This morning we woke to gray skies and clouds. We had decided we’d need to get up early to beat the rush to the trailheads for any of the nearby hikes. Everything we had read said they would be packed by mid-morning. We originally were aiming for Tre Cime di Lavaredo or the Three Peaks hike, but decided to instead do Lago di Sorapis (Lake Sorapis). We figured if the clouds didn’t clear we could still see the lake. We both were hoping the clouds would burn off.

We already had everything packed so it was a matter of putting on our hiking boots and heading out the door. The trailhead for this hike was only about 10 minutes away. Jacob was nervous about parking, but we got there early enough that we got a nice spot on the side of the road not far from the trailhead. It was still drizzling outside so we grabbed our coats.

Figuring it is summer, we did not pack raincoats. We only packed fleece coats. Luckily, we did pack good hiking boots and hiking pants. I put on my hat, so that it would shield my glasses from the rain. Then we set off.

The hills were covered in light misty clouds. It felt cool outside, but not cold. Good hiking temperature. As we set off we were in a meadow and we could hear cow bells nearby. Shortly after, we saw a group of cows having some breakfast.

The trail was flat and wide through this first section. The rain continued to fall lightly and then pick up to a steady rain. We didn’t have anything to cover our bags but I did pack plastic grocery bags to store things inside and then put those inside our bags. That way our snacks and my camera would stay dry.

The trail was very rocky and full of tree roots we had to navigate over and of course, lots of mud. There were a few sections that were challenging and we had to take our time so we didn’t slip. Luckily, the trail was not busy, probably because of the rain. However, we did see some other hikers out and even a few people passed us heading back down the trail.

A little further along there were very narrow sections, with sheer drop-offs where you had to hold on to this steel rope as you tried not to slip on the mud and rocks. I could not even imagine trying to go through here if the trail was packed! I believe it was on one of these blind corners with the drop off that I said we were going into the unknown. The misty clouds kept our path ahead partially hidden.

We continued on, hoping the rain would stop. It would slow to a drizzle and then pick up again, then slow to a drizzle. Jacob’s hair was thoroughly soaked and so was my hat.

After a short two hours, we finally arrived to our destination. We decided to check out the Rifugio Vandelli first. This is a mountain lodge with toilets, a bar and restaurant. Unfortunately the toilets were out of order and since it was 10 a.m., neither of us needed a beer!

We then walked to the lake to take it in. And it was beautiful! We did our best to capture it but the mountains are so tall and the lake is so blue, a camera can’t take it all in. It was still raining too, so we were trying to be careful with our devices.

It was during this time that I carefully placed my camera in a plastic bag, perched precariously on a rock and used the timer to snap the photo of Jacob and I for the feature image.

We ate the snacks we brought and then packed up and left. More and more people kept streaming in. The clouds lifted enough for us to see the mountain cliffs, but the rain was still steadily falling.

We started our trek back down the way we came. We took our time. The path was even more muddy and slick than the way up. The stairs and wooden pathways were slicker too. Though we slipped a few times, we avoided falling.

The trail was definitely busier on the way down. As people passed us they said “hello!” or “ciao!” or “buongiorno!” It was delightful!

Even though the hike was rainy and some of the terrain was challenging it felt good to be outside in the mountains. The cool air and cloud cover was welcomed after being in scorching hot temperatures the past week. Toward the end of our hike, the rain finally stopped. The clouds tried to lift in a few areas, but it remained mostly cloudy.

Once we were back to the car it was a short drive back to our apartment. We both took hot showers to warm up and put our clothes in the wash. We rested for a few hours and then ventured back out into town.

Yesterday, we planned poorly and got caught in a thunderstorm and were utterly soaked by the time we got back to the apartment. Our shoes are still wet! So today, I wanted to avoid that. We needed to replenish our snacks for tomorrow and get some dinner.

I had found a pizza place that had good reviews on Google and wanted to try that out. After we picked up a few essentials at the store we walked to the pizza place. I asked for a large pepperoni pizza and to my delight and wonder, they were pulling one fresh out of the oven! We didn’t even have to wait. I was so happy because a few drops had started to fall from the sky. I told Jacob if my pizza got soaked, I would cry.

Lucky for us, pizza was quick! We took our pizza to go and headed back to our apartment. It was delicious, warm, filling and only $13.

Tomorrow we are planning to hike the Three Peaks. This is an extremely popular hike so we are going to do our best to get out the door as early as possible. We have a 40 minute drive to the trailhead. Hopefully we will wake up to clear skies and sunshine.

The dark clouds are rolling in and another storm is brewing. I hope the lightning doesn’t kill our internet again!

Until then!