On the Jura Crest Trail from Salhöhe to Staffelegg

May 5, 2017 ─ Sometimes you just have to take off work early to take advantage of the nice weather for an evening hike. The days are getting longer, so there are plenty of evening hours, especially if you stay "close to home". Friday was such a day, glorious weather, but the coming weekend..... not so much.

There is a town called Aarau North of here, which was my home in 1989 in my 20's, and coincidentally also my Mother's home in her 20's. Recently my Mom got nostalgic and asked me if we ever get back to that area, and frankly, we hadn't. No better time than right now!

The range of mountains there, which stretches from Zurich to Geneva, is called the Jura Heights, and we started at one "mountain" pass called Salhöhe, and walked 8 km to another pass further East called Staffelegg. With a detour to the peak called Wasserflue for some stunning views of the entire chain of Alps, this walk took us 2.5-hours, which, as nice as it was, we decided was just a bit long after all for an evening hike!

** Hard to imagine, but the next day (Saturday) it rained all day.

On my way to Aarau by train after work, the weather promised some nice views.

The new canopy at the Aarau train station is affectionately called "The Cloud" by locals.

The start of our hike at Salhöhe which is a mountain Pass. Wasserflue peak is the one on the right.

View North (Germany at the back) from Salhöhe Pass.

Detour along the crest to the look-out point at Wasserflue.

Antenna tower on the Wasserflue ridge.

We weren't the only ones on a late afternoon tour enjoying a wonderful view.

Below us the city of Aarau. In the back the entire chain of Alps.

Zoomed view of Aarau

I could even see my place of residence in 1989!

Looking Eastward, those two yellow patches are the Staffelegg pass, the goal of our hike.

 

Returning back to the Jura Crest Trail. I wish I had had better shoes for hiking this ridge.

Beautiful pastoral landscapes in the northern part of Switzerland.

 

Back on the Jura Crest Trail. Behind me is the ridge to the lookout-point on the left (where we had detoured to)

All along the way we got these "peak-a-boo" views. Wasserflue look-out point is on the right.

 

 

I guess industry has to go somewhere, even if it is hard on the eyes.

The canola fields at Staffelegg Pass, the end of our hike.

The canola fields at Staffelegg Pass, the end of our hike.

Back in Aarau at the train station. 

This clock was "rescued" from the old station when they did a rebuild in 2008-2010. The clock face is 9m in diameter and thus the second largest clock face in Europe.

On the Jura Crest Trail from Salhöhe to Staffelegg (2 hours direct, 2.5 hours with detour to Wasserflue, total 8 km)