easter monday i got some free time and went to an alpine meadow near the ‘queralpenstrasse’ (alpine transversal road) just 20min far from home. under the north face of Reiteralm there was still a lot of snow, and from time to time avalanches broke free high above our heads. the woods here have suffered a lot from the storms, weakened as they are by the air pollution they toppled over hectar wise. but on the north side there is still hope that a natural mixed forest will grow up again as the density of deer and roe is not as high as in the opposing south faces, where they feed every spring on the buds of the young trees to devastating effects. the young protection forest does not grow up but ends as extremely expensive mash for future trophies on the chimney wall of a hunter.
the second picture is an alpine hut there on the meadows. the cows used to graze right in the woods – with obvious consequences for the young trees – but the administration tries to buy out now those old rights.
Snow in conifers is one of my alltime-favorites. I simply love that mix of graphic impression, winter and nature. Always a tad melancholic.