Sunday Walk to Michaelskreuz on Mount Rooterberg

February 24, 2019 -- The small ridge called Mount Rooterberg which runs parallel to Lake Zug on its West side offers superb views of the Alps ON THE RIGHT DAY! 

But what it also offers is the opportunity for a hike up a hill which is basically snow-free. And also not far from home. So this was our choice for a Sunday walk, even though we knew the day would be slightly hazy. We walked up here once before in April 27, a dismal and cold day at the time, but this time we took a different route.

We started in Rotkreuz and walked up the forest trail from the North side, which gave us some nice views across the entire Zug area where we live, and the Rontal Valley which we often travel by train when we go to Luzern. The main goal of the excursion was the chapel at Michaelskreuz (translation = Michael's Cross), a popular look-out point in this area. For the descent we also wanted to do something a little different than last time, so we walked down to Root on the West side of the hill. At some places we ran into bits of snow and icy patches, but perfectly navigable. 

AND this is where we saw the first snowbells and crocuses! It was a nice introduction to the start of Spring hiking, which we find much more interesting than walking in the white winter landscape....

From Rotkreuz via Chüntwil it takes 1 hour 20 minutes to walk up to the Chapel at Michaelskreuz

Carnival starts on February 28th, so everywhere are dressed-up figures. 

Catholic Church in Rotkreuz

A large part of the uphill section was on a wide snow-free forest trail with lots of sunshine

Going up this way we got views to the West down to the Reuss River in what is known as the Rontal Valley

This barn has seen better days!

Up here at 770m altitude (Michaelskreuz) there was still astonishingly lots of snow

I found these whittled "hunting trophies" rather amusing!

The chapel at Michaelskreuz, a popular look-out point

Even though it was a hazy day, we still had a nice view of Lake Zug and the Glarnisch Alps (Direction Arth Goldau, Mount Rigi on the right)

 

Below is Rotkreuz where we started our hike, and in the back on the lake is the city of Zug

This tree is 500 years old, and the oldest tree in the Rontal Valley

 

Heading South along Mount Rooterberg, another glimpse of Lake Zug, Mount Rigi, and the villages of Immensee and Küssnacht at the base of Mount Rigi

We decided to head West so we could descend into the Rontal Valley instead of the Lake Zug side. Here we ran into some snow....

 

Glimpse of the town of Root on the Reuss River. This is the goal of our hike

Zoomed view of the church in Root

And it was on our descent that we saw the first snow-bells, a sure sign of Spring!

Enjoying a few minutes of sunshine on a bench just above the church in Root, before heading to the train station.

Root, Switzerland

 

In April 2017 we walked the green trail, this time the purple one from Rotkreuz to Root. Total 10 km, took us about 3 hours

In April 2017 we walked from Udligenswil to Buonas. This time from Rotkreuz to Root.

Winter Walk on our Local Mountain: Mount Zugerberg

Wednesday February 20, 2019 -- Lately we don't feel like traveling too far for our winter hikes, so we did something "unusual": We went up our local mountain for a 3-hour walk in the snowy landscape in the sunshine looking down on the city we live in.

We had never been up here in winter before, but less than two weeks ago we got loads of snow, which is unusual for here, so we figured just once at least, we should see what this upper moor looks like in winter. As pretty as it was, we were already too late for good winter conditions, as the walking trails were already soft and in places slippery (melting during the day, freezing at night) and the roads were dry. For a bit of "excitement", we found an official though narrow winter trail through the woods, which turned out to be really slippery for our hiking boots!

On a very clear day you can see far into the Alps from here, but for us it the day unfortunately turned hazy.

All told, the round tour back to the funicular station was 11 km. We had lunch on the sunny terrace at about the half-way point... unfortunately overpriced for what we got, and once again unlucky with chain smokers nearby.

But lots of sunshine, and a short trip back home.....

