While Friday and Saturday were rainy, Sunday promised pleasant winter temperatures and even a bit of sunshine. For our hike this week we chose the circular route from Zlatnite mostove to Kopitoto and then back along an alternative trail by Boyanska river and Momina skala.
We also tried a new transportation strategy for getting to Zlatnite Mostove on a winter weekend: we left the car in a parking lot in Boyana and took the bus the rest of the way. The plan worked perfectly, and we already have other ideas for hiking this part of the mountain using public transport.
Contrary to our expectations of sunshine and hiking above the clouds, the mid-altitude trails on Vitosha weren't quite high enough; the sun remained hidden behind the cloud cover for the entire duration of our hike.
While some parts of Sofia enjoyed partially sunny weather, the clouds clung to the mountain
On peak Kopitoto
I tried my new gloves with conductive fingertips for the first time on this hike - they worked just fine and i was able to take photos on my phone without taking the gloves off. The weather was mild and the gloves were warm enough. For colder weather, however, I'll need my much more solid winter gloves.
The section of the forest between Momina skala and Zlatnite has been recently updated with bird feeders — some of which were quite ingenious!
All in all, we are very satisfied with our hike and the combination of private and public transport for access to the higher mountain and will definitely use this method again, especially in winter.
