Getting a little rocky

So as we continue to walk along the trail, it starts to become a little bit rocky.

Now mind you, we've only seen a few people in a couple of hours of walking. Then all of a sudden, look who shows up?


You go girl! That is maybe a 14-year old girl, out mountain biking over this remote, and need we say, quite steep and rocky trail. OMG!

I suspect she is practicing, because if you can believe it, we saw signs for a mountain bike race that will be held just after we finish our vacation.

Right here, on these trails. These people are crazy ;-)

Where are we headed?

So this trail just keeps on going.


Sure is beautiful. Not a bad place to be a cow I'd say.

Happy cows make yummy alpine cheese I hear. Though my parents can't let me taste it -- cheese is verboten on my diet.


Man, look at that. This trail is just like the energizer bunny ... it keeps going and going .... cut right into the side of the mountain.

Goat party

So we are walking along the trail, and what do we come across, but a goat party. Mom picked me up to make sure I didn't get too aggressive with the critters.


Ah, Alpha, we could use your help. Maybe you should stop taking pictures now. I'm getting a little scared.


Oh yeah, and the goats are blocking the exit gate that will let us out of here. Help!

So yes, Alpha finally did stop taking pictures and help with the gate. Wowie, that was a little more close-up and personal than I had in mind.


Yeah, up close, like that. Bye-bye, Mr. Goat.

Another day, another adventure

This time we decided to take the Falferalp (cable car) back up to the Lötschental Höhenweg, but this time head in the other direction -- further down the valley, to see what we might see.

As you can see, it was a sunny day, so Mom donned her knew hi-tech sun hat.


And I concur it was really pretty hot (at least when there was no shade).


This shows you where we are headed. All the way down in that valley there is a dam collecting glacial melt. Maybe we'll get to see it up close.


But for now, it's time for a nice cooling drink from one of those glacial runoff streams. Yummy.

Are we done yet?

Are we done yet guys? I'm getting a little hot and tired.


Apparently we are not done yet. Alpha still has some showing off to do (jeez).

Trail Marker

We took a relatively unused path back down to our hotel. So we had to keep our eyes open for the trail markers.

Can you find the trail marker in this photo? Hint: it's not as cute as moi (hee, hee)


That there is Blatten, Switzerland, where Hotel Eldelweiss is located, and where we are staying.


It turned out to be a pretty steep decent off the Lötschental Höhenweg, with some switchbacks. But we made it ;-)

The other end of the valley

Just so you know, this place is beautiful in all directions.

Here we are heading back to our hotel, and looking down the Lötschental (Lötschen Valley). That's why you don't see the snow at the end -- the glacier is "up" the valley.

But any way you look, this place is beautiful.

Now that's a cool lake

This is Schwarzsee (literally "Black lake"), though it looks much prettier than that. And it is at about 2000m altitude on the Lötschental Höhenweg. Really cool when you come upon it during your hike.

Oh yeah, and here's a rare family photo with both Mom and Alpha together (and moi of course ... alway moi)


Here Alpha decides to sit on the flat rock and take in the serenity of the lake. Personally, I think he was trying to meditate (hee, hee)


But he finally throws in the towel. After all, we got more hiking to do and pictures to take (surprise!)


Well at least he got a nice one of Mom and moi at the lake.

Beautiful walk continues

Man, would you look at those views? This is really a cool place to hike.

But Alpha, I just have one question ...


Exactly how far are we going? Huh?

Frito or Lassie?

So, do you think I look like one of my doggie hero's -- Lassie?


Or maybe I just look hungry (hee, hee)


Poor Alpha. The things he will do for a neat photograph.

Alpha, doncha know I will look good no matter what you do?

Oh, and by the way folks ...

Sorry I've been away from Frito-a-Day for a while. Hey, please understand, we've been on vacation ;-)

But never fear, earlier posts have been posted.

Rock Poses

Hey Alpha? It is really necessary to physically pose me up on rocks for a picture?


Woah -- this one is a slanted rock, and I'm just about ready to fall off.

Come on Alpha, give us a break OK?

We're back in Switzerland

OK, so maybe we're a little boring, but we decided to vacation back in Blatten, Switzerland.


Hey, check out that glacier -- it's really cool here. Here we are on our first hike. We decided to walk the reverse path from last time, which means we are actually walking *up* the valley and the mountain.


When it's so beautiful, it makes it easier heading up hill ;-)

Hippos and Frito

Uh-oh. Two of Mom's favorite things -- Hippos and Frito.

Who will she choose?

Well, perhaps the fact that the Hippos are permanently attached to the ground gives me a small advantage (hee, hee)

Now it's *my* turn for a walk

So Alpha got to run earlier today, but what about me? There's a nice lake close to the hotel (called Wießensee Lake), so my parents took me there for *my* walk.

Kinda funny though, they drove down the hill to the lake so that Alpha didn't have to walk down hill (legs too sore, hee, hee)


It was a pretty long walk all the way around, but really cool how the trail hugged the water's edge.


Now check that out -- what a cool rock "tunnel".


Ouch. That must have been hard for Alpha's quads to bend down like that. (hee, hee)


But yeah, we all made it. Way to go Mom. OK, let's head back to the hotel. We need to get ready to head back to Switzerland.

Oh yeah, and to get a massage for Alpha (hee, hee).

Marathon Dog

Say hi to the Marathon Dog.

Who? Moi? Nah, I just got to wear Alpha's medal when he (finally ;-) got home.

No, this time, Alpha's the marathon dog. As in dog-tired and dog-slow (hee, hee)


Here was Alpha at the beginning of the Königsschlösser Romantik Marathon in Füssen, Germany.

Doesn't he look so happy? If only he knew ...


So here is his first rude awakening.

Of course, you want to keep your running shoes dry -- after all, you'll be in them for 26.2 miles.

And this was at mile 5!


Oops. That would be rude awakening #2.

What the heck -- they are already wet, right?


OK, now we have a different rude awakening. That's right, Alpha had been in front of the 4:00 hour pacemaker.

But ... not any more!

He never saw that dude again ... ever ;-)


Oh look -- more water!

So this time they run a water pump and put in planks to run on.

How thoughtful (hee, hee).


Well, do you know what this all means?

It means it is time for some more photos. If you can't run fast, you might as well enjoy the views.

Oh yeah, that and the lack of adequate training and dead-tired legs.


And that view, my friends, is why we run. Beautiful church with Neuschwanstein Castle in the background.

Awesome. And Alpha at least finished the race. Just don't ask him for his time (hee, hee).

No pictures of Alpha racing you say? Well, right you are. So here are some additions from the photographers along the course:


Oh Alpha. Glad to see you really made it!

Where's Charlie?

Say hi to this loud family of rug rats. Maybe you can see them all barking their fool heads off. Oh wait, they look just like moi ;-)


Well here's the reason they are worked up into a frenzy. Ya see, that's Charlie, and he's terrorizing me.

And guess what, Charlie is the father of all those rug rats.

Really, someone needs to learn some manners. They are all going to be terror-beasts.

Thank goodness I am such a good boy ;-) I would never bark at another doggie ;-)