Braunwald (8/16/1981)

Sunday, August 16, 1981

I awoke at 5:00, straightened myself up, thanked God, and left for the train station. I was a bit spooked by the large moon which didn’t seem to have moved very much since 23:30 last night. I wondered if only an hour had passed instead of five! At the train station I retrieved the cuckoo clock and waited with a lot of other people for the 5:33 train to Zürich. I sat in a Bern-Lötschberg-Simplon (BLS) coach, very modern with freezing air-conditioning. In Bern I changed to the 6:46 train to Biel, arriving at 7:10. Hiked up to the Personalhaus/staff residence to shower and change.

Since I had already used a day pass from Interlaken to Biel today, I decided to keep traveling on that pass. After a good breakfast, I returned to the train station to catch the 9:13 to Zürich. Past Olten I saw the Swiss cloud making machine (the steam from the nuclear power plant cooling tower), but the effect was not as dramatic since it was already cloudy. Arrived in Zürich at 11:00 and tried to buy a timetable from a vending machine only to have my 50 Rappen/centime/25 cent piece stolen. Took the 11:15 train headed for Ziegelbrücke and Chur. This train really zipped along the shore of Zürichsee/Lake Zürich where it was less hazy. Many people were swimming and boating. At Ziegelbrücke I changed to the 11:59 train to Linthal, which made its way slowly up a valley that reminded me of those in Italy approaching the Alps and Gran Paradiso National Park. Saw a couple spectacular waterfalls, and the Swiss chocolate brown cows. There were tiny summer barns on the hillsides, and people gathering cut grass for fodder. The towns were more Swiss with the dominant church steeple in each one.

Glarus Valley between Ziegelbrücke & Linthal

Wispy clouds floated past the mountain peaks; a very scenic ride. Arriving in Linthal at 13:15, I followed a large group of women with their backpacks, wearing pedal pushers and hiking boots, to the Braunwaldbahn/Brown Forest Railway station. Bought a half-price ticket for about 4.80 CHF/$2.40.
This funicular was similar to the Harderkulmbahn, but it was more crowded and everyone had to stand. I had to stretch to reach a strap hanging from the ceiling, and then just swung and swayed, bumping into fellow passengers. It also passed through a tunnel on its way up to the resort town of Braunwald, catering to both summer hikers and winter skiers.

Braunwald valley

Surrounding mountains

I had read in a weekly Swiss magazine that Braunwald was known for the cultivation of roses, which was unusual for this altitude of 1300-1900m/4265-6233’.  I saw only a couple of patches of rosebushes, and they were mostly pruned bare.

Roses

Garden

New chalets

Unidentified building

Swiss farmhouse

More chalets

I hiked on several paths in different directions out of Braunwald. The trails were marked with different colors according to degree of difficulty.
I passed close to Swiss chocolate brown cows and farms. I walked under the Gondelbahn/aerial cable car to Grotzenbüel.

Aerial cable car

Aerial cable car gondola

There was also a Sesselbahn/chair lift to Gumen.

Chair lift

Swiss chocolate brown cows

Braunwald Bahn

I left Braunwald about 14:30 to return to Linthal. Wandered through town, passing a couple old men on bikes carrying wooden rakes, who said “grützi,” the local dialect for Bernese “grüssa.” Later saw them raking the cut grass along the river. Saw the Römisch-katholische Kirche/Roman Catholic Church of Linthal (1905-6 by August Hardegger).

Roman Catholic Church in Linthal

Returned to the station for the 15:50 train to Ziegelbrücke, then changed again for Zürich. In Zürich I saw the same crazy guys in leather jackets who got off the train with me in Biel this morning. Other people were giving them a wide berth.

Caught the 18:14 train to Biel, arriving at 19:45. Walking through the old town, I saw the remains of a flea market. There were amusement rides and arcade games. The food stalls were very busy. I do not know what the occasion was.