Day 2: Aselfingen - Wutach/Rothenbach 21 km
This is embarrassing. While I was bragging yesterday that the trail is so ridiculously well marked, I took a wrong turn today! And that is entirely my own fault, I passed the clear signs high in a tree, right into the Rotenbachschlucht. A very nice trail and I thoroughly enjoyed it, until I came to a hut and looked on the map to see where I actually was. Because I couldn't figure it out, I grabbed the GPS. It indicated that I was a long way off the trail, even after I restarted it because I didn't believe it the first time.  And it started so well this morning. After I packed up my tent, I quickly set off. I don't come across any other streams, so where I camped was really the last option. The road climbs slightly and I realize that I really couldn't have done this yesterday. Soon I'm at Wutachmuhle, no more than a crossroads with a timber company and a kiosk. Unfortunately, the kiosk is still closed, so I hike through the wood company's grounds along the Wutach. It is very quiet, but then it is Monday. I can imagine that it is a lot busier here on weekends. The wide trail meanders, climbs and descends, but I don't feel like I'm in a gorge yet. I pause in front of a small snake with yellow spots behind its head. It is still a youngster, I estimate and according to Google it is a grass snake. Nice! Every now and then I hike right past the rocks, under a high cliff and with the river right next to me. This is what a gorge should look like. Later the path becomes narrow and muddy, streams flow right over the path or just come out from under a rock face. Now I hike high above the river and then right next to it. In the distance I see a dark sky approaching and I hear a rumble. I've just passed a big hut when it starts pouring. I hide under my umbrella and continue cautiously. It is not easy to descend over slippery rocks with two trekking poles in one hand and a umbrella in the other. The path turns into a stream and I give up avoiding the puddles. Nice practice for New Zealand, where your feet are wet for most of the trail. In the meantime I'm starting to look forward to Schattenmühle, but that will take a while still. The kilometers go by slowly here, there is so much to see and enjoy. In the middle of the forest I come across a church with a picnic area in front of it. The church is on the first floor, below are two cellars. One closed with a gate, the other open. On the rough floor some iron pipes and a real pickaxe. I hike on and finally reach the Schattenmühle. There are already some hikers on the terrace and I take a long break, also to recharge my camera. I order a pancake and because it is very small also a piece of apple pie. The cola is served in a beer mug and not a small one either. Just what I needed. After an hour I continue. The path starts wide and easy. A family with children looks for the gnomes in the trees and finds plenty. I pass them to reach the Rauberschlossle, a large rock high above the river. You can hike around it, but you don't really have a view. The trail winds on with countless streams running brutally over it. Then I reach a wide gravel road again, which ends at a dam. A nice narrow path continues. I want to continue to Lenzkirch, where there is a real camping site. I feel good and strong today and it's only seven kilometers away. And that goes well, until that rest area where I take a wrong turn. Afterwards I do not regret it, because the Rothenbachschlucht was very beautiful, the wide stream with several waterfalls and a nice challenging trail. But yes, it is the wrong route. Once back at the rest area, I give in. I will not find a nicer place for wild camping and moreover I am just on the edge of Naturschutsgebiet. Wild camping in an ordinary forest is one thing, I don't even want to consider it in a protected nature reserve.

