What you didn't want to know about TD...in 10 words or less: and now, the rest of the story

I am not a good mountain hiker

First off, the mountains in Switzerland are stunning. Even on an overcast day, it is hard to not be impressed.
We (nephew Mike and his sons Ben and Michael and me) took a gondola ride up to a small alpine community. Lots of homes, a church, a couple of restaurants....very quaint and pretty community. No cars...because there is no road there.
We enjoyed the view of a small lake then began the trek to the hut.
At first, the climb was steep, but fairly easy. It kept steep, but got harder because the footing became a little trickier.

We started at the lake .....way down below!

This was listed as a 2 hour hike up. But the time estimate was based on people who have actually hiked and are physically fit....not a 66 year old from Illinois who thinks a 30 foot rise in the road is a hill.
At about the 2 hour point, when we were taking yet another break for someone to catch his breath, a hiker passed and said hello in English. I asked him how far the hut was and he said, "Oh....about an hour and a half."
I had thought if the hike proved too tough, I would just turn around, go back, find a hotel and spend the night. But at the 2 hour point, that did not seem realistic. Funny thing is, I thought we were making great time!
So we trudged on. Well not we, exactly, I trudged. They hiked.
The vistas were beautiful. You could stop and hear the waterfalls across the valley as they crashed down the sides of the mountain. I was glad it was the waterfalls crashing down and not me.
And the hiker was right. At about the 3 and a half hour point, we hit the trail marker which gave directions and times. The hut was a 25 minute hike. (However, the guide book says it's only 15.)
You could see it from the trail marker. 25 minutes. Nearly straight up. Over rock. The hut moving in and out of the mist.
I believe I said, "Holy crap!! That's the hut??" Which made the boys laugh like crazy. I think they repeated that several times, breaking up each time they said it.

Holy crap! Is that the hut?? Red strip on white field marks the route.

Forty (40) minutes later, the boys had clambered up the final steps are were waiting for Uncle Terry, who was slowly picking his way up the rocky path.
It was an amazing view.
After resting for a few minutes and checking to see that I still had a heart, we went into the hut.
Now folks, it wasn't what I was expecting.
We stepped into a big open room with shelving for shoes, because you could not wear hiking shoes into the sleeping areas. So we were given some crocks.
And there must have been close to 70 other hikers there!
Our room was big enough for a set of bunk beds and a small window. No straw bedding, but a thin mattress and a comfy duvet plus a pillow.

Just follow the marks!!!

We arrived in time for dinner, which is served at 6:30. It is family style, and we sat with 6 strangers at a big table. They were not strangers for long. All of them spoke English, even though they were all native Swiss.
And I may have fallen in love with one girl, who, along with her dad, had taken the harder route up. She was 4.
I looked around and realized the oldest person in the hut, and the youngest, were sitting at the same table.
Food was family style. A huge pot of beef broth with shaved pumpkin and carrots was brought out and bowls passed around, filled, and passed back.
And because water was scarce, the soup bowl became the salad bowl which became the meat and potatoes bowl.
The attractive woman across from me served salads. When the plate of mashed potatoes came, she served those and I served the boiled beef chunks and gravy.

Ready for our first hut meal!!

The man and woman next to me were going rock climbing on Sunday. She was a doctor, and when Mike mentioned I had had a heart attack, she asked me if I remembered my nitro pills. I assured her it was OK, but I was touched by her concern.
The father of the 4 year old lived near Mike and they seemed to discover they had a mutual acquaintance.
After the meal we bussed the dishes, and enjoyed a vanilla and chocolate mousse. (Ben did not like his, but I did!) Then I wiped the table down and decided to go outside to look at darkness.
Seriously, I was looking forward to that! We don't get to see dark very often, especially in our homes, with all the electronics, ambient lights, street lights.....but it was raining by then, and it was a cold rain.
Back inside, groups had gotten out games, or books, or were just sitting around the tables talking.
This hut had two different types of rooms... private and sleeping. We had a private. Across the hall were some sleeping rooms, which were long platforms that held 8 people. I don't know if they were separated by sex. I am glad Mike got the private room.
Communal bathrooms were downstairs....no showers, no hot water.
Everything was clean.
Friends, I don't remember the last time I went to bed at 8:15......but I was one tired puppy!
I'll finish my tale tomorrow!