September 3, 2024

September 3, 2024

We woke early again in the Dolomite Mountain hut Sasso Piatto. After breakfast we began the final day of our Alpe di Siusi circuit. Today we are circumnavigating clockwise the monolith Sassolungo. It is a beautiful sunny morning again. Unfortunately we are passing beneath the shadowed and cooler west side. We have to keep our warmer clothes on. We do however get great views of the Alpine Meadow and the mountains we traversed yesterday.

We pass a herd of grazing horses and then approach two donkeys on our trail. Almost immediately the male starts braying loudly and tries to mount the other. Aimee scrambles to get out of their way. I am laughing hysterically all the while.

As we circled Sassolungo, we broke out into the sunshine for a brief moment but then veered tighter to the mountain and back in the cold shadow. So cold we even passed a tiny glacier of ice.

We ran into a group of grazing cows. Aimee had to push a reluctant cow out of the way to open the pasture gate. We eventually reached the Comici Hut on the northeast corner. It is surrounded by chairlifts. It must be very active during winter ski season. The kitchen is not open yet so we settle for our now standard Radler Beer and Elderflower drink. We are facing another Dolomite cliff face. They are an amazing set of vertical mountains.

We push on and finish our circuit at Sella Pass. We need to take a bus back to our hotel. We discover that the bus is running ninety minutes late. Another American couple is also looking for the bus. We decide to join forces and share a pricey taxi back to town. We are glad we did. By the time the taxi arrives the bus line stretches into the distance. We got a lunch sandwich to-go.

Back at our hotel, we took a long luxurious shower. We relaxed for a while and then went for an early dinner at a pizzeria. We had the best Tiramisu for dessert. We drove home in pouring rain. Thankfully we are not hiking.