All of us met up to take a Sunday hike. We ended up in a valley outside of Sillian, walking to Unterstalleralm.
We parked and walked a short distance to our first destination.
It was an interesting mill at Wegelate Säge.
This is another one of those mills that is connected to the next one, but these mills are used to cut logs into lumber. I was disappointed that the sawmill itself was closed, because I really wanted to see it in operation. But walking around the outside you got a pretty good idea of the operation.
The river is really flowing here, and they have built a flume with a diversion gate to allow the water a high drop on the mill wheel. You can just imagine the RPM of the saw blade
As we headed up the dirt road following the red-white-red 2 blazes, we were overwhelmed by the smell of the fields of flowers on both sides. You know when you have a good glass of wine, maybe a muscat, that has that “floral” smell to it? This was that smell, a pleasing mix of mountain flowers.
The Italian border is running just up on the ridge, and Jürgen and I were plotting out a future hike to get on the ridge top and just follow it.
We came in above the little settlement called Unterstaller Alm at Jausenstation. At 1673 meters elevation it consists of maybe two guesthouses, a couple farms, one small white church and a “mountain hut” that is accessible by car. The hut is the only business in the area, so it was busy with people eating.
That's when I saw the funny sign: Herz Ass.
Herz is the word for heart, and you say it with a "t" sound sound it is like "Hurts."
Ass is ass.
So, this area, or this valley, or perhaps this trail is called "HURTS ASS."
Maybe the upper sections of the valley would be enough to hurt your ass, but this was a pretty low key walk so far. Still, it is a great name.
It is advertised all over the valley, and there is even a Herz Ass brochure.
Gail and Jürgen got vegetable soup, and Veronika had the rotisserie chicken with great hot salty fries as well. Angelika had a beautiful looking gulash with a flower, and Ralph had a schnitzel.
Gail and I had a glass of wheat beer, while the others had various drinks and coffee. In the end, Ralph had a chocolate strawberry cake.
We walked the same route on the return, and it was an easy six mile loop. This is our last hike and day in Lienz, and we head to Bologna Italy tomorrow, on our way to Spain.
We all gathered in the late afternoon at our little apartment to watch the US Womens’ Team win the World Cup again, and then we told our friends goodbye for another couple of years.