Glaciers and Pyramids

I fell asleep after this -

And woke up to this -                    

We decided that after driving most of yesterday, we should try to stay fairly local in our adventures.  Experiencing the change from the micro-climate of the valley to the micro-climate of the mountains, Grandpa and Dad navigated the narrow, precarious roads.  Sometimes, there would be no guard rail and if you looked over… er…  you wouldn't want to slide off the road there.  (We kept noticing crosses on the side of the road.)  When we had finally climbed high enough, we tied on our hiking boots, and began the climb.  Dirt, ice, and snow all perforated the terrain.  The cold, clear stream babbled over smooth, slate-gray stones.  After consuming a lunch of ham and smoked cheese sandwiches on the rocks, we continued up to the dam.  A Swiss energy company, we discovered, used the stream as a runway for harnessing one fifth of the country's stored energy.  They pumped water underground, up through the mountains and could release it via the dam and from the mines to created a torrent of the clear, blue liquid.  They could then harness it at the bottom of the mountain stream.  I scooted down the bank and perched on a rock, so I could try this sparkling energy source.  I squatted down.  I lowered my hands to the water.  I sipped from my cupped hands.  The water, cool and clean flowed down my throat.  It tasted full and rich.  Besides that, it had a mysterious taste of silt.  OK, so it did have a bit of dirt in it, but I still enjoyed it.  (For those of you who know the consequences of drinking from an unknown source, I have had no problems thus far.  It was so near the source, a glacier, I figured it would be fine.)

Narrow roads!

That is the true color of water!

Its as clear as glass

As we explored the area, the mountain peaks continued to astound us.  I squint up at the icy, white summit and think, "When has man done something like this?"  They truly give you a diminutive feeling, but at the same time, a feeling of pride in the fact that you have the privilege to be part of the same world as such an awesome work.  I guess God fashioned things like the Alps so we could stand at the bottom of a mountain and know that He has much more power than anything we could imagine.  He also has a creative mind, just like he gifted to all humans, and designs great things just for His enjoyment, like an artist who puts something he knows everyone will overlook in a painting.  I can imagine that when he created the world he would whisper to His angels, "Watch this."  Then, a mountain would come into existence, and the angel's jaw would drop as he turned to God with the wonder of a child who had just witnessed his parents do a completely new act, such as blowing bubbles.  The only difference is the child will be able to blow bubbles someday for his kids.  God is the only one who can make mountains rise, or snow fall.

The glacier is on the mountain.  What you see on the rock on the right is the result of a small avalanche.

On the way home, we visited the Earth Pyramids of Euseigne.  (Pyramides d'Euseugine)  They formed because two glaciers met in a valley.  They deposited the dirt and rock and it became sandwiched between them.  The pressure then compacted the dirt and gravel, hardening it.  Then, rain eroded after the glaciers receded.  The rocks on top of the "pyramids" protected the dirt in that area, forming the "pyramids".

The Pyramids of Euseigne

That rock looks very stable!  (Ya, right.)

Our day has been well spent.  We will now kick back and recover from our minor sunburns received from our adventures at glaciers and pyramids.