Austria

June 17 - July 14, 2009

June 26, 2009 - Guggenkögele: Guggenkögele Summit

A tradition in Austria is to have a cross at the top of each mountain peak. Many times the cross will have a stamp and a log book where visitors can put there name as proof that they made it to the summit. This way, visitors can have a motivating goal of trying to hike as many of the peaks as possible to collect the stamps and have bragging rights.

 
Rubby found a little black salamander along the path.

The lift in Westendorf is called the Alpine rose lift (Alpenrosenbahn), after these beautiful alpine roses that grow abundantly here.

As the clouds loosen up a bit we can look across to Gaisberg and in the distance is the Kitzbueheler Horn.

The happy country girl at the path to hike up to the peak of Guggenkögele.

Yay, we made it to the cross!

 
Pink pussytoes and some white flowers at the summit.

At 1886 m Sam sits down for a rest, poppa gets the logbook, and Christopher has a nap. This particular log book doubled as a geocache logbook. One of the tourists made a geocache here and by re-using the cross logbook they don't have to worry about cache maintenance. No trade items though.

Our logbook entry.

Samantha is all smiles after she's finished her snack... could you guess she had chocolate?

One last pose with the cross at the summit.

As the fog rolls in, we head back down.

Is that a bit of blue sky way over there?!

Constuction is not quite complete on the lift to Brixen. With the new lift, Westendorf will finally be completely attached to the Kaiser and Kitzbuehl ski areas.

Since the new lift is being built, they removed the old chair lift that used to go down here. This used to be one of the site of some downhill world cup races.

the sad sight of the old lift chairs.

 
Interesting rocks are revealed where the bulldozers have been digging.

So Rubby picked up the hammer and thought he might help build the fence!

A little mountain chapel.

Inside the chapel are the souvenir cards of people who have died, including one of Therese, who's little angel Christmas ornaments still adorn our Christmas tree every year.

One final glance back to the Guggenkögele cross.

<< Alpinolino - Part 1 | June 26 Intro | Alpinolino - Part 2 >>