Halfway House Hike

On Tuesday just after noon one of the girls I arrived with, Lisa, and I left the Abrams Complex for the Halfway House on Kramer Mountain. The German translation I believe is St Martin Hutte on the Kramerspitz. It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze. We started on the steep paved path just outside the complex and after about 15 minutes came to a clearing with a chapel and memorial to fallen soldiers. A perfect picnic spot with an amazing view. After exploring for a few minutes we continued up the trail on the steep path that turned from blacktop to gravel after a short distance. There were lots of switchbacks the further up we got. We had to stop several times to catch our breath. About an hour after we left the complex we arrived at the Halfway House. We made use of the bathroom and found a table outside. Almost everyone of the 20 or so people there had a beer and some were eating a range of German cuisine. Lisa got a beer and I continued to chug my water. We took some pictures and took in the awe-inspiring view. I had to work from 5-10 that night so I didn't stay for more than a half hour before I left Lisa with her beer and started my trek back down the hill. It was alot cooler so I put my fleece back on and made the decent in about 40 minutes. Wednesday and today my glutes and shins are sore but I've been stretching and taking some meds to help. Will definitely make that hike again. Some of the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd like because the sun was sooo bright. And you'll find one picture with the small amount of snow on the side of the trail. Click for the pictures.... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2081665&id=44801562&l=7f67e9886c