Our eyes glided across the muted mountain tops and then stopped at a jagged point thrusting towards the clouds, higher and more prominent than its neighbors.  One of the kids noticed a cross atop it.  I squinted hard, sure enough, a teensy, weensy cross is dwarfed by the monster it sits on.  And so the excitement began, “We should go there.” “YEAH, lets do.” “Mom, Dad, can we?”  I love that my kids want to do what seems to be the impossible to the naked eye.  As the evening progressed I saw many different hiking signs posted and different trail names.  I tried to remember them but the names became a blur, all tangled up in my mind. We would figure it out in the morning.

The next morning, armed with sandwiches, Snickers and a few gummy bears,  we looked at one of the map boards posted on the side of the streets and saw the cable car you can take to one portion and then hike the rest.  That seemed do-able for our family.  After the hike you can take an alpine coaster to the bottom, sounded exciting.  It helps to have something fun waiting at the end so we can think on it when we’re tired.

The cable car lugged us up, the brisk air hit our faces and we wondered if we were dressed warm enough.  Annie and I watched the track to the alpine coaster below us zig and zag down the mountain and discussed if we’d use the brakes much or just let it go.

The ski lift dropped us on a flattened area of the mountain with big wooden play equipment, a large rustic lodge filled with hiking families and at that moment it seemed like a nice place to stay and forget the hike.  They all looked like professional hikers, all decked out with water proof boots,  Jack Wolfskin coats, colorful hats and gloves and there we stood in our running shoes, the boys in their shorts and the girls in their sweats.  We scanned for the starting point, a little trail through a gate, that quickly disappeared into the forest.  Next, seek out the destination.

It looked so tiny in the far off distance, and so we began.  Inside the forest the colors were vibrant.  The sunlight peaked through and woke up the brilliant green moss as we traipsed along.  The path was steady and I was confident we’d be okay.  Then we started to see other hikers coming towards us with sopping wet pant legs and muddy boots.  I thought it was silly that they just plowed through the mud puddles instead of going around, but if you have boots, why not?  Fifteen minutes into the adventure the trail started to get very narrow and off to the left was a steep drop off.  Now the boots made sense.  There was barely an edge to go around so the safest route was through the puddle.

I kept my eye on the drop off, constantly evaluating one’s chances if a mis-step were to happen.  Raleigh began, “Mom, I don’t want to die,” and “Mom, I keep slipping.”  I grabbed his hand and tried to stay between him and the edge.  Did I forget we had a 4 year old when starting on this hike?  I think that’s what happens to the youngest, they just get tossed into the mix when the majority wants to do something.  How fine is the line between irresponsible parenting and doing “boy stuff” with your boy.

I was quickly becoming mentally fatigued with watching every step of his and mine so I wooshed him onto my back, so much better.  I’d rather deal with the physical fatigue.  Den was quick to come to the rescue and the girls took turns holding him too until the path widened.  The trail went on like this for the next hour until we came out of the forest and into the sunshine.  A cable attached to the side of the mountain guided us up and around the rocky ledge until we hit a little rest stop.  Raisin bread with a slice of cheese never tasted so heavenly.

 

We sat there quietly, eating, breathing and looking straight up.   I didn’t know how, but I knew I was getting to the top!  I didn’t come all this way to not go up.  I knew what the voice of reason was thinking, actually he was saying it, “This is far enough.”  Ireland stood up, “Dad, I need you to stay down here where I know you’ll be nice and safe.”  Me- “Hey, what about me?” Ireland responds, “Well……..you’re Mom.”  I took it as a compliment, Den not so much.  Den was nice enough to stay with Raleigh while the girls and I very cautiously proceeded with Annie in the lead.

We weren’t going to be able to figure it out standing at the bottom, looking up, we just had to start and trust that we would be okay and eventually get to that cross at the top.

We were thankful for the cable to hold onto.  I only got scared if I thought about it, so I stopped thinking and just climbed.  It was such a relief to not be worrying about Raleigh, but I was bummed Den wasn’t with us.

Annie and Ireland’s last climb before the summit.  Indi and I heard laughter and cheering so we went around another way and discovered quite a sight.

A hut, nearly on top of Mt. Kofer.  The men looked at us strangely.  We felt like we had intruded on a private party.  They asked where we were from and we told them America.  One responded with a thick accent, “They’re okay, give ’em some.”  We were offered schnapps and beer.  They were celebrating King Ludwig’s birthday.  We then heard Ireland and Annie from the top holler down to us.  There were men building a structure of a crown that they would light later that night for the town’s people below.  It was quite a sight.  Indi and I quickly went back where we came from and up to the top the other way.

He is pulling cans from the bag to attach to the structure.  The other two men were having a dispute over the blueprints of the wooden masterpiece.  There was so much to take in, the guys trying to talk to the girls, the girls busy taking selfies, the beautiful view, the men in the hut below and then Annie gasps, “OH MY!”  We look to see Den and Raleigh pop over the rocks!  YAY, they came! Wait, WHAT? How did they do it?!?!?!?

Team work, that’s how.

We could look back and see where we came from.  The green space in the middle of the photo.

 

It was so perfect. All of us, together.

Den grabbed a slug of beer and we thought it be best to get down the mountain away from the guys with alcohol, gasoline and fire! No doubt, they were having fun.

The girls were gone in no time.  Agile little stinkers!

Den and Ral got down just fine except we had the long hike back, of course everyone was tired and we were out of food.  Then we pulled the Alpine Coaster card, “Girls, if we aren’t back in 90 minutes we will have to walk down the mountain  because the lift and coaster close.”  That was all they needed.  They waited for us at the end.  The way back was faster.  We weren’t stopping for pictures and Den and I traded off carrying Raleigh although he was happy to get down and run the last few minutes to get to the coaster faster.

Loved listening to the bells of these sheep as we hiked along.

Everybody loved the Alpine Coasters except me, they stressed me out a bit.  A girl can only handle so much thrill seeking in one day.

We ended the evening with a traditional German supper at a little restaurant in Garmisch.  I had goulash soup  and the rest of the family had pork steak with vegetables.

One thing that puzzles me is how people sit outside all bundled up to eat dinner, it was barely 50 degrees!

But even more so to eat gelato!

It was a great first full day in Bavaria!