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Alpine spruce tops from the origin - a review

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pope858		#121	[-]
(06/17/09 12:31 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Great stuff! Thanks for sharing; it is this type of info that really sets this section and this forum apart! Paul "Ain't no money in poetry, that's what sets the poet free, I've had all the freedom I can stand" Guy Clark
BHguitars		#122	[-]
(06/28/09 12:11 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Our bike tour cross the Swiss Alps ended last Tuesday and we returned all in (rather) good shape and health. It was a very nice trip and we enjoyed cycling, the landscape, the people we met, the food and of course we had lots of fun (and some exercises). Here's my report including a view onto Alpine spruce this thread initially is about but I have to convince this is going to be more about cycling tourism and sightseeing. It's going to be quite long as well since I took lots of pics and would have a hard time to pic only few. So less-interested fellows please apologize this kind of post but finally I think this report, similar as my previous posts before, refer to something that makes it very easy to love this place and also the wood and the trees we are talking about. As I didn't have the opportunity to visit the red spruce places yet I want to show everyone who didn't had the chance yet to visit the Alps some of the places next to our home and where Alpine spruce is growing. I hope you enjoy. In six days the Tour de France is starting and I'll be watching the stages as far as I can since some high mountain passes have to be be passed as well. As I mention cycling high mountain passes: I want to mention another exciting race that took place while we've on our tour as well: it's the so-called RATA, the Race Across the Alps. It's one of the hardest one-day races over 525 km, 12 high mountain passes and 13.000 m elevation. Our cycling club fellow Armin Huber attended and came in at place #8 as as the best German competitor in 26h and 34m. Congratulations, Armin! Some more info on our club's site and on the official RATA web site. Here's our Alps team at the start in Singen, south Germany: Left to right: scout Andreas B., joker Andreas S., engine Heiner and camera W. The first stage will take us from Singen to the Lake Walen in Switzerland about 120 km and about 1800 m elevation (I don't have the actual data in front of me yet and might correct later). The landscape we'll have to cross is the so-called Alpine foot hills. This landscape is very similar to the hills of our home with green hills and some pretty steep roads. First we crossed the German-Swiss frontier and the first stop is Stein am Rhein and crossing the Rhine river for the first time: Right behind the town the first steep road first rises have to be climbed up, we are still in good shape but it's very hot outside and the sweat is running in streams. The temperature is rising to 42 degrees C (106 degF) while we're going up the third longer steep rise - at the peak an Alpine guest house, Alpine cheese, drinks and a great view is waiting for us. Well strengthened we continue with ups and downs. The first high mountains show up in the distance: The hills in the back ... One of the numerous little Swiss towns and villages we passed ... before we've been climbing up the next to last peak for the day, the old Rickenpass road right before we are going down again heading to the Lake Walen: Here we go: BTW, most pics taken in full speed (km/h) ... Now we've reached the Lake Walen ... ... but we have to go up once more to our today's destination high above the lake at 950 m. The time is running short since we'll have only about 1h left to check in at the hotel and have to make sure we'll still get a dinner . So we split the team and with already 110 km in the legs scout Andreas and me start to the 10 km mountain time trial with about 7% ascent average (BTW 17% max ascent today). No time left for taking pics. We reach the hotel in about 40 minutes right in time - the peloton with about 30 minutes delay . Maillot à pois (polka dot jersey) for Andreas (scout) with ten seconds advantage on the second winner. A gorgeous place and what a view: Next stage following soon ... Willi Last Edited By: BHguitars 06/28/09 2:08 PM. Edited 2 times.
