with a narrow river, its banks covered in dry grass, reeds, and patches of melting snow. Tall leafless trees stand along the river under a clear blue sky. 

A river like this wouldn't be an obstacle for us, but we don't need to cross to the other side

Early spring in the countryside: a narrow stream flows through a brown field with remnants of white snow. Bare trees and a clear blue sky are visible in the background. 

It's even boring, no need to jump or wade across

An old gnarly tree trunk with rough, textured bark covered in moss, and a large break where a branch was, exposing the inner wood. In the background, thin leafless branches stretch against a clear blue sky.

A little tree

 A man in a light jacket and green pants with a backpack jumps over a narrow stream. Dry grass, thickets of bare bushes, and patches of melting snow under a blue sky indicate early spring.

But here you have to jump, which Visla is doing

A person in a brown jacket and green pants jumps over a narrow stream. Bare bushes, patches of melting snow on muddy banks, and a blue sky are visible.

And Oleg too

A man in winter clothes lies in the snow by a rushing stream, smiling broadly at the camera and holding out a snow-dusted hand.

Barely made the jump, literally falling into the abyss

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But friends will always extend a stick at the right moment

 Two people with backpacks walk across a spring field with melting snow and dry grass; one is stepping over a small stream. In the distance, bare trees, bushes, and village buildings are visible under a clear blue sky.

This is nothing, not a jump, but a flutter

 A hiker with a large red backpack and an orange vest energetically crosses a shallow stream, leaning on a trekking pole. All around is dry last year's grass, bare bushes and trees, and small patches of melting snow are visible.

The stream is a bit too shallow

 Dry, golden-brown grass partially submerged in dark water with white foam bubbles.

A temporary one

A beige wall transitioning into a ceiling is decorated with many small golden stars.

Wide is my mother river

 A fallen old tree with massive branches lies in a clearing with dry grass against the backdrop of a village house and a clear blue sky. Next to it stands a green trailer filled with firewood, and a large boulder is visible in the foreground.

Lots of trees in it (I mean, nearby)

Three men walk across a muddy spring field with remnants of melting snow. A body of water is visible on the left, and on the horizon — village houses among bare trees.

Spread out

A man in a beige jacket, green pants, and a black hat walks across a spring field with dry grass, leaning on a trekking pole. Melting snow is visible in the foreground, and bare trees in the background.

 

 Close-up of a man in an orange vest, red backpack, and sunglasses looking at the camera. In the out-of-focus background, another man in a dark jacket and hat smiles against a blue sky.

People like this can do anything

A spring landscape with a gloved hand holding a trekking pole over withered grass in meltwater in the foreground. The edge of melting snow is visible in the middle ground, and a person is walking on bare ground in the distance. 

Even slosh ankle-deep in grassy-muddy slush

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A dirt road leads up a hill overgrown with dry grass and leafless bushes, with melting snow on the sides. On the horizon, farm buildings and a silo can be seen under a clear sky. 

Or they can just walk on the road

A smiling young man in a bright hat and a gray fleece jacket with a backpack holds a trekking pole, looking to the left. He stands against a backdrop of bare bushes and melting snow in early spring.

On the road, the pole is out of a job

 A man in a black hat, orange glasses, and a jacket with a backpack stands in a spring field with withered grass and melting snow. A narrow stream is visible on the right, and trees and village houses on the horizon.

Everyone's got infrared goggles with a targeting system, to jump better

A narrow stream flows through a spring field with dry withered grass under a clear blue sky. One bank of the stream is free of snow, while the other is covered with a thick layer of melting snow cover.

Sometimes the bank breaks off right under you

Early spring landscape: a vast spill of water with bare branches of trees and shrubs sticking out of it. The left side of the frame is dominated by dark silhouettes of leafless crowns, a dark handrail is visible in the lower right corner, and in the background — a light blue sky and a strip of distant land.

And sometimes there are boring bridges

 Power lines stretch across a plowed spring field with sparse islands of melting snow. A pine forest is visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

And cheerful power lines

 Early spring landscape with melting snow in the foreground, a wetland area with open water and bare bushes, and a coniferous forest with birches against a clear blue sky.

The scenes of the Motherland take your breath away

 Three people walk along a muddy dirt road with large puddles of meltwater and remnants of snow on the edges. In the background, wooden village houses, withered grass, and a coniferous forest under a clear spring sky are visible.

And of her puddles

 Bottom-up view of an old pine tree with a thick trunk. Its spreading branches with dense green needles fill most of the frame, through which a bright sky is visible in places.

And crooked little pines

A man in an orange vest lies on his back on the dry ground, his head resting on a red backpack. A trekking pole is visible next to him. In the foreground are patches of melting snow, and in the background — pines and bare trees.

Edvins is resting with all his might

 Three men sit on dry grass with thawed patches of snow, against the backdrop of a pine forest under a blue sky. In the distance, power line poles and a small building are visible.

