St. Antonien - An Alpine Hike

Everyone in the village told us that there was a special place nearby that we
should hike to.  Lake Partnunsee.  We started out in the car and quickly became lost.
In fact, by the time we were sure we were lost, the road had narrowed to barely the width
of our tires, with steep inclines on one side and very steep drops on the other. 
One of the reasons we didn't want to concede being lost was because turning around
on this "road" seemed liked a death wish.  A sign indicating we were on a bike trail soon
allowed reality to dictate our actions.  I briefly considered backing down the winding mountain trail, but then decided that a 200 point turn was the only real option!  The boys, not knowing their lives were in danger, were super excited and enthusiastic about this daring feat.  
Their noise and chatter was not helping my concentration so at one point I said, 
"Hey boys, please keep it down while I concentrate unless you see I'm going off the mountain."
A few moments later, I heard The Optimist calmly say, "Um Mom...we are"
Grandma looked out and confirmed that we were inches from our back wheel heading down the valley to Austria!  We braked and paused for a quick chuckle - though theirs was in delight and mine was more like, "oh good we're still alive and now I'm sweating."
I would love to show pictorial proof of this escapade, but it was one of the few times I didn't
think to say, "Hey everyone, let's take a picture!"

With the help of a few locals, we finally found the correct road, parked our car,
 and began our hike.  What a view!


... and what a destination.  There were even small row boats there to enjoy.





Our day got even better when we made it back to the main trail and discovered a small stand of scooter bikes!  An awesome adventure provided all on the honor system.  
Pick a bike, grab a helmut out of the bin, drop your money in a box, and off you go!
The best reward for hiking up a mountain?  
With the right mix of bravery, brakes, and balance, you can cruise all the way down!




... and return your scooter in the village below.







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