Hike-a-Bike IV
Bike: Vallorbe to Le Chenit / Le Brassus, 16 miles, 1750 feet of climb
Accommodation: Chambre individuelle 2 dans maison familiale (Airbnb); host Jean-Fred Capt. Private room in a guesthouse, shared bath, wifi, use of kitchen, no washer.
Just a short hike today, about a mile and a half early in the ride, up a steep and busy highway with lots of truck traffic, past a gravel pit. But once we were on top, the scenery and riding were amazing. We rolled up and down and around on little agricultural roads, through cow fields and park lands.
Our plan was to have lunch at a food truck in Le Pont, at the northern tip of Lac de Joux. The food truck was not open, but we spotted a cafe a little off our route on the other side of the lake and headed over. The special of the day was foie gras with tomato chutney, mango puree, brioche muffins, bread, and salad. Who could pass that up? We dined and relaxed in the sun on the terrace, feeling like royalty in our sweaty Lycra.
The rest of the ride along Lac de Joux gave expansive views of farms and small ski resorts, all crisscrossed by miles and miles of paved and unpaved roads and trails. Before long, we were in the string of suburblike communities that make up Le Chenit. Our chambre-de-hote was in Le Brassus, about three miles from the end of the lake, up a steep hill with awesome views of the valley and the Jura Mountains.
A brochure in our room described all the offerings of the area we were in, the Vallee de Joux. There are four small downhill ski resorts and hundreds of miles of groomed cross-country trails, all served by hotels and guesthouses and other rentals. In the summer, the biking and camping and hiking are incredible. This area is just a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.
We were all set to dine on the local specialty, baked potatoes smothered in a sauce made of swiss cheese with white wine. Unfortunately, the one restaurant that served it nearby was closed for a month for the owner family’s vacation. The grocery store was also closed for August. We did find two hotel restaurants—a little nicer and more expensive than we needed after our foie gras lunch. After a little more searching, we located a family-owned burger restaurant, where we got big burgers loaded with veggies and cheese, plus excellent service and complementary chocolate ice cream for dessert.
Another excellent day done.
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| Coming down out of the Jura Mountains to Lac de Joux. |
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| Lac de Joux. |
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| That's Ken on the other side of the train tracks. Sometimes he gets a little ahead of me. |
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| And that's the train. |
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An interesting clock sculpture in the square below our guesthouse. Only about 6,000 people live in the Vallee de Joux, and 85 percent of them earn their living making watches. |
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| View from the window in the kitchen of our guesthouse. |
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| View from the window in the bathroom of our guesthouse--looking back at the Jura Mountains. |