The rest aren't trying as hard

Just sitting there, glancing around

 Four men in warm jackets sit outdoors, smiling at the sun. Pines are visible behind them, and the ground is covered with melting snow.

Something like that

While we were sitting, an old lady walked up and in brisk Latgalian started asking who we were and where we were going. To my admiration and shock, Edvins, whose talents we had mostly observed in posing up to this point, briskly started answering her. I have a hard time understanding even Latvian when it's everyday and conversational, let alone Latgalian, which left an entirely extraterrestrial impression. For those not in the know — I live in Latgale (a part of Latvia), and due to the fact that there has always been a strong influence of Russians, and, for example, Poles here, the local villagers speak some brutal hybrid language that even has the letter "Ы". I reckon we should fight to make it a state language too — it would undoubtedly help the mutual understanding of the Latvian and Russian peoples. The old lady, by the way, informed us that in 1956 the Daugava flooded all the way up to the spot where we were sitting. And  that, mind you, is about 15 meters in height from the visible bank, and even more in width.

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A logical bottle — in the forest, a forest one

A man with a large red backpack and an orange vest stands on a forest dirt road with puddles and points his hand towards the trees. Around him, a dense coniferous forest towers with remnants of melting snow on the side of the road.

I'm not walking on the road, it's boring! Let's go into the forest instead, over there!

 A group of tourists with backpacks walks across a dry grassy field with sparse patches of snow. A large metal bridge is visible in the background.

Suddenly, the Svente bridge

 Spring ice drift on a wide river with heaps of melting ice floes on the water and along the bank. In the background, the opposite snow-covered bank with a strip of leafless trees is visible under a cloudy sky.

And the spring flood, although not suddenly

A river during the spring ice drift: numerous ice floes of various sizes float on the wide brown water. Sparse trees and shrubs are visible on the gently sloping banks under a bright cloudy sky.

I don't know how Oleg timed it so perfectly, but we caught the most interesting part

A wide river during the ice drift, with a large ice floe in the foreground and a forest on the far bank under a cloudy sky.

Giant ice floes float unhurriedly, but they're not going to survive

 A spring landscape with a blue sky, dry grass on a slope, dark plowed earth with remnants of melting snow, and bare trees on the horizon.

The circular saw did a good job. I wonder where the radiolaria is?

 A long gray metal truss bridge on concrete supports crosses a river with floating ice floes. A forest is visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

The ice drift in all its glory

 A spring landscape with a river during the ice drift, on which numerous ice floes are floating. A flock of wild ducks flies low over the water, and brown fields and a pine forest are visible on the far bank.

The ducks put on a theater show for us

 

The ones with green heads are drakes

 On a body of water with drifting ice floes, several green-headed mallard drakes take off, splashing water.

And the grayish-brown ones are females

A crowd of drakes was flying after just two females, after which they all landed together on an ice floe. It floated down to the bridge, causing the flock to have to fly forward again. And so they rode, like on a carousel. Judging by everything, they were planning to do  this all day, they didn't get bored of it.

 In the foreground, the back of a person with a large red-and-gray backpack is visible. Behind him, several more hikers with backpacks and trekking poles are walking across a plowed field under a blue sky.

We watched the enchanting spectacle — and then it was time to march again

A group of five people with backpacks and trekking poles walks in a single file across a plowed field. Remnants of snow are visible on the ground, the sky is clear.

Across the fields

 An empty paved road stretches into the distance between fields under a clear sky in early spring or late autumn. On the left in the foreground, the back of a person in a dark jacket and hat is visible, looking down the road.

And even on the asphalt. Yuck, of course, but you try walking 30 km knee-deep in snow and mud, then I'll look at you

 A small old log cabin on a hill among dry grass and bare trees in early spring. In the background, a landscape partially covered with melting snow is visible under a clear blue sky. 

A little hut

In early spring, a person in camouflage with a backpack walks along a dirt road beside a river covered in ice floes and a dry field. On the horizon — a forest, along the sides of the road — bare trees and electrical poles under a clear blue sky.

A lonely guesthouse trailer

 A large dark anchor stands on melting snow in front of a massive stone wall, above which two wooden log buildings rise under a bright, slightly overexposed sky. Two hikers with backpacks stand on a paved country road among fields in early spring or late autumn. One of the men is holding a bottle, while the other, in a bright orange vest, leans on a trekking pole.

Suddenly, an anchor

A red ATV with a license plate 'DANIK' stands on a dirt road next to a large tree, against a backdrop of leafless bushes and melting snow.

Cool dudes ride ATVs

 A man in a gray hoodie and a beanie sits on a red-and-black ATV on a road. Behind him stretches a dry terrain with bare bushes and trees under bright sunlight, remnants of snow are visible.

The guy caught up with us, asked who we were and where we were going

A concrete cubic structure stands in a clearing with dry grass among sparse bare trees and birches. In the background, a snow-covered river is visible under a clear blue sky. 

