Short Walk on the Schützenried Winter Walking Trails at Lake Sihlsee

(This post published on December 31, 2024)

Sunday March 8, 2015 -- Urs had ordered a model train online, and was planning to pick it up from the seller at a Model Train Exhibition which was taking place on March 8th in Einsiedeln in Canton Schwyz, an exhibit he was also looking forward to visiting. But he was very sick this weekend, so I offered to travel there to pick up his locomotive, and I decided to combine the trip with a short walk along Lake Sihlsee nearby, on prepared winter walking trails across the large moor called Schützenried, also a very popular cross-country skiing area.

It was decent weather with good visibility, and ended up being a 5-kilometer walk for me, starting at about 11 a.m., and then getting back onto a bus in Unteriberg some time around 12:30 for the trip back to Einsiedeln to pick up Urs' train. 

Starting on my walk at Steinbach at 11 a.m. on the west side of Lake Sihlsee, heading south toward the Ybrig Region. 

The lake is frozen and covered in snow. 

There is a walking path along the Minster Canal

This large plain is a moor (Schützenreid) and is popular with cross-country skiers. 

Panorama view of the Schützenried moor. 

I followed the walking trail along the Minster River to the bridge at the four-way junction. I could head to the right toward Unteriberg, but I decided to continue straight along the Minster River on a trail that would take me to Unteriberg as well, slightly more quickly. 

After a walk of about 90 minutes, I headed back to Einsiedeln. This is a view southwards from the bus as we pass across Lake Sihlsee from east to west. 

This is the walk I did this day, starting in Steinbach on the west side of the lake, and walking to Unteriberg. It was about 6 kilometers and 90 minutes of walking. 

After picking up Urs' purchase, I walked around the exhibit a bit. There were lots of interesting model steam machines as well. 

Lots of Märklin Steam Machines. 

That locomotive is selling for almost 6000 Fr.!

On the way home, the train passes the large church in Schindellegi on the way to Lake Zurich. 

Here down at the lake, there is no snow any more. 

Heading northwards along Lake Zurich. 

At Thalwil you change trains and head south again toward Zug. A nice view over Lake Zurich to the mountains to the south.