 |
Day 3
Lech to Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Wednesday, August 3, 2005
Distance: 82.0 (175.3)
Elevation Climbed: 481 m (1571 m)
|
View Daily Picture Slideshow |
Day 3 - Lech to Vaduz, LiechtensteinWe awoke to a mist and after a delicious breakfast at our hotel we decided to push our start time back an hour, hoping to wait out the rain. An hour came and went and we decided to take off despite the poor weather.Right away, we started climbing Flexenpass (1773m, 5816 ft), the first pass of the tour. We ascended into the clouds and fog, to the highest point we had yet to climb to. The effort warmed us up on a rather chilly morning. On the long way down we followed a switchback road, a task made somewhat more difficult by the low visibility and fact that wet brakes are not as effective. We could see only 35 feet in front of us, preventing us from seeing how many more switchbacks we had to descend to get to the bottom. A downside for many riders were the several long, noisy, wet and poorly lit (sometimes very dark) tunnels that came our way. A small sidewalk gave little reprieve from the semis and cars whizzing by, and most of us were just happy to get to that light at the end of the tunnel. By the time we reached the bottom of the pass, our group was quite fragmented. We were presented with a choice of how to reach our lunchtime destination. taking a rather busy road that looked direct, or traveling a quieter road. Others took the inadvertant option of simply getting lost. There were some standout solo riding stories of the day. Ken, hoping to avoid one of the long tunnels, wound up taking a road that led him to barbed wire, a vain attempt to pass over it, and an unfortunate doubling back. Laura wound up on the Expressway where bikes (and unis) are strictly forbidden, and after realizing that the cars honking at her weren't just being friendly, she called for help after a scary tunnel and got a ride to the next town with a friendly construction worker. John and Scot were not quite as lucky with their accidental trip on the highway. Scot was screamed at by a furious policeman to get to the right, meaning the bike path that was invisible at that point. John, riding not far behind, was actually pulled over by the same cop who made every effort to intimidate him with his partner for the next 15 minutes. "This is not good," he kept saying, and went searching for a long time in a large book kept in the trunk of his car. At length, the slightly nicer cop returned John's ID and sent him away with much fear and trepidation, though no fine or prison sentence. Early in the day, some had questioned the possibility of making it to the end through cold wind and rain. Despite the sowveetter (literally 'pig weather' in German) everyone finished, and were treated to a delicious and well-deserved meal in Schaan-Vaduz. Quotes: "Everyone in Bludenz was saying ciao." -Joe, observing the locals in the previous town "They must make dog food." -Andy "We rode up into the clouds. Usually they are cool. Today they SUCK." -Joe "The guys had guns. I didn't want to mess with them." -Bronson, crossing the boarder into Liechtenstein "This is the Autobahn!" -Scot, in a German accent, repeating a comment from a passing driver "Did you have lunch today?" -Nathan "Yeah. A few times." -Ken "I've had pretty many guardian angels in my life, and I'm pretty sure the guy who told me to get off the Autobahn was one." -Scot "I thought it might be hell, but I knew it couldn't have been because cars don't come out of hell. If it was I could have gotten a ride out of it." -Andy, after a very long, nosiy descending tunnel "The whole experience of going downhill with the pounding rain and having your brake hardly work, that's the epic experience." -Beau "This is great. your whole country, you can have a lifesize map." -Andy, referring to tiny Liechtenstein "We don't have bathrooms in the room." -Scot "We do now." John, remarking on the less than savory postride odor of the group room. |
Move your mouse over the images for a pop-up caption. Click on the image for a larger picture. Created: August 4, 2005 10:14
|