Mittwoch, 6. Juni 2018

Schmitten in Early Summer

I started late in the afternoon. For a long trail run 2 p.m. is almost a bit too late, especially on the mountain, especially in the Alps.
750 m steep uphill along the first 4,5 km define a vertical run, but the trail is wonderful and the panorama you get on the way is breathtaking!
Areit Lounge
And it happend again as it happened in April, as the snow stopped me to go run higher, furhter! Me and the Mountain. Me alone on the Mountain! Empty, cloudy, amazing beautiful!
A place for children to drive the carts ....
Looking back, two mountain bikers came along behind me, but only for a short segment, as they turned right to Zell am See and I continued to run uphill to Glockner House (picture below - pretty steep, right? I told you :-)!)
AreitBahn (the cable from Schüttdorf zu Areit Lounge) and the next cable from Areit Lounge to the Glockner HOuse are still closed to the public.
Zeller Lake downhill in Zell am See where I was running from
Whoever goes hiking or running or biking on the Schmitten can't help but walk past the three-four water reservoirs, each of which is linked to a special theme. The really large reservoir for the snowmaking machines in wintertime lies at the foot of the Schmittenhöhe: Lake Zell (picture above shows how the wonderful crystaline water is nested between the wonderful ranges of mountains.
a small curve and .....
Reaching the Glockner House for the third time along the last 4-5 weeks I went directly to the small "Lake of Art" hopping to see now the color of the water instead of the white of the icy snow. Last time I was here there still was only snow over the lake.
... voila! A wonderful image, a fresh strong green and an infinite Silence ......
Brunnermais reservoir end of April
Brunnermais reservoirin June
I was too late on the mountain, so I decided to return from this point, but taking a different trail and descending along the first water reservoir: Pettsaukopfsee, the lake which amazed me immediately after I moved out here in December last year!
sitting on it and watching over the Zeller See downhill
These generously cosy wood loungers are everywhere in Austria and just looking to them you feel the need to lie for a while, to stretch your legs or your back .... just to linger on it and to take for real the moment ..... living on a post-card!
Brunnermais reservoir in summer
 Symbols through art on the mountain
These sculptures are called "Trees of Life"
The tree of life is a symbol of a fresh start on life, positive energy, good health and a bright future. As a symbol of immortality. A tree grows old, yet it bears seeds that contain its very essence and in this way, the tree becomes immortal. As a symbol of growth and strength.
Running around the reservoir: 500 m long - Is this not marvellous? No tourists, no noise, just me deep in the nature ......
Another art object on the mountain: a human being head profile with profiled ears .... a very interesting woodpile! By Helmut Machammer, a contemporan Austrian artist, who focus on The Human Being.
Internationally renowned sculptors from Austria, Germany, Spain and Italy were invited to participate in a series of 6 Art Symposiums in Zell am See in the years 1995, 1998, 2001, 2006, 2012 and 2015 during the course of which they created Europe’s largest open-air art museum. To start with, the collection consisted of over-dimensioned wood sculptures which were placed immediately adjacent to ski runs and hiking trails.
Over the course of the years, these were joined by a swimming object in the Brunnermais reservoir pond and a “fountain” composed of steelcables from the cablecar lift which was placed at the Schmittenhöhebahn valley terminal. In the year 2012, the artists worked for the firsttime with materials such as stone and clay.
In the meanwhile the time passed and it was about 4 p.m. Storm signs everywhere .... covered risks are always good :-)
I didn't want to leave the scene, but I decided to return on a different trail. If I want to go further on the peak I simply have to start before 10 a.m. 
The 90 minutes minutes to the Schmittenhöhe would have taken about 45 minutes really, but it was too late for such of prolongued adventure alone on a mountain.
After 5 minutes of steep descent I reached the point where 6 weeks ago I could not go further because of the snow. What an adventure, what a crazy run on an empty mountain!
Behind me: the Lake in Zell am See - the reason why this area is such a magnet for million of people from all over the world! 
I reached the Mittelstation, now empty and in silence.
Pettsaukopf Reservoir
These lakes with a really awsome color are so perfect embedded in this wonderful scenery
Plettsaukopf reservoir, perfectly nestled in the landscape, looks as though it has always been here. Cosy wood loungers on the waterfront look inviting and are ideal for stretching your legs ..... in summer
 
and winter :-)
whereas little hikers will find a huge playground to play and run around to their hearts’ content. They can shoot at mini dragons swimming in the lake with splashes of water, divert water at small reservoirs and the friendly “Schmidolin” dragon spits glass-clear water instead of fire.
I of course run around this lake too, as I always do when I am here - 600 m trail around it.
And then I start the descent through the forest for the next about two kiloleters.

"Meadow cows, please shut the gate!"







Despite the fact that this old ugly car is just an usual car in an usual barn of an old - probably 300-400 years old - farmer house isolated on the mountain somewhere, it is an amazing experience to see how the human being "takes" an entire mountain and arrange it .... like you would arrange your food on the plate in front of you at lunch!

https://10hikes.com/austria/zell-am-see-kaprun-hikes/schmittenhohe-mauerkogel-hike/

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