Goodnow Mountain

Frankie and I had been thwarted on a previous attempt at Goodnow, when the trail and fire tower were both closed due to active maintenance - meteorological equipment was being replaced on the tower, and there were safety concerns about falling objects.  So today was a little bit of redemption, the views that much sweeter for having to wait.  We did this as a day trip, driving up to Newcomb, hiking, then driving back home.  That's a long day, with more time in the car than hiking, but it was totally worth it to scratch this lingering itch.  And the views here really are fantastic!

Jones Hill & Tinker Falls

This was our first weekend home after returning from Europe, and Frankie and I wanted to meet up with Erin and Alden.  Alden is about the same age Frankie was when he first climbed up to the hang glider launch spot on Jones Hill, so I suggested that.  Labrador Hollow is a substantially longer drive from Erin's house than from mine, so she drove to our house and then rode with Frankie and I the rest of the way.  I was last up here in January 2018, so was pleased to return after such a long absence.  Jones Hill is a hike worth revisiting again and again.

Jungfraujoch to Mönchsjochhütte

We needed a break from the unrelenting heat, and decided a trip to the "Top of Europe" might be just the ticket.  This is a very popular and very expensive activity.  We booked our tickets at the tourism office in Lauterbrunnen, where the staff is very patient and helpful, and selected an early morning departure.  There is a lot to see at Jungfraujoch, both inside and out, and just getting there is quite the journey.  The train ride is about an hour and a half in each direction, including a transfer to a different train at Kleine Scheidegg.  I absolutely love trains, so the entire journey was very exciting for me.

First > Bachalpsee > Waldspitz > Bort Traverse

We arrived in Europe in the midst of a massive heat wave that would unfortunately last the entire duration of our trip.  The only time the temperature did not hit the 90s was our last day in Zurich before flying home.  When we were staying in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, it was close to 100 degrees every single day.  This was crushing for me, as we had to scale back some of our planned adventures.  For example, I had been hoping to hike from Schynige Platte to First, a high alpine route with spectacular view that would start with a 19th-century cogwheel train ride and end with a gondola ride.  However, that hike is 10 miles with 2,700 feet elevation gain and not a speck of shade.  It seemed like a lot to ask of an 8-year old on a 98-degree day.  So I did some research and found a shorter route that would still take us to the stunning alpine lake, Bachalpsee, but would be less likely to result in heat stroke.

Furstin-Gina-Weg via Berggasthaus Sareis

We planned this trip after randomly finding a good deal on flights to Zurich, and impulsively purchasing them -- last summer.  The Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland and the Alsace region in France were quickly penciled in as our main destinations, but I lobbied hard to include a stop in Liechtenstein.  Erwin was skeptical at first.  Several otherwise reputable travel bloggers have written that there is little to do there, and he wasn't interested in visiting just to check another country off a list.  Well...that wasn't what I wanted either!  I wanted to hike the Furtin-Gina-Weg.  So I sent him some links, which he skimmed over.  He was intrigued enough to do some further research of his own, which involved watching some youtube videos, and then he was fully on board.  I then moved on to phase 2 in my (obviously successful) campaign: an overnight stay at a mountain hut.  By September 2018, I had booked us a family room at the Berggasthaus Sareis for the very first night of our trip.  

FLT/NCT: Shindagin Hollow State Forest from Ridgeway Road

Continuing my westward exploration of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), this would be my last new section of trail partially within Shindagin Hollow State Forest.  On my last hike here, I had turned back at the top of Braley Hill, not at a road crossing.  Today I parked at the trailhead on Ridgeway Road and hiked east until I reached the trail junction on the top of Braley Hill, then re-traced my steps the way I came.  Much of the hike was through private property; only the eastern extent lies within State Forest lands.  I am so grateful to the landowners who so kindly allow these hiking easements.  The trailhead on Ridgeway Road is right off someone's driveway.  What gracious folks!

NCT: Emhoff Road to Clark Road

For this hike, I parked at the Emhoff Road crossing, and Frankie and I hiked south to Clark Road and back.  This section of the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) follows the Link Trail, which takes its name because it connects the Finger Lakes Trail and the Erie Canal Trail.  I had offered Frankie several hikes to choose from and this was his selection for today.  He had hiked the adjacent section to the north in October 2016, and the section to the south into Cazenovia for dinner with Erwin last November.  So this hike filled a gap for him (I had hiked it previously by myself).  It was overcast and I carried our raincoats, but we never needed them.