7/3 Abreschviller to Col du Donon

A big day up into the Vosges! With sandwiches prepared by our hostess, she drove us back to the GR start at Lettenbach. This facility is something of an orphanage dating back to the mid 1800s. The conditions were summer northwest - on a good day- cool and perfect. The trail marker we eventually figured out is the red rectangle - corresponding with the GPS. The climb is steep gaining some altitude before leveling off to a more gradual gain with intermittent steep parts. The air smelled of pine and wet forest - again- a reminder of Home. There were other day hikers about and the occasional mountain biker. There was a Gallo- Roman site with a few stones and an informational sign. Eventually we stopped at a bench with a beautiful view south into the Vosges - Belle- Roche- where we paused for a snack. We moved on through a meadow down to road junction before climbing yet again on forest road- but the grade was very gentle. We came to the road junction where we found a club Vosiegn shelter- here, safe from the bugs, we ate lunch. Then onwards along the road where a standing stone with placard discusses the significance. I plowed through the brush but the couldn't make out markings. After this there are distance markers that have interesting triangular markings on the back- numbered on the front. Finally we saw the Donon summit which seemed a good ways off as we reach the col Engin. I spotted a bunker heading beneath the road but chickened out when our dim flashlight didn't cut the darkness. There are several in the area of WW1 vintage. So on up we went eventually switch backing sharply up through the trees to reach the summitt and the pseudo Roman but still impressive temple at the top. Far views from here into the Vosges south, west back to Lorraine and east towards the wine road valley. We paused and caught our breath then began a slow downhill walk to our hotel at the col Donon. There are interesting descriptive signs regarding the history and archeology of the area. When we reached the road we walked towards a the junction with the road to Schirmeck . Here was a hotel, with people eating on the terraces and sitting in the jacuzzi. It wasn't ours.... Ours was a ways yet down the road, it was older but fine actually. It too had a sauna and pool which I didn't discover until after closing at 7pm. We had plenty of space to spread out and we dined in the hotel. We enjoyed a Bordeaux along with our meal which included salmon, stark with chantelles and an Alsacian dish with meat and Au Gratin potatoes. Trashed we hit the beds.