Day 3: Wutach/Rothenbach - Pfaffenbrünnele, 26 km
This time I take the right trail along the Wutach and am amazed that I could have missed the way marks. The trail now runs right along the water and then again high above it. I discover a tree that has been truncated to a point. Beavers! Quite recently too, judging by the light yellow wood. When I swing up again, it's because a lower trail has been cordoned off with a sturdy wooden gate. It will have become impassable. A little later I am at the Rechenfelsen, two high rocks where the water calmly squeezes in between. I come across several bivouacs, but I wouldn’t have made it all the way to Lenzkirch yesterday. Now I am there at 10.30 am and I dive into a park when I discover a fountain. It's not supposed to be drinking water, but the water in the trough is so clear that I risk it anyway and fill my bottle. Opposite the pink town hall I settle down briefly on a terrace and before I continue, I stop in at the bakery next door. The guidepost that points to various villages in the area is decorated with beautiful carvings. It reminds me of England, where the place name signs are also so colorful. From Lenzkirch the road starts to climb. At first subtle and not too hard. From the pretty St Cyruaks chapel, it is a viciously steep uphill for a few miles. Fortunately someone has built a trough near the hamlet of Schwende and I drink gratefully before I dunk my head in the water in a second bowl. It makes the last part up a bit easier, but it will never be simple. Once at the top there is a cabin with a playground and a fountain. It's about lunchtime and after eating the bakery's delicious cake, I stretch out on a bench and close my eyes. It's only a half an hour catnap, but very refreshing. I descend to Hirschen, where an Easter tree has been decorated. After another short climb, I reach a forest where drinking water is extracted. A high seat is right next to the road and given the number of high seats I have come across, I am surprised I haven't seen any game yet. Again I descend through the forest and for the first time see the Schluchtsee, dark blue between the green mountains. I descend to the water, where countless boats lie in a meadow ready to sail. The route goes around the lake and then ends up on a wide gravel road to restaurant Unterkrummenhof. The road feels long and boring. There is hardly any view of the water and then three kilometers is suddenly a long way. When the restaurant comes into view, the terrace is packed with hikers and cyclists. I plop down and enjoy a pastry and a Coke. After a lazy hour I start the last three kilometers to the hut where I want to spend the night. The trail goes up, of course. The road to the Krummenkreuz Hütte goes through the forest, which is very nice. Opposite the hut is a trough with a water source that spouts cheerfully, next to the hut is a large wooden cross. However, the hut turns out to be private and is locked with a padlock. There is a covered seating area where I could lay my mat, but I decide to hike on to the next source, the Pfaffenbrünelle. It's only three kilometers away and I feel strong enough. The road meanders on, past old woodpiles and meadows. This source also happily spouts into a trough. There is a nice patch of grass with picnic benches, but I move a little further away so that I don't hear the water constantly.

Day 4: Pfaffenbrünnele – Todtmoos, 23 km
I wake up in the forest to an exuberant bird concert. Around sunrise everything starts to sing and I listen in amazement. The whole forest lives and sings, it is deafening and beautiful. I pack my tent and follow the forest road to the hamlet of Munchenland and later I enter St. Blasien. Just outside the center I see a gas station one street below and I descend to do some shopping. The center is bisected by the Alb and dominated by the huge and impressive cathedral. After the promenade I hike past a gray monastery and then start to climb. Less steep than I expected based on the elevation profile, but it goes up steadily and hard. It's a narrow path along the edge of the mountain and as I get higher, I have a different view of St. Blasien. Eventually I reach a wide forest road, which rises further. I had hoped to be able to put my head under the water at the Schwandbrünelle, but scant drops come out of the pipe. It's enough to moisten my head slightly, but it doesn't make me soaking wet and cool. I go further up, again a nice narrow path, that twists and swings. You would expect that you would be able to see the watchtower by now, but I have no idea where to look for it. I reach the top and bottom of the sturdy wooden tower that looks more like a bunker than a viewpoint. High wooden walls with small windows in them. I first rest in the shade, stretch out in the grass. Then I climb the tower, where you could also spend the night. Each floor has a solid wooden floor. Once at the top I have a wide view of the surrounding green mountains, with deep blue distances beyond. I amble on to Klosterweiher, where on a small lake is the only restaurant I come across today. I claim a spot under an umbrella and order something light, because my stomach is giving signals that hard work is too much to ask at the moment. I hang my rainfly out to dry on the balustrade. With difficulty I swallow the omelet and I don't feel like going any further. But yeah, I can't stay here either. Finally I lift myself up. I feel like I'm getting slow. Nauseous. I throw up and dive into the woods to attend the other end. What is going on here? When I come across a bench in the shade, I lie down for an hour to let my stomach settle. Hikers pass by and I see them hiking further up a hill covered with yellow flowers, right in the sun. Reluctantly I continue and as long as I don't have to climb I'm fine. But as soon as I reach the hill and demand a little more effort from my body, the omelet comes out again. There is still no water on the way and that is a problem with this heat. When I pass a meadow, I see clear water flowing from a pipe. Normally I don't venture into a pasture for water, but this steams into the pasture and not out. I step over the low fence and carefully pick my way over the rocks until I can stick my head under the cool water. That makes me feel better. A little later I descend through the meadow past a herd of cows lying lazily in the grass. On the other side there is a path along the road and when I see a large tree on the verge that casts shadow on the grass, the temptation is too great. I throw off my things and lie down again for an hour. The only advantage is that it is a bit cooler when I finally move on. About two kilometers before Todtmoos, at the beginning of the Hohwehrschlucht there is a bench next to a stream. I realize I’m about done. I use my tent as a pillow and lie on the bench for a few hours, before finally setting up the tent and spending a restless night in the woods.