Bad Ischl to Strobl

Today was our longest day hiking on this trip and probably the hardest on us. 16.2 km, (our fitbits say just over 20km) our Headwater instructions don't give altitude gained so we will just say lots of altitude which turned into lots of attitude by the end of our day on both our parts. We didn't climb but we did descend. Leaving our hotel in Bad Ischl we walked to the bottom of the Katrin cable car. The instructions say it's a 15 min walk but as we are finding there are differences of opinion as to how far a person can walk in an hour. Anyway it took us 35 min. Lots of other folks at the bottom but it turned out they were hiking up (it's like the Grouse Grind) under the cable car. We took the cable car up 1400m above sea level. It takes 30 minutes going up that way, seems very high. You arrive at the cable car terminal with the Berggasthof Restaurant on the other side. 

One could then climb to the peak of Katrin which is another 30 min. up on fixed ropes but labeled suitable for families. We have noticed that the average Austrian familiy seems much more gung-ho than the average Canadian family. We passed a family going off from the top on same trail as us with grandparents, mum and dad, 3 yr old and dad carrying very new baby in a snugly. Then another couple of middle age gals out on the trail, one with crutches and just holding onto shoulder of the other in front. Trail hiking and mountain hiking seem to be just a part of their everyday lives here. We've also often see seniors with walkers out for strolls along quiet back roads. 

Our way down was a trail that drops down from the restaurant and circles around the mountain, coming back under the cable car and then switch backing down to the next valley. The walk listed at 2 1/2 hrs took us 3 3/4hrs. The first part was fun and challenging - had to keep our eyes on where we put each step.

But then it turned into a forestry road through the trees with only a few views so we found it long and boring and no Gasthof for a coffee or hot chocolate anywhere in sight. Although benches were plentiful at the beginning of the hike once we passed a fork in the trail there was only one more bench, right under the cable car, so we sat there to eat our lunch and got to wave at every one passing overhead.

At a look out a bit earlier Wendy had "chatted" with an Austrian man with no common words. She asked "Can all Austrians yodel?". He just laughed but then as we started down the trail he yodelled a few lines for her, not professional, but we thought it was very cool!

These were the kind of woods we were in and so it was a treat to see Lake Nussensee because then we could find ourselves on the map. Also could see Wolfgangsee (lake) in the distance. We will be there on Monday.

We were both starting to feel very flat footed after passing the lake - you don't actually see it again after the first view. We could have gone down another road to view lake but then we would have had to return on same road. After hiking all day, one step further than necessary is too much. The gravel forestry road turned into a secondary hardtop road until main highway which we crossed over then down another path for 2 hours. This was very pleasant but by then we did not appreciate the beauty of the area; we just wanted to see our hotel around the next corner. 

Just when one of us was ready to quit hiking for ever, as we were emerging from some woods we met a young fellow who spoke to us in Austrian. When we said we only knew English, he switched into perfect English to ask us if we had seen a very small cow. (This is actually a question in the duolingo German lessons Wendy had been doing - but it didn't help to understand him!!) 

I said no and I was sure I would have noticed. He told us the mum cow was very upset and howling and he thought the baby had got under the electric fence. He went on into the woods as we followed the trail out at the top of his field where his young son was waiting for him. The mother cow was pacing up and down the fence mooing loudly. The farmer found the 2 day old baby calf asleep in the woods, so he roused him and pushed him back up the hill and under the face. The mum cow was so happy she cornered him and kept him beside her. The rest of the herd all gathered around too.  It was such a neat scene to watch unfold. The farmer told us that had never happened before in his herd of 11 black angus cows. He was quite amazed when he asked if we are from England and when we answered Canada he just said - wow, that far away? Must have seemed weird to him, 2 hikers just emerging on the trail by his farm, from around the world and not even speaking his language. But he taught us the word for cow, kuh (prononcer coo).

And before we knew it (and after hiking for 5 and 3/4 hrs) we arrived at our hotel, exhausted. After showers and Wendy coming back upstairs from the bar with a bottle of Austrian white wine and 2 wine glasses, everyone was happy. 

Our hotel for 2 nights. Tomorrow - Sunday is a rest day and we will be doing just that. Everything is closed on Sundays in this part of Austria.