Sorry for any confusion – we left for Zurich Friday night – my previous blog post stated we arrived on Friday – oy!
Today was truly a spectacular Franimal kinda day. Before I share about the hike – an update on yesterday. After a successful first day on the bike, I decided to try a new bike tour and ride to a nearby town called Baden. I had researched other bike rides from Zurich with a clear destination point. Baden was not too far away and seemed to be a path along the river Limmat. It seemed like a nice opportunity, and so off I went Wednesday morning, water and backpacked packed – ready for an adventure. The ride started out okay, I’ve learned the lay of the land here – Obi and I like to joke that we are “locals” and feel proud when we get from one point to the next sans Google assist. So, me and my local self pedaled on from town towards the river only to hit the first of many major construction zones. It seemed the more I biked the deeper I got into cement plants, orange cones, asphalt debris and road closures. The lake to my left was like a mirage I could only dream of seeing. I pressed on to eventually shift gears – literally – changing the chain position on my bike I did a 180 and aborted my mission. I took a closer look at the map and noted many diversions ahead and decided instead to accomplish my goal which was to reach the other end of Lake Zurich. So – after a 45 minute NYC-like detour I was at the start of the bike path with 45 km ahead of me. Putting my legs into high gear I ventured onward. This time I chose to bike the opposite way from the day prior, to see the lake from the other angle. Route 3 to the bridge, which then intersects with route 17 to the tip. Simple in theory – but harrrrd work in reality. Again the wind greeted me at the door and made for a day of riding to feel like three in one. I had drank a lot of water before leaving and given the 45 minute detour I took, I did not work up enough of a sweat and so instead I needed to pee relatively quickly. I found a gas station and one attendant helped me- while the other glared at me. Thankfully the bathroom was available and off I went. This part of the ride was uneventful, windy but straight forward. Passing from one small cluster of homes and shops along empty stretches and repeat. I made it to the bridge. Now, yesterday I came off the bridge from the opposite direction and so I thought it would be easy to navigate backwards onto the bridge. I tried my luck only to suddenly realize I made a wrong turn, asked for help from a lovely woman who told me in broken English “the other side.” Not knowing how to reach “the other side” I tried my best…and again made a wrong turn and was shuttled onto a road that was quickly turning onto a highway – ack, my biker senses were on high alert and I knew I should have been there. Imagine driving down a major highway and on your shoulder is a biker – yes, that was me merging into your lane. In order to avoid disaster I aborted the road and jumped onto the grass. My only option was to launch my bike over a wire fence (thankfully no spikes or electricity) and climb to the other side. From what I could tell it was the back of a factory. The bike was okay- and my tall limbs managed just fine until the seam in the crotch of my shorts caught a small wire tip and I was stuck straddling the fence – only to realize behind the bushes was a table of (presumably) workers on their coffee and cig break watching me. Sigh…I stealthily unhooked my shorts preventing a tear, hoped on the bike and gave them the coolest nod I could muster and rode off. After this little snafu 🙂 I found myself literally back at the same exact starting point as I was 10 minutes prior. This time, I used Google which alerted me to the bike path which crosses the on way ramp to the bridge. So – take two and voila – I was on my merry way. Breezing over the long bridge toward route 17. This road had a clearly marked bike path but once I left the city area – the path was no more and I needed to bike a road with speeding cars and no shoulder. The cars seemed to be aware of bikers, as I saw a few others out there as well. I rode out for about 10-15 km only to notice the road narrowing even more. I decided I reached a good enough stopping point, peeled off to a barn cafe, ordered a tall apple juice, hydrated up, ate my cheese bread from home and started the long return trip. The highlight of the second half was at about 18 km outside of Zurich a female biker passed me. She was on a road bike and cutting through the air with such efficiency. I was jealous of her speed – with my thick tires – she got ahead…but then, I suddenly found myself catching her and going faster than her pace so I passed her. I did not want her to pass me again (yes, Franimal competition is activated) so I kicked into high gear. Having biked nearly 85 km at this point, my legs were tired but that was just an excuse. I powered up and she and I rode tire to tire. First with me in front. Like a sail I blocked her wind for probably about 9 km at which point we hit a red light and she came up next to me and said in German, “let’s switch and take turns” – now she lead and I trailed all the way to the end. It was so nice riding with someone – working together. We eventually reached a traffic light – chatted a bit and went our separate ways. Bye biker friend!
Today was a different kind of adventure – even though I had the bike rental for a week, honestly my heart was yearning for the mountains again. I can do crazy city biking in NYC – I can’t do the Alps. Using a site I found online – I scouted a hike to the Leglerhüttee in the Appenzell range. This hike was everything you could imagine in a Swiss adventure. Trian ride out of the city was on time and passing through beautiful landscape, the two transfers to a second train and then a bus were perfectly aligned, and to sear the commute the bus rode up and into the valley along a supremely narrow twisting and turning rode. For 40 minutes it inched along safely and confidently into the mountains. At certain points along the ride the only sights visible where the steep mountain drops on one side and the wall of grass along the other. A mini thrill indeed. I arrived at the cable car lift, and light as a feather was gifted the chance to float to the starting point, a reservoir. This was a circular loop hike with two options towards the end point, one which was estimated at 2hr and 20 min (with a slower grade and shorter distance) or the other at 3 hr and 15 min (with a steeper grade at a longer total km) – I presume you know which route I took. Oh -yes there I was with the first step on the trail already a climb. I love that about hiking, there is no other way to reach the top than to simply go up. You have to put one foot in front of the other and press up – working your legs to oblivion. The weather was perfect – cool breeze with hot sun. A combination that generated a glow on the vegetation. Throughout the whole hike I was not far from water taking the shape of a dripping stream, morning dew weighting the leaves or grass down and small Alpine ponds. The Apline Rose flowers highlighted every surface. I spoke with one woman on the trail who said today is a special day for these flowers – with nearly every one in bloom. At points I was brushing past flowers on either side of me and could feel their soft wet pedals on my hot legs. I reached a trail marker which indicated two ways towards the summit – once I again I opted for the lengthier path which had me laughing when I looked ahead because this option did not build on the elevation I had just gained, but instead took me straight down the valley through a cow pasture and then – right back up. I could see where the trail emerged and chuckled at what I was about to do. Usually going down is easier (not necessarily easy, but easier) however this downward climb was one of the more challenging because I was not alone on the trail. Cows were everywhere and hikers use the cow trail so there was no option other than to dodge so much cow poop. Cow patties of all consistencies and states of decomposition truly covered the trail. Dried ones, hard like a rock where lucky finds because you could step on or over without issue. Patties about a day old were crusty on the outside and inhabited by hundred of flies which you could hear when you stepped over it because they all buzzed out and you can see their small burrowing wholes. Then there were cow patties splattered on the muddy trail like a Pollock painting, no defined shape, a splash of light brown and green. Impossible to avoid. This of course was all mixed in with their pee and water – which made for slippery goings. I don’t mind falling, but I did not want to fall in this recipe. Cautiously I trekked along only to be blocked by a massive gathering of cows on the other end, I diverted along their pasture edge, thanked them for their milk, cheese and manure and kept on going. While I could see the trail ahead, towards the top I could not identity the actual summit given the shape of the rock outcropping. As I hiked along I couldn’t tell if sweat, snot or saliva were dripping from my face – and presumable a combination of all three were. The sun was relentless above the tree line with no shade cover and then just like a true surprise I turned the bend to see the hut. I made it. Rewarding indeed. I will let the photos tell you the rest of the story.
We’re on our way to Greece, Limnos, the island my family originates. A heat wave on the headlines and an ocean calling my name. I write to you from the other side.
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