Rainis's memorial site. Don't tell anyone, but I desecrated it by peeing behind the cube (there was nowhere else to go)

A person's feet on ground covered with dry leaves: one bare, the other in a black sock. Nearby lie dirty hiking boots, a backpack, and a trekking pole.

This is how cute boots look after a hike

A pair of worn brown leather hiking boots stands on ground covered with dry autumn leaves and twigs, against the backdrop of an old stone wall in the warm rays of the sun. One boot stands upright, while the second is tipped on its side.

 

 Two hikers rest on a wooden bench among leafless trees. One pours a drink from a thermos into a mug, while the other examines the contents of his backpack.

 

A memorial granite stone with an inscription in Latvian and Russian, installed in a field with dry grass at the site where the Latvian poet Rainis lived. In the background, bare trees and a two-story residential building with a red roof are visible. 

 

A green-and-blue An-2 biplane in camouflage paint stands in a field with withered grass and melting snow. In the background, a cloudy horizon with sparse trees and buildings.

 

An old, deformed, and rust-covered green 'STOP' sign is installed on a wasteland with dry grass behind a wire fence. In the background, a gray hangar, outbuildings, and remnants of melting snow are visible under a bright sky.

A rare green stop sign

 A man in a beige jacket, olive pants, and a black hat, with a backpack, walks along an uneven dirt road, leaning on a trekking pole. All around are dry grass and bare trees.

Visla strides along as if nothing had happened

A man in a black knitted hat, glasses, with a beard and a striped scarf looks directly at the viewer. In the blurred background, a road and three fuzzy figures walking in the distance are visible.

But Edgars has finally fully realized what he signed up for

 A dry field with long shadows, beyond which an old wooden fence, several outbuildings, and a row of bare trees are visible under a clear blue sky.

A vintage metal fence

 A spring landscape with melting snow on the slopes covered with dry last year's grass. On the left is a one-story brick building, on the right grow bare trees, and in the distance, power lines are visible under a clear sky.

Hills

Five men with backpacks and trekking poles walk along a muddy, rutted trail with melted snow. The closest hiker on the left, in a colorful headband, looks back at the group, against a backdrop of bare trees and a concrete wall under the low sun.

Even at the end we are walking across fields, not on the road

 Early spring landscape with melting snow on brown fields, flooded with water in places, and bare shrubs. In the foreground, a wooden pole with wires is visible, and on the horizon — the blurry outlines of buildings.

Because we are the gang "Snowdrop" club.

Railway tracks stretching into the distance against the backdrop of a low sun, illuminating a metal portal with signals on the left and a power transmission tower on the right. Leafless trees and reflections in the water are visible on the horizon.

Rails, rails. Always wanted to cross the railway bridge on foot, but it has security guards

 A man in a cap with a dog on a leash walking across a dry field in the soft light of sunset or sunrise. In the background, the silhouettes of trees and power lines are visible.

A young man in an orange jacket with disheveled blond hair looks straight into the camera, raising his right hand in a black fingerless glove. He is illuminated by golden light against a blurred country road and a blue sky.

Bye-bye

A smoldering fire pit with gray ash on dry grass, from which a light white smoke rises.

A volcano

 A river covered with ice drift, with a bridge and a city on the far bank. A tall industrial chimney and dry grass in the foreground are visible.

In the city, the ice had already completely shattered

A village landscape in the soft sunset light of late autumn or early spring. In the foreground, a tree with bare bark and a rope swing, dry grass with remnants of snow are visible, and in the background — several old houses. 

Especially for us — it makes you want to hang yourself, we've walked almost 30 km already

An ice drift is observed on the river, many ice floes float on the water under a bright sky. On the far bank, city buildings are visible behind an earthen embankment.

Shards of former greatness

People on the river bank are feeding numerous seagulls and swans. In the background, a road bridge over the ice-filled river, residential buildings, and parked cars are visible.

Townspeople feed the birdies and admire the sunset 

People, including adults and children, gathered on the muddy bank of a reservoir to feed a multitude of seagulls and several swans. In the background, a slope with dry grass and remnants of snow is visible, indicating the end of winter or early spring.

Birdies in detail

A top-down view of a picturesque lake and a city stretched along the coast at the foot of gently sloping mountains in a light haze. On the right, the perspective is framed by green tree branches.

The sunset in detail

Finally, I want to say that this hike was just unrealistically cool. I liked it very much, it's rare to experience such impressions in life. Almost a ++++ on the Shulgin scale (or as close as I'm even capable of experiencing such a thing). Unbelievable beauty — plus it was my first time seeing the start of an ice drift. It was also very fun, with all those river assaults and fords. And extremely varied — no matter how you look at it, you don't get this kind of variety on a bike in summer: forest, dirt road, highway, and that's pretty much it.

So a huge thanks to Oleg, and to my companions too, since everyone turned out to be daredevils and jumped into the water themselves. Then again, nothing less was expected from members of the "Snowdrop" club!