benja23		#123	[-]
(06/29/09 2:01 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Wonderdul pictures Willi ! Thank you so much for posting ! Biking with a backpack must be difficult. The view on the lake with the big mountains is awesome ! Ben
om1av		#124	[-]
(06/29/09 12:15 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks so much for sharing your trip. I can't wait to see this country in person. Hopefully this fall when we visit to discuss the 2011 build. With gratitude Alan
Davids Harp		#125	[-]
(06/29/09 12:53 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Wow. David They said, "You have a blue guitar, you do not play things as they are." The man replied, "Things as they are, are changed upon the blue guitar." -Wallace Stevens
CW56		#126	[-]
(06/29/09 1:35 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Nice nice nice .... thanks for sharing, Willi . Christian
John Thomas		#127	[-]
(06/29/09 2:58 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Willi, What a fantastic report and pics! Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us. I'm very envious. I've been biking about 30 km each day and was feeling like I'm in pretty good shape ... until I saw your pics. Very impressive. .... John www.johnthomasguitar.com Please visit www.bannergibsons.com to see what Willi and I are doing!
BHguitars		#128	[-]
(06/29/09 3:39 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks folks - you didn't see the next pics yet ... Ben, The backpack felt as usual, just somewhat heavier. It's much easier to have a backpack than low riders or saddle bags but it depends on the actual weight. Well, the rain-covers, the toothbrush and the six bottles of bear were not too heavy. We enjoyed the first day dinner up the lake with this breathtaking view around a lot. It was worth twice as much to go up only for this view. As the sun went down the clouds gathered together and we got a nice thunderstorm continuing till early morning. It rained as much that I supposed the lake must have reached up now to our front door but after breakfast the rain stopped ... ... and the clouds finally opened up: A beautiful waterfall showed up we didn't notice the other day: The today's 2nd stage should be quite easy: about 95 km and only one ascent at the end of the day that shouldn't bee too difficult. So lots of time and no hurry needed. The way should lead us down to the lake again, following the valley down to the Rhine valley touching the lower frontier of Liechtenstein and passing the town of Chur. Then following up the Rhine valley to the place at which the Rhine divides into two legs. We'll follow the Back Rhine in the Swiss Canton Graubuenden direction San Bernardino Pass to the small town of Zillis at the foot of the high mountain pass we want to cross the next day and where we want to stay for the night . Here's the today's stage at the map: The place we reached now is about 50 km west of the place in Austria we obtain usually our spruce from. It's the first mountain range behind the foot hills but although there's lot of spruce everywhere here at this place, nothing would be fine enough for musical instruments. The elevation isn't high enough. We'll see more spruce today and by the end of the day we reach the places fine Swiss Alpine spruce could be obtained nearby. Impressions of the first part of the stage, Swiss landscape, mountains, roads and buildings: Want to buy some spruce tops here? Here the Rhine valley is wide and industry is everywhere to be found. Nothing exciting except this toothpick factory. Who wants to learn more, this is Mayr-Melhof Holz / Swiss Timber AG, one of the biggest timber groups of the region. Nice! Now we reach the place the Rhine legs are coming together (or splitting from our point of view). I've been growing up at the Rhine river and love this big stream and I'm very curious to follow the river up to his origin. The mountains become higher, the valley much narrower and the road much steeper. This is the place called Viamala Schlucht what means canyon. There's a hiking trail that must be exciting to hike but hard to believe there's a road (or even a highway). This is the beginning of the canyon with some passersby in the front, very famous canyon by the way. Spruce everywhere. The "mouth" of the canyon: Below the Rhine "river": The hiking trail below. The canyon opens up and we see what's waiting for us the other day. Great places for top quality Alpine spruce. See the highway is crossing our line once more: Still following the Rhine river we are reaching our destination for today: Zillis, a little town in the heart of Graubuenden in the middle of the Swiss Alps. Some tall peakes hidden behind the clouds but they are there. This is the rural place we spend the night, a small farming house owned by very nice people. We actually were lodged in the barn next to the cattle and horses. Hello - good night and sleep well! Willi Last Edited By: BHguitars 07/01/09 3:45 PM. Edited 1 times.
