A Day in the Mountains

Today, everyone went different ways but met at the end of the day up on the mountain at one of the huts for dessert and coffee drinks. Jamie and I hiked the railway path which is a pathway that follows the cog railway that we came up from the valley on. It took us about an hour and a half to hike the down path and then we rode the train back up the hill. It started in town so we got to do some window shopping. As soon as we went past the train station at the edge of town it got a very isolated feeling with about four feet of untouched feather light snow on each side of the path. The vistas were spectacular at every turn.

Andrew and Andres went skiing. We were going to meet them for lunch but they didn’t want to give up their ski time. Bright clear day and cold enough to keep the snow in perfect condition. Jenny, Pete and Scott took the small sleds and took the path at the other end of town for a long sled adventure about half way down the valley. We decided that they were smarter than we were sledding instead of walking. They took the gondola back up in time to meet us at the hut at four. We took the funicular (a train like vertical lift about a third of the way up the mountain and then skied, sledded and walked down into a valley to one of the huts (restaurants) for late afternoon refreshments. It was stunningly beautiful and so much fun to find the kids in that setting.

By the time we were properly refreshed, the shade and bone chilling cold was catching us on the deck. The Plan was to sled down the valley to home. Andy and Scott gave us their sleds and we got our first taste of the adventure. It was fun racing down the trail. You steer in part with the structure of the sled but mostly with left or right foot plows. The steep parts get pretty exciting and the hairpin turns have so many possible outcomes. We all got to the house safely and everyone had huge smiles and frozen fingers. You would be surprised how much snow goes up your pant leg from turning and braking. The house was delightfully warm and the kids are now working on a fondue dinner. The time together is wayyyyyy too short and almost over now. Sadly we leave tomorrow and go our separate ways, the kids for a three hundred kilometer hike in southern France and Jamie and I will be visiting the valley where her great grandfather lived when he immigrated to the U.S. Today was a good day……again.

Here are some Pictures of the Sled day. Hope everyone is well. JnJ