Today is our last day on the trail, and it's pouring. We opt to take the bus from Todtmoos's busbahnhof - the central bus station - which is surprisingly large and organised considering the size of the village. The bus is waiting at the station, full of day hikers and shoppers. 10 minutes on a narrow winding road and we alight at the Todtmoos Au Zumkeller-Säge stop, picking up the trail where it hits the road. We say our silent thanks to a careful bus driver, wonder what it's like to drive here on snowy winter days, arrange our backpacks and set off, enjoying the sun that was kind enough to come out.
As we start the hike we notice a sheet of paper stapled to a public notice board: VERMIST, it said, MISSING, accompanied by a photo of a smiling young women. Back at the hotel at the end of the day, I Google her, thinking surly there's a good ending here. There wasn't. Scarlett S., a 26 years old hiker went missing on her last day on the Schluchtensteig. A year later, she was still not found. A stark reminder that such tragedies do happen.
The river here is narrow and deep, and the trail takes us above it, through narrow paths in the forest high above. It's not dangerous, but it's wet and slippery, and it's a steep drop down into the ravin. It's a heavenly part of the trail, all dark forest and moss and ferns everywhere. We are completely alone, only hearing the roar of the water from down below. At a rocky outcrop we stop sit on a bench just as a clouds clear and we can see hint of the alps south from here.
Down into the road and back again on the other side, after a steep ascent we reach another resting stop, next to the Mettlerhütte. We just finish our lunch picnic when the skies darken again and rain starts falling. But nothing takes away from the beauty of the forest.
Soon we are heading downwards. The trail widens, and we sounds that are distinctly human: people shouting, machines working. We are arrive at the Wehra damn to discover that due to extensive works, the trail is closed, and we are sent to take a detour (in German only) along the service road.
Out of the forest and into the meadows, and we are in the outskirts of Wehr. Hotel Klosterhof is in the outskirts of town. The hotel is quiet, the hallway full of photos of weddings held here. Leaving our luggage, we go exploring. While Wehr is a town, we arrive on Sunday and like most places in Germany everything is closed and the town feels deserted. Café Denk-Pause is open though, decorated with beautiful stained glass windows and service the most delicious celebratory cake.
We've completed the trail - it was too short, and just long enough. It was perfect.
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