Seven Lakes (Winter)

During my first month in Sofia, I was lucky enough to be taken on a trip to the Seven Lakes with a family from ACS. Now, a year and a half later, it was rewarding to go back, this time as the guide. My friend Will is visiting from Italy, and we took advantage of a beautiful day to drive into the Rila mountains and hike back into winter. It was difficult to leave the aroma of the blossoming trees on campus this morning, but once in the snow, muscle memory from hikes past took over. Will and I have a penchant for great snow hikes, starting when we drove up to Mt. Baldy in California at 5:00 am to be the first to walk through a fresh snow. Last year, we took a challenging trip with crampons to the frozen Boyana waterfall, and now up to the Seven Lakes. Though the lakes are under snow, and don't really stand out in the landscape, it was a thrilling hike, and the conditions on top made us feel downright Arctic. A perfect start to a week of hiking...

Will nearing the ridge, and the wind that always accompanies it

Reveling in the winter wonderland with not a soul in sight

On the way back down, we turned to bid farewell to the Alpine-esque Seven Lakes, and were heartened to see that a small part of us would remain. At least for a few minutes, until the wind covered our path.

If you'd like to see the Seven Lakes in the summer, and not frozen, look for the label "Seven Lakes" on the sidebar and click it. Then scroll down to past entries.