Mortgage

Thanks to Anne Maria and Regis I have laundry cloths and good food in my belly.  Started out heading south and then I looked at my maps.  So I ended up going north east around the south end of Geneva.  I was going to head over some more hills but ended up saying in the valleys.  My home mortgage was going for closing so I wanted to be close to the internet connection encase I was needed.  I got a new mortgage taking two points off the old one.  Thanks Bill for signing my name to papers that indenture me for the next 30 years to the capitalist system.

5/31/2012

Cluses

50.6 miles, 6:37 minutes moving, Max Speed 37.0, Moving Average 7.6, 

 Stop Time 12.04, Overall Average Speed 2.7,   Start8:30 and 19:00  Accent 1742 Feet  Some thunderheads but no rain.

Love & Kisses

Steve

Geneva

Regis offer to drive me into Geneva.  This was different after riding the bike everywhere.  It would be good to get some walking in.  As I walked through Geneva I remember why I liked my bike so much.  A mile was 15 minutes instead of 4 minutes.  Apple replaced my iPod touch for $100 as it had impact modifications, but was still running.  Then I was checking out travel book shops.  I ended up buying tape to keep blisters from getting big on my feet.   I have two rolls of tape back on the bike which I have not needed.  This walking sucks compared to riding my bike, but I need to do more as I am out of shape for long hikes.   Camera did not make it into the backpack.  So no mileage and no pics.

5/30/12

Geneva

Love & Kisses

Steve

Riding fast

So Geneva is at that end.

A couple of slugs moved into the bedroll.  Took awhile removing slime trails.  There were rolling hills to ride through in the morning.  I had moved from chalet to chateaux country.  It was a quick 40 miles around Lac Lemon to Geneva.  After making an appointment at the apple store for my iPod, I was off to visit Maria Ann and Regis that I worked with in California. 

5/29/2012

Geneva

84.9 miles, 8:56 minutes moving, Max Speed 56.2???, Moving Average 9.5, 

 Stop Time 4:04, Overall Average Speed 6.5,   Start 6:00 and 18:30  Accent 2274 Feet  Clear and hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Oh it is a Holiday

Eiger

Yes it is done with mirrors

With a dawn start it was a bit cool on the ride into Grindelwald.  Got my croissant fix and coasted into Interloken.  In Interloken I thought about picking up a sandwich for later.  I did not, which was a bad move as I found out as I went through town after town that it was a holiday and everything was closed.  The bike route got a little to scenic for me so I took the main road.  In one campground I tried they were charging 33% tax on top of the high fee.  I rode on.  Night came on and I found a mountain bike trail that had a nice forest to camp in.

5/28/2012

Bulle

86.3 miles, 11:22 minutes moving, Max Speed 35.2, Moving Average 8.5, 

 Stop Time 5:35, Overall Average Speed 5.7,   Start 06:00 and 24:00  Accent 4830 Feet  Nice day

Love & Kisses

Steve

Yes you must go down to get to the other side.

Glad I could go around .... Wrong

I was on the other side

So why are the passes closed

Started the day with a short trip into town where I found internet, a plug off the back of the local facilities, and a park bench just in reach of the plug.  Sorry no picture, Dave.  So after spending sometime updating my blog, I headed up the hill.  Found a sign warning it was a 14% grade.  At the top I was happy I did not drop into the town below as the road stayed near the top.   I was wrong I wanted to drop straight down and up the other side.  I could have grab a lift in the gondola to the top of the water fall, but I took the road up and up.  As night approached I found a nice camp near the top of the pass. 

5/27/2012

Grosse Scheidegg

20.4 miles, 4:19 minutes moving, Max Speed 25.0, Moving Average 4.7, 

 Stop Time 3:25, Overall Average Speed 2.6,   Start 10:30 and 21:30  Accent 4445 Feet  Low clouds in morning with partly cloudy in the evening with thunder on the pass. 

Love & Kisses

Steve

Trip around Lake Luzern

So I was faced with a choice of going 4k through a very active tunnel or going a bit longer way around the lake.  I went for the longer way.  Nice ride around the lake.  In Luzern I did not try to ride across their fame foot bridge as there might be a local with the tourist jumping to get out of my way.  When I met up with the other route found it was only 36k to my 56 miles taking the other way around.  I did not feel converting the 36k to miles would make me happy.  Road a bit more to find a camp ground.

5/26/2012

Lungern

70.1 miles, 7:54 minutes moving, Max Speed 47.1, Moving Average 8.9, 

 Stop Time 3:45, Overall Average Speed 6.0,   Start 09:30 and 21:00  Accent 2821 Feet  Another sunny day

Love & Kisses

Steve

Oberalpass

So just need to get to the base of that mountain

Fun ride ahead

I'll take the old road

I started up the pass with it hot and me hoping for a breeze.  Having not specifying the direction of the breeze it kept changing when I finally got the breeze half way up the pass, cooling my wet tee shirt.  At the top there was snow at Oberalpass.  Then I hit the tunnel that was a couple of kilometer and like an ice box.  You would think it was covered with snow.  Okay it was covered in snow.  It was a nice ride down into Andermatt.  There I found out the next pass was closed.  My second choice was also close.  And if I made it around then the pass after that was closed.  So I could go back to Italy or head into the center of Switzerland.  I went for the center.  With a quick ride down the canyon I then realized that the base of the mountain I was headed for was half way.  So I found campground at around 10. 

5/25/2012

Altdorf

59.7 miles, 7:46 minutes moving, Max Speed 33.2, Moving Average 7.6, 

 Stop Time 4:07, Overall Average Speed 5.0,   Start 10:30 and 22:00, Accent 4279 Feet, Sunny day.

Love & Kisses

Steve