You take the funicular to get up to the top of Mount Zugerberg

 

There are some nice views from up here, but you can see the snow has melted quite a bit already.

Observing where we live (red arrow) and the field where the National Wrestling Championships are going to take place in August of this year. Just 600m away. 350,000 people are expected....

The place for the arena (which will hold 56,000 people) has already been marked.

The snow was already soft, but it was sunny and pleasant, almost too warm.

When the air is clear, you can see all the way to the Glarner Alps in the East

This upper plateau is actually a moor landscape

We peeked into a barn and wondered what the black thing was. Cow poop?....

No, it was this little guy!

Looking westward across the plateau toward Mount Rigi (on the other side of Lake Zug) and Mount Pilatus near Lucerne

Eating lunch on the sunny terrace at the Pfaffenboden restaurant at the half-way point of our walk 

An Alphorn player

Returning past the little chapel called "Buschenchäppeli"

The main road back was all asphalt, so we took a lesser-used trail through the woods. It was a little slippery, but more interesting

Up here are several interactive stations for children, this one shows the different sounds made by different type of wood

VIDEO: A little bit of fun with the wooden chimes...

This hike also ended up to be about 10 km and took us 3 hours to walk

Goldach Water Trail from Untereggen to Horn on Lake Constance

Sunday February 17, 2019 -- We were invited to visit friends who live in Arbon on Lake Constance (Northeastern Switzerland), so being as the weather has been so wonderful lately and the area near the lake is first to be snow-free, we wanted to do a walk before our visit, and so we studied webcams and maps to find a suitable hike of the kind we prefer: Through meadows and forests and farms and along streams, interspersed with asphalt if necessary.....

In the Internet we found a description for a 7-km walk at low elevations (from Untereggen near St.Gallen to Horn on Lake Constance) that had as a theme all kinds of things to do with water, from something called Kneipp Therapy (alternating hot and cold water), to various mills, a fish ladder, and a walk along the Goldach stream. 

Even though the snowy mountain landscapes that we experience in winter are stunning, this little "walk" was so much more our style. Little villages to discover, cows to greet, lots of variety and something new around each bend, and colours other than white....

Often when we come back from a hike we also learn of things we missed. For example, on this particular hike, not far off the trail, is something called an earth glacier, which I have never heard of before. A section of ground (in this case 600m long and 200m wide) gets worked on by the water and shifts and moves at 2 to 8 m per year. Over decades the area fills with leaves and dirt, and shifts and changes, and like regular glaciers forms clefts up to 2 meters in depth, where frogs breed and hide. Trails and bridges along the way have to be repaired regularly as a result. 

We plan another trip in summer, now that we know this exists....

The Goldach Water Trail starts in the village of Untereggen with a Kneipp-Therapy. Well, we pretended.

So nice to walk through farmland again! We are heading North. In the background is Lake Constance (Bodensee)

Looking back at the village of Untereggen where we started our walk.

Sure sign of spring, when cats sun themselves on the window sills

The cows on this farm contribute to the fabrication of the delicious Appenzell Cheese!

Here was the start of the Earth Glacier. We didn't have time to explore it, so will come back in summer some time.

Walking along the Goldach stream, we passed under both this freeway bridge and a railway bridge

This house was kind of cool, seems to have been converted into apartments

Up ahead is the railway bridge

Passing under the railway bridge

I totally didn't see the "Fish Ladder", but this canal creates a waterway around the mill up ahead, where the trout from Lake Constance can move upriver to spawn.

This canal is part of the Fish Ladder that allows the Bodensee trout to come upstream to spawn

 

Always love a wooden bridge

A little to the West up on a hill is a Capuchin Women's Monastery, called St. Scholastika

The Goldach stream shortly before it enters Lake Constance. There is an additional stretch along this canal which you can walk barefoot in summer.

Another view of the Monastery

7 km from Untereggen to Horn on Lake Constance

Our little 7 km walk took place in the NE corner of Switzerland