Davids Harp		#129	[-]
(06/29/09 5:46 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Wow. David They said, "You have a blue guitar, you do not play things as they are." The man replied, "Things as they are, are changed upon the blue guitar." -Wallace Stevens
Bruce Sexauer		#130	[-]
(06/29/09 10:20 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	This is not the Europe in my mind. Why did my ancestors leave? Not because of the scenery! Thank you.
benja23		#131	[-]
(06/30/09 2:15 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Beautiful and interesting report Willi ! The swiss landscape is so beautiful... Ben
Davids Harp		#132	[-]
(07/01/09 3:11 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	That's it? Cows? This is the end of the journey? I guess Willi has gone back to work making guitars! David They said, "You have a blue guitar, you do not play things as they are." The man replied, "Things as they are, are changed upon the blue guitar." -Wallace Stevens
BHguitars		#133	[-]
(07/01/09 3:43 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	That's it? Cows? This is the end of the journey? I guess Willi has gone back to work making guitars! I am, David. Well, it's not the end of the trip but actually we'll meet the cows again soon ... Don't you like our companion for the night? Here's the 3rd day's stage - it's the longest of the trip about 140 km and nearly to 2000 m to go up in total. Again max 18% ascent what's pretty steep but most of the way up is about 5% to 7%. First we'll go up from about 930 m elevation to the foot of the Spluegen Pass at 1500 m and finally up to the pass at 2113 m. So about 1200 m ascent in the first 30 km. We'll cross the Swiss-Italian frontier at the top of the pass and go down about 1800 m to the Lake Como. We'll take the ferry at Varenna to Bellagio and bike another 40 km southward to our destination for today, Pusiano at the little Lake Pusiano, south of the Lake Como. I took a lot of pics including some spruce pics since we'll now see the places and go up to the elevation of fine Alpine spruce suiting for guitars . Pictures following soon ... Willi Last Edited By: BHguitars 07/01/09 3:53 PM. Edited 2 times.
BHguitars		#134	[-]
(07/02/09 4:14 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Before I continue with the tour report I want to return to and focus on the initial topic about Alpine spruce and insert some info and locations of some suppliers / loggers of regional Alpine spruce. So this might be of interest for makers as well as interested folks. I picked some of the suppliers I know in person or because their shop or location are well known. Of course there are more than the few I picked but they are located outside the Alps and insofar I understand that the only supply meaning dealing with spruce and don't log the trees by their own. To start with, our route just passed one of the top suppliers in Switzerland, the Florinett AG - Tonewood Switzerland, about 25 km east of the route and 37 km of Zillis, we spent the night (with some nice animals). This is the route from our stop (returning a few km) to Berguen, their location. They offer moon logged spruce they obtain from elevations up to 1800m what's right underneath the treeline. While "moon logged" usually means a particular date or time space in which the trees have to be logged for specific purpose (what means the first new moon under Libra for guitar tops ~ a day in late September to early October depending on the calendar) they log their trees for guitar tops at any new moon between fall and winter. Some of the qualities they offer are unbelievable tight grained and very stiff. That's a matter of taste and building concept (too hard for our feeling) but actually they offer spruce in the best quality. I mean superior quality when I say best. Two other suppliers I want to mention: there's Josef Berkmann, (new website) the logger we obtained the spruce from we use for our guitars. We still prefer his spruce for several reasons I figured out before in this thread. Rivolta, the main Italian supplier - providing with "Italian spruce" worldwide with some well known manufacturers on their customers list - is located a few kilometers south of the Alps and in short distance from the place we'll reach by the evening of this stage of our tour. The greater Milan area is a big industrial center at the southern feet of the Italian Alps. So easy to imagine from where they obtain their spruce. I added some other loggers / locations: Mittenwald as a main German traditional location of tonewood and musical instrument making, one supplier at the north eastern part of Austria and another Italian logger in South Tirol. Here the complete list including web links: Florinett AG - Tonewood Switzerland, Berguen Tonholz Josef Berkmann / Traditional Tonewood Berkmann, Riefensberg Rivolta, Milano Alpentonholz Pahler, Mittenwald Traditional Tonewood, Mariazell Bachmann Tonewood, Rasen-Antholz Their location: This map interactive: tonewood / Alpine spruce suppliers Willi Last Edited By: BHguitars 07/02/09 4:19 PM. Edited 1 times.
