Downhill most of the way - sore legs tomorrow

View from the lift on the way up to Alp Sigel

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Jean:
Checked the weather when we first got up and it was a beautiful day already at 7:10am!!!  Just what we were wanting as we planned to go up to Ebenalp and hike to Ascher and then down to Seealpsee.  We knew that rain was in the forecast for Sunday and Monday so thought maybe we should try the new gondola at Alp Sigel first thing this morning since we did not know what it was all about.  So lunch packed, backpacks on and into the car about 8:45am I think.

 Appenzell from Alp Sigel

This is un-developed Alp Sigel - just opened to hikers in 2011- no condos yet!!

Drove to Brulisau, parked and paid $3.00 for parking and headed for the gondola shed.  It was so small and the only steps and door were to the back of the building.  We did not see anyone for a bit, but soon an older lady came out and she helped us figure out the cost and get tickets.

A Florida couple took our pic and we took theirs

It was a very smooth ride up there and I did not face the alp wall that we were going into/up to–thought it best to see where I was coming from, not where I was going to.  Again when we got to the top, no one was there, it is sorta self-serve getting the doors open and off the gondola–no one was around at all, the folks we had seen before we got on the gondola were long gone.  No one but Dave and I were on that alp it felt like.  We started walking and soon barns came into view, then houses, then more barns and houses.

Found our dream homes - just sell the stuff and send money!

We figured these were alpine farmers homes and they were now empty since the cows have gone down from the alps to their own barns for the winter.

The guy who was playing his alphorn

As we rounded a corner we heard a voice–and an alpine horn I suspect, so as we got closer we could see a man sitting at the foot of a cross with his alpine horn.

Dave beside the cross on Alp Sigel

That was rather nice to see but he stopped the music almost as soon as we got to where he could see us.  We spotted a woman across the road and down the hill from him with a camera–a 2012 Christmas Card Greeting in the making???

Alp flowers make the best cheese

We puttered walking around the barns and around turns and more barns and more turns and more barns.  Soon enough walking down hill since we knew we would eventually be walking uphill.  Back at the gondola shed a family of 4 children, parents and I suspect grandparents got off the gondola so we got on that one.

Main Strasse up on Alp Sigel

Soon the doors shut after Dave pushed a button and we started down.  The small gondola swayed fiercely in the wind and stopped abruptly causing more sway.  Dave: - Proof - the scars on my arm from Jean hanging on.  The wind was really picking up over the edge of the mountain wall.  Only to stop about 50 feet from the gondola shed.  We could not figure out what was happening since everything was in German, no lights came on, no one said anything but the phone did ring – only a buzzing tone when we tried to answer it.  Thankfully the family stayed at the gondola shed as we sat in the gondola not knowing what was up. One of them phoned down to the little old lady at the bottom and soon it was thumbs up and we were moving slowly downward.  Otherwise we would still be there.  Had food and water for one day though.

5 families share profits - each have own farms

On the top of Alp Sigel the wind had picked up quite a bit and all we could figure was she (the older woman in charge down below) was stopping the gondola until the wind died down.  Sure enough, after sitting there for about 20 minutes, we started down again.  That was rather scary to say the least.

In the afternoon, we drove to Ebenalp, took the gondola up to that alp, and started hiking down to Ascher. 

The path to Aescher on EbanAlp

With the Appenzeller card, this gondola ride was free for both of us.  The hike down to Ascher was steeper than either of us remembered in 2010, the tunnel was darker than we remembered, and the Ascher gasthaus was hopping with visitors–more people today than in 2010.  So many people, we think most of Appenzell was biking, walking or hiking today, such a beautiful day.  We had intended to have coffee there again but after seeing the multitude of people decided not to and kept walking.

Asecher was swarming with hikers

We did not want to take the route back to the top of Ebenalp as we did in 2010, but wanted to take the route down to Seealpsee.  We got the right turn in and down we went–for about 2 hours, down steps, across stones, over tree trunks, and even across regular pathways.  It was an amazing journey and we enjoyed going down instead of up.  Eventually we came to the path that we did take up in 2010 and found Seealpsee without it’s cows!!!  Missed them by about one week.  We had coffee at the Seealpsee Gasthaus and then decided to walk around Seealpsee,  something that I had wanted to do.

The 2 hour downhill to Seealpsee

We did that and eventually joined the path down that we took in 2010.  Wow, it was much steeper in 2012 than it was in 2010!!!  Wonder why?  It took us at least 1 ½ hours to come down that paved path and my legs were really hurting at times–so much walking/hiking today, but a lovely day.

The last stretch to Seealpsee

Back to the apartment to unwind a bit and make supper–ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots and left-over salad.  Mrs. Hassler-Dorig came in the evening and brought us 2 pieces of cake dessert–almost like gingerbread she said.  It was good, Dave had his with applesauce and I kept a sliver for breakfast in the morning.  We walked along the road before and beyond the apartment a bit, but I had had enough walking for the day.

Walked 45 min. around the high alpine lake of Seealpsee then it was another hour and half of  STEEP downhill to the car.