Since the tracks for the Allmendhubel Funicular were just outside our window, we couldn't resist riding up and taking a look around our last afternoon, even though the reports were that the top was totally covered in fog.
We decided to come back down to Murren via the North Face Trail, a four mile trail through the pastures, cows and meadows of four farms (or "alps"- high-elevation summer stables). The fog was so thick we could only see one to two feet on either side of the trail for much of the hike.
This is the first hike we've ever done where we felt "blind." At the beginning, we could hear things all around us, but couldn't see any of them because the fog was so thick. The most prominent sound we heard were sheep bleating and cowbells clanging on both sides of us as we walked along the trail. We had to leave the trail and climb up a small hill to see the sheep and cows.
We passed the "alps" and peeked in a few windows and doors to see what they looked like inside. We stopped to sit on benches and read guide signs - and gazed at fog - imagining what the view would be like on a clear day. Water droplets clung to the wildflowers in the meadows. We ate our picnic lunch, purchased from a small cheese store in Murren, on a fog-shrouded bench, serenaded by unseen cowbells.
We went through one pasture gate, walked a few steps, and then we were surrounded by friendly cows - we were invading their space but they calmly watched as we passed through another gate. We admired an incongruous display of toy trucks and tractors near one of the alps. Near the end of the trail, just before we reached Gimmeln, Santa Claus, or someone who looked a lot like him, appeared out of the mist and strolled past us, silently. We continued on silently ourselves, savoring the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Looking at our pictures, one might think the hike was dreary or even haunting. Not so. The solitude and the unusual experiences we shared made this one of our best hiking adventures ever. YOLO!!