Leaving the town of Skals in the spring of 2018, I
follow the old railway, which has been turned into a hiking path. When it was
still an active railroad, the rail company planted woods on the east side to
avoid snow on the tracks. I do not know why on the east side because the
prevailing winds come from the west, but that is what the sign by the path
says.
FACT CHECK: One of my readers has told me it is because when it snows the wind usually comes from the east. That makes more sense. Thank you Bjarne!
Anyway, later on there was a shortage of firewood, so many of the trees
were sacrificed. 
During World War II, more trees were felled because
the German occupying force did not want Danish resistance people hiding in the
woods. Since then, it seems that no one has bothered to plant new trees so all
that is left now is a tiny wood, with the emphasis on “tiny”. Nevertheless, the
birdsong is markedly more active than when I reach the open, agricultural
landscape. What a difference trees make!
I hike for three days, covering 70 km. The first
couple of days are mostly on asphalt roads, through agricultural countryside,
which is hard on the feet and a teensy bit boring. I see a few deer and
pheasants, but otherwise just cultivated fields, windmills and other signs of
human influence on the landscape. On the third day, some of the route takes me
over gravel roads – easier on the feet – and through woods, where I see a
lizard, a hare and a (dead) shrew. Ho hum. However, it is hard not to be in a
good mood when everything is fresh, new and green and the sun is shining.
