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I can’t make sense of this winter. Over the weekend I went hiking and mountain biking in a climate suitable for mid-May rather than mid-February. There’s barely any snow on the ground and most precipitation we do get is in the form of rain. I shouldn’t complain: At least it’s decisive and not slush. I can live with that.

The hike took us to the border of Liechtenstein and Switzerland near Sargans. It wasn’t very high, but the view over the Rhein Valley was stunning. You can see some of the photos and views from the hike by clicking on the collage below.

My New Ride

Last summer I realized my mountain bike is too big for me. How did it took eight years to realize this? I don’t know. I got the bike in 1999 after receiving a nice tax return while studying in Edmonton. The bike has been all over with me: the Rockies, along Lake Ontario, all over Switzerland, parts of South Africa, and on my Switzerland to Sweden bike tour.  But is it normal to hold the handlebars with your fingertips with your arms stretched out? I guess not. I test rode a few bikes last September, and knew I had to make a change.

Last weekend I made that change and bought a 2008 Gary Fisher Big Sur. It’s similar to my old bike, but it’s a 17.5″ frame instead of 19″. This pathetic winter has had the upside of making biking in January possible. I’ve taken the bike out on a few rides and am very happy with it. It’s going to be a fun summer.

Here are some photos from my ride to Waldegg yesterday.

Snowshoeing to the Stockberg

Despite this pathetic weather, a group of us found snow in the Alpstein today. It was a mix of hiking and snowshoeing from Lutertannen (1027m) to the Stockberg (1781m) with a glorious view over the Alpstein and Churfirsten mountains. I had to laugh when my friend almost drove off with his coffee on the roof of his car. It was rather juvenile of me, but he did get the last laugh when later I did the same thing with my gloves and camera. Oops!

Here are some photos from the hike. The weather was good for hiking, but not ideal for taking photos.

Tour de Schwiiz 2008

Planning is underway for the 2008 Tour de Schwiiz. The group has agreed on a route, but we’re still trying to settle dates. The year we plan to cycle half of the #2 Rhein-Route and all of the #1 Rhone-Route. We estimate six days to complete the 522km from St. Gallen to Geneva. I’m excited and nervous about the Oberalppass (2046m) and the Furapass (2436m) mountain passes, but it shouldn’t be any more difficult than last year. A rough outline of the route can be found in this Google Map.

Last weekend a few friends and I visited Tessin for some camping and hiking. We arrived on Friday night, lit a fire, grilled, and had a couple of beer. We would have had more beer had our supply not been washed away by the river. I was responsible for cooling the beer, and did a terrible job of securing the bag in the river. I’m still beating myself up for this, but my friends were forgiving, and perhaps even thankful for saving them from a hangover the next morning. Yeah, right.

The next morning we drove an hour north to Lago di Luzzone where we parked the car and started our hike. The weather was perfect, and the scenery was, as always, absolutely spectacular. Although it was warm out, the strong winds forced me to wear a jacket and remove my hat. Unfortunately, I had forgot to put sunscreen on my forehead, which is now burnt and shiny red. Ouch!

We got back to the campsite just as it started to rain. We ditched the campfire idea and setup our tents instead. Magnus had this huge circus tent, which was perfect for lounging around and having a few beer while watching the lightning in the distance. The tent would have been nice to sleep in, but it didn’t have a floor and water started to creep in from the sides. In a panic I had to repack my stuff and switch to another tent.

On Sunday morning we were lethargic and took our time leaving. We headed home and went for a short walk on the Lukmanier Pass. It was a fun weekend and my legs are still sore from the hike. This seems to be a pattern when hiking with Magnus!

It’s hard to believe it’s November and there is so little snow at 2000m in the Alpstein. A few of us took advantage of these last days of autumn and went on a hike today from Wasserauen to the Marwees range and back. The temperatures were mild and required only a fleece top and the occasional wind breaker. The winds were extremely strong at the summit, which made the single track trails a little nerve racking. I’m sure these days are numbered and it won’t be long before we’re back with snowshoes. Photos of the hike, taken with the new Nikon D80, are online.

Last Thursday was the six year anniversary of my immigration to Switzerland. How time flies!

This weekend I had a fantastic return to the mountains. A friend and I hiked to the Kistenstöckli (where is this?) from Brigels and overnighted in the Bifertenhütte. We had the mountain to ourselves and nobody else was staying in the hut that evening. I believe this is the highest altitude I have ever slept (not including overnight flights) at 2482m (8143 ft), and it was simply stunning to see nothing but mountain peaks as far as the eye could see. What I found very pretty was the moonlit mountains in the middle of night. Too bad it was so windy and cold that I could only enjoy it for the length of my bathroom break. Photos of the hike are online.

Greetings from Canada! Today we had perfect weather for a short hike to “The Crack” in Killarney Provincial Park. The fall colours were stunning and were exactly what I had hoped for on this trip. I’m realizing more and more that I took this region completely for granted while growing up here: It’s gorgeous and so easily accessible. I could well imagine someday doing the full 100km circular hike though the park. We took a number of photos, relaxed, and found the “Killarney - The Crack” geocache.

On Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving with a massive turkey dinner. It was an exceptionally special event since it was our first reunion in six years with the entire immediate family. It was long overdue and I sincerely hope the next time is sooner than later.

My aunt and uncle visited from South Africa this weekend and we had perfect weather for a hike. On Saturday morning we started in Wildhaus and hiked over the Alpstein to Bruelisau with an overnight stay in the Rheintaler Sämtis. Enroute were a few SAC Berghuetten where we could stop for a soup or hot drink. The scenery was spectacular and the little haze was perfect for some panorama photographs.

Enroute I saw a number of signs marking snowshoe trails. This area must be gorgeous under snow and so I can’t wait to return with my snowshoes this winter.