Well, it has been a while since posting the last hike. Mainly because I spent a good amount of time figuring out how to continue these hikes, and then the +15 idea came to me from my new friend Andy and now, here we are.
Part I: Canton Schaffhausen (pronunciation)
Schaffhausen is the 12th canton to join the federation in the year 1501. It is an interestingly placed canton located at the very top of Switzerland. As you can see from the image below, it is almost completely surrounded by Germany, with just a very small portion located at the northern side of Canton Zurich.
There is a total population of 76,356 residents of Schaffhausen. Not one of the largest cantons, nor does it have the largest mountains in Switzerland, but it does have it's own beauty.
One of the most famous parts of Schaffhausen is that it is is home to the Rhine Falls, the largest plain waterfall in all of Europe. The views of the falls are amazing, and while they may not seem to be massive in size, they are quite beautiful.
The Rhine Falls are located on the Upper Rhine river, which, of course, is part of the Rhine. Just before the falls, there was a spot where I could look out over the water, and it was just beautiful. The water is extremely clear and I could see the fish facing up stream just holding their spot waiting for something to eat to come to them... it was really magnificent. Here is a picture from one of those spots.
While I did not take many pictures of the city, during lunch I looked out and saw the river and thought, it was just so beautiful and the homes on the other side, looked so amazing, it would be unfair to not share that moment here.
Part II: On to hiking
So, I learned, it doesn't matter if I have 12 hours, or 12 days to prepare, mapping out a hike is still a challenge for me. I knew where I wanted to go, and everything started out perfectly fine, but, when I came to a fork in the path, I took it... and yes, I took the wrong one.
Here is a picture of that spot. As you can see, there are three trails. I thought I was supposed to take the one on the left, my friend said we should have taken the one on the right, and ended up taking the one in the middle. I hope you enjoy the panoramic view. It was taken with five separate photos stitched together.
So, what was to be a 8k hike turned into a 6k hike. There was an elevation gain (all up front) of 965 feet, which made for a nice climb. And, while it was pretty hot out that day, almost all of the hike was in the woods, so it remained very cool, which made it pleasant.
The downside to woods hiking is that there are not many views. But, I did like the views within the woods. There was a small building, I am not sure what it could be used for, though, it was not the only one I passed on the hike.
Here is a view of the trees that were in the woods, and another view peeking out to where the hike started earlier. The weather was just perfect.
Of course, a hike would not be a hike in Switzerland without the wanderweg signs posted at all essential points (minus that fork in the path :) ).
Finally, once on the back side of the mountain, on the switchback there was an opening. At first, it looked like clouds in the distance, so I kept hiking and when I came to the next opening after the turn, I looked again and realized it was the alps way off in the distance. What a beautiful surprise. (sorry if you cannot see them very well)
Overall, Schaffhausen is a beautiful canton, and like all of the cantons visited so far, it has something special to offer. Each time I venture out into Switzerland, I find a reason to love it more than the previous trip.
Part I: Canton Schaffhausen (pronunciation)
Schaffhausen is the 12th canton to join the federation in the year 1501. It is an interestingly placed canton located at the very top of Switzerland. As you can see from the image below, it is almost completely surrounded by Germany, with just a very small portion located at the northern side of Canton Zurich.
image provided by wikipedia
There is a total population of 76,356 residents of Schaffhausen. Not one of the largest cantons, nor does it have the largest mountains in Switzerland, but it does have it's own beauty.
One of the most famous parts of Schaffhausen is that it is is home to the Rhine Falls, the largest plain waterfall in all of Europe. The views of the falls are amazing, and while they may not seem to be massive in size, they are quite beautiful.
The Rhine Falls are located on the Upper Rhine river, which, of course, is part of the Rhine. Just before the falls, there was a spot where I could look out over the water, and it was just beautiful. The water is extremely clear and I could see the fish facing up stream just holding their spot waiting for something to eat to come to them... it was really magnificent. Here is a picture from one of those spots.
While I did not take many pictures of the city, during lunch I looked out and saw the river and thought, it was just so beautiful and the homes on the other side, looked so amazing, it would be unfair to not share that moment here.
Part II: On to hiking
So, I learned, it doesn't matter if I have 12 hours, or 12 days to prepare, mapping out a hike is still a challenge for me. I knew where I wanted to go, and everything started out perfectly fine, but, when I came to a fork in the path, I took it... and yes, I took the wrong one.
Here is a picture of that spot. As you can see, there are three trails. I thought I was supposed to take the one on the left, my friend said we should have taken the one on the right, and ended up taking the one in the middle. I hope you enjoy the panoramic view. It was taken with five separate photos stitched together.
So, what was to be a 8k hike turned into a 6k hike. There was an elevation gain (all up front) of 965 feet, which made for a nice climb. And, while it was pretty hot out that day, almost all of the hike was in the woods, so it remained very cool, which made it pleasant.
The downside to woods hiking is that there are not many views. But, I did like the views within the woods. There was a small building, I am not sure what it could be used for, though, it was not the only one I passed on the hike.
Here is a view of the trees that were in the woods, and another view peeking out to where the hike started earlier. The weather was just perfect.
Of course, a hike would not be a hike in Switzerland without the wanderweg signs posted at all essential points (minus that fork in the path :) ).
Finally, once on the back side of the mountain, on the switchback there was an opening. At first, it looked like clouds in the distance, so I kept hiking and when I came to the next opening after the turn, I looked again and realized it was the alps way off in the distance. What a beautiful surprise. (sorry if you cannot see them very well)
Overall, Schaffhausen is a beautiful canton, and like all of the cantons visited so far, it has something special to offer. Each time I venture out into Switzerland, I find a reason to love it more than the previous trip.
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