Digital Wanderer

We live as long as we fly

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Grand Hike of the Snowdrop - Part 2

2011-07-12

вылазки хайкинг туризм латгале латвия природа друзья подснежник фото

So, we continue walking to Daugavpils. Līksna is already behind us, but the ice drift is ahead. To be honest, I've forgotten everything due to the passage of time, I only remember that it was all insanely 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 rides.

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

Such a river wouldn't be an obstacle for us, but we don't need to get 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

An old gnarled tree trunk with rough textured bark covered in moss, and a large break where a branch used to be, 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 are visible around, indicating 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 around.

And Oleg too

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

Barely made the jump, practically 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. Bare trees, bushes, and village buildings under a clear blue sky are seen in the distance.

This is, well, not a jump, but a flutter

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

The stream is just too shallow

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

Temporary

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

Wide is my native river

 A fallen old tree with massive branches lies in a clearing with dry grass against the background 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.

And it has many 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 village houses among bare trees are on the horizon.

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. Melted snow is visible in the foreground, and bare trees are in the background.

 

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

Such people can do anything

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 walks on bare ground in the distance. 

Even trudge ankle-deep in a grass-and-mud slush

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A dirt road leads up a hill overgrown with dry grass and leafless bushes, with melting snow along the edges. Farm buildings and a silo are visible on the horizon under a clear sky. 

Or they can just walk on the road

A smiling young man in a bright hat and 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 are on the horizon.

Everyone has infrared targeting glasses 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 snow-free, and the other is covered with a thick layer of melting snow.

Sometimes the riverbank breaks off under you

Early spring landscape: a vast spill of water with bare branches of trees and bushes sticking out of it. Dark silhouettes of leafless crowns dominate the left side of the frame, a dark handrail is visible in the lower right corner, and a bright blue sky and a strip of distant land are in the background.

And sometimes there are boring bridges

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

And cheerful power lines

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

The pictures of the Motherland take your breath away

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

And its 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 its crooked little pines

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

Edvin is resting with all his might

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

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, Edvin, whose talents we had mostly observed in posing so far, started answering her cheerfully. I have a hard time understanding even Latvian when it's everyday and conversational, but Latgalian left an absolutely alien impression on me. For those out of the loop - 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 savage hybrid language that even has the letter "Ы". I think we should fight to make it a state language too - this would undoubtedly help the mutual understanding of the Latvian and Russian peoples. By the way, the old lady informed us that in 1956 the Daugava flooded all the way up to where we were sitting. And that is, mind you, about 15 meters high 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 in an orange vest stands on a dirt forest road with puddles and points his hand towards the trees. Around him rises a dense coniferous forest with remnants of melting snow on the roadside.

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

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

Suddenly, the Svente bridge

 Spring ice drift on a wide river with piles 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 under an overcast sky is visible.

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. Rare trees and bushes under a light overcast sky are visible on the gently sloping banks.

I don't know how Oleg timed it so well, but we hit 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 an overcast sky.

Giant ice floes float leisurely, but they won't survive anymore

 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 its best. I wonder where the radiolaria is?

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

Ice drift in all its glory

 Spring landscape with a river during the ice drift, along which numerous ice floes float. 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 were putting on a 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 ones that are grayish-brown are females

A crowd of drakes was flying after just two females, after which they would all land on an ice floe together. It would float down to the bridge, forcing the flock to fly forward again. And so they kept riding like on a carousel. By the looks of it, they were planning to do this all day, they weren't getting 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 went back to walking

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

Through the fields

 An empty asphalt road goes 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 looking down the road is visible.

And even on the asphalt. Eww, of course, but you try walking 30 km knee-deep in snow and mud, then I'll take a 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 under a clear blue sky is visible. 

A little cabin

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

The lonely trailer of a guest house

 A large dark anchor stands on melted 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 an asphalt country road among fields in early spring or late autumn. One of the men holds a bottle, while the other, in a bright orange vest, leans on a trekking pole.

Suddenly, an anchor

A red ATV with the license plate

Cool dudes ride ATVs

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

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

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

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

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

This is how cute the boots look after a hike

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

 

 Two hikers rest on a wooden bench among trees without foliage. One is pouring a drink from a thermos into a mug, and the other is looking at the contents of his backpack.

 

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

 

A green-and-blue An-2 biplane in camouflage livery stands on a field with withered grass and melting snow. In the background is an overcast horizon with rare trees and buildings.

 

An old, deformed, and rust-covered green

A vintage 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. Dry grass and bare trees are around.

Visla walks along as if nothing happened

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

And Edgar has finally fully realized what he signed up for

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

A vintage metal fence

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

Hills

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

Even at the very end, we're walking through the fields, not on the road

 Early spring landscape with melting snow on brown fields, partially flooded with water, and bare bushes. A wooden pole with wires is visible in the foreground, and the blurry outlines of buildings are on the horizon.

Because we are  - a gang the "Snowdrop" club.

Railway tracks go into the distance against the background of the low sun, illuminating a metal portal with signals on the left and a power line support on the right. Leafless trees and reflections in the water are visible on the horizon.

Rails, rails. I've always wanted to walk across a railway bridge, but there's security there

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

A young man in an orange jacket with tousled blond hair looks straight at the camera, raising his right hand in a fingerless black 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 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 pipe and dry grass are visible in the foreground.

In the city, the ice has already completely shattered

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

Especially for us - you could just go hang yourself, we've already marched almost 30 km

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

Shards of former glory

People on the riverbank feed numerous seagulls and swans. A car bridge over the ice-filled river, residential buildings, and parked cars are visible in the background.

Townspeople are feeding the birds and admiring the sunset 

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

A closer look at the birdies

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

A closer look at the sunset

In closing, I want to say that this hike was just insanely cool. I absolutely loved it; you rarely get to experience something like this in life. Almost a ++++ on the Shulgin scale. (Or as close as I am capable of experiencing such a thing at all). Incredible beauty - and it was the first time I'd observed the moment the ice drift started. It was also very fun, with all these storming of rivers and fords. And extremely diverse - on a bike in the summer there is no such diversity, no matter how you look at it - 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 a daredevil and waded into the water themselves. Then again, you wouldn't expect anything less from members of the "Snowdrop" club!

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