kcoyner		#135	[-]
(07/02/09 8:08 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Beautiful scenery! And the reporting? Well I feel as if I have been biking in the Alps in search of a top for a grail guitar. Thanks so much Willi! k
BHguitars		#136	[-]
(07/05/09 7:55 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Here are the pics of the 3rd stage (map/route post #133). We are following the road southward direction San Bernardino Pass looking at the overcast peaks we'll have to cross this morning ... ... and going up to about 1200 m elevation. The view back down, spruce everywhere: Here are some spruce trees next to the road. They are quite tall and some would be big enough for basses. The elevation of 1200 m is good enough and this slope is north sided. So probably some good spruce for guitars although the elevation of 1400 to 1500 m would be preferred more. Some more of average size, probably not very old: Still the (Back) Rhine below next to the road ... ... and the highway ... ... up to the Lake Sufers at 1430 m: The village Spluegen where we'll leave the main road and the Rhine ... ... going up the Spluegen pass: ... some well known companions say hello again ... and good-bye: In fact this day was the day the cows left their barns to spend the summer up the mountains at their alpine pastures. It is called "Almauftrieb" what means driving up the alps. In the old days the herders and farmers walked up with the cattle by foot - today: Now the first step up the pass is done, we are about 1700 m high now next to the tree line and here's a less steep part. Beautiful landscape with green meadows and a brook at the side up to the foot of the saddle: The view back at 1800 m along the tree line: The last and final part up the pass are ten uniform serpentines, steep enough to ran out of steam a little: The view back down the pass and on the serpentines: Done! At the summit with the tollgate of the Swiss-Italian border. Not a very busy job for the customs at this place. Now here we are at 2113 m elevation, it's pretty cold at 11 degr/C and an ice-cold and strong chill from the south. Ready for skiing? However, the weather is fine as it also could be snowing and storming easily at this season. This place as a part of the Alpine main ridge also is the great divide meaning the big central European watershed that also devides the clima and weather. We are quite happy about the weather issue since the clouds have been gathering again in our back this morning and cold rain was fore-casted at the northern side of the ridge. Now we leave Switzerland and the Graubuenden county and are heading to Lombardia - Viva Italia! The first place right below the pass is the very small and secluded mountain village with the name Montespluga located at the artificial lake Lago di Monte Spluga. The back view over the lake to the village and the pass sided by 3000 m peaks. As so often the clouds in the back seem to be cut through right above the ridge. The more pleasing view southward to Italy: Last Edited By: BHguitars 07/05/09 7:59 AM. Edited 1 times.
BHguitars		#137	[-]
(07/05/09 8:01 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Here's the valley and the pass road with 1788 m down ,one of the Alpine passes with the biggest altitude difference. Very uncomfortable in bad weather. Now here we have Italian spruce. Doesn't look that much differently. New companions: Down at Chiavenna, 325 m, the first little town down at the valley. ... and the high mountains we passed before disappearing in the back: The Lake Mezzola right above the Lake Como: Here we are at the Lake Como going down along the lake to Varenna ... and cross the lake by the ferry ... to Bellagio. Only about 30 km left to go for us until we reach the village Pusiano and our destination for today. Now this is the end of the report as far as the Alps, spruce, vegetation and climate are concerned. The following only is recommended to Italy and bike aficionados ... to be continued. Willi
dino1899		#138	[-]
(07/05/09 9:04 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Willi, I think I qualify for 'Italy aficionado', so I'm definitely looking forward to the next batch!... Andy
jscio		#139	[-]
(07/05/09 10:10 AM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Willi; absolutely mesmerizing. I save a few photos for screen backgrounds. It looks like an amazing trip.
FoolForWood		#140	[-]
(07/05/09 1:34 PM) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Willi, great contributions again! Now here we have Italian spruce. Doesn't look that much differently. Come on now. The difference is obvious! The Italian spruce trees look much more...... um....................Italian. Henk

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Alpine spruce tops from the origin - a review

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