Walk the plank

Shiver me timbers!  T'was a foggy morn in Riggenberg, Switzerland, ya land lubber.

Me Salty Alpha Dog was out for a run, so I decided to keep me one good eye on him.

What's this?  It's not a poopdeck. Ye better talk like a pirate or ye'll walk the plank, ye will!

OK, we're heading home now

Well, that awesome vacation had to come to a close at some point.

So we're headed home, or at least back to the hotel


So that wraps it up for one more of our Alpine hiking adventures in Switzerland.

I hope you liked all of the scenery.

Mom and Alpha say next year they might try the Italian alps.

That is, if they haven't gone bankrupt by then (hee, hee).

Would probably make things cheaper, anyway ;-)

Switzerland is really pricey these days.

There's the (receding) glacier

So there it is.

The Aletsch Glacier. It's really huge, but this is only a part of it. In fact, it's the largest glacier in the Alps.

And as you can perhaps tell, it's been receding for a while.

We didn't walk all the way to the end, for that would have been many more miles.


Boy, that sure is a beautiful trail.

I can't think of a prettier place to hike.


And what a beautiful Mom too.

And such an adventurer.


And as for Alpha ... well he's just a little strange ;-)

I wonder what's at the end of this trail?

Man, this is a long hike.

Are we going anywhere in particular?

I mean, what's at the end of this trail (and how much further is it)?


Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

A glacial pond and I got to get cooled off again.

This time straight for the grass -- who needs a towel.

So is there anything else cool up here?


Holy mackeral, there's a herd of cows up here.

And they seem to be a little territorial.

They are chasing Mom back down the trail.

Way to go Mom, thanks for creating a diversion for us!

We owe you one (hee, hee).

Is this the right trail?

There was a fork in the "road" back there.

We took the low road, but aren't entirely sure if we are on the right trail. Oops


Phew! This is the right trail.

Says so, right here.

Getting a little hot

So like I said, it's getting a little hot.

Being up at this elevation also means we feel the sun more (less atmosphere).

And I'm basically a solar collector on paws. So I can get really toasty.


So this looks like a good time for a watering hole.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Very refreshing.

Taking a break

It's pretty toasty out here, and we are doing a lot of hiking (OK, more like walking)

But we're between 1700-2000 meters elevation (up to around 6000 feet), so it's a little bit harder than just a stroll in the park.


So that's why we stop for a picnic every so often.

Allows everyone to grab a snack.

And I can get at least a brief respite in.

These guys are working my butt off!

Come on you guys, follow me

Isn't this a cool trail?

Right on the side of an Alpine hill, with wild flowers growing everywhere.

And off in the distance, more Alps and glaciers too!


I'm leading my pack.

Mom is close behind.

But Alpha? Who knows where that guy is.

Probably taking a picture somewhere ;-)

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

Yes, indeed. Alpha seems to be calendar-challenged. Alpha, last Thursday in November. It's Christmas that is always on the 25th. Anywho ...

Since Alpha is posting this so late, a day after Thanksgiving, we thought it would be appropriate to show you how thankful I can be.

First I'm thankful that I got dunked in cool glacial water when it was really hot outside.


Next I'm thankful that Alpha schlepped a towel for me on this hike so I would be able to go rollin', rollin', rollin'

'Cause nobody likes a grassy dog which would be the alternative ;-)


And finally, I'm showing you just how happy I can get.

Woopie!!!!

Let's go on an adventure -- c'mon

See how excited I look?

Well who wouldn't be -- check out that view!

I got to go on vacation to Switzerland again this summer with Mom and Alpha.

And if you can believe that slacker -- Alpha is only posting the pictures now.

Oh well, better late than never.

So keep tuning in to see all the cool views and places we get to go over the next few posts.

C'mon, let's go!

Scenic Stop

So here's one of our stops while driving through Switzerland. Wow. Let me show you all the landmarks (check out the peaks on this viewing table)


But hey, we're not ones to let a table go to waste. Let's use it to make lunch. Yummy.


I think we found a "Sound of Music" location. Those hills are just beautiful, don't you think Greg?