Trip Report - L'Échappée Jurassienne (GR59): Day 2

 Aaand we're back! This is the second day trip report of my adventure on the Échappée Jurassiene. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I loved the journey.

Day 2 

 

STATS:

START: Port Lesney

END: Salins-Les-Bains

KM: 27.45 km

TIME: 5:22:51 hours

I woke up a bit earlier than expected after an almost 42km first day. This wasn't any of the hotel's fault but rather my own excitement to keep going. I'd loved day 1. So day 2 should be even better! (Of course, I'm usually so excited before trips I'm looking forward to that I don't sleep at all, so, maybe it wasn't the day itself that had me awake at 7 AM!)

I left behind the Hotel-Resto and got to the first signpost. This looked something like this: (I failed to take a picture so use your imagination here...)

Yellow. Two ways going to La-Chapelle-sur-Furieuse and Salins-les-Bains. The first path (GR59 and my actual route) was 5.6km. The other path was indicated at 7.3km and went off the GR59 for a bit.

And as if 42km on the first day hadn't been enough (and despite my resolution to take it easy to recover) I decided the best way to do my GR59 trek was to go off the path and do the more difficult route.

So I ended up choosing the 7.3km which immediately went uphill rather than the pleasant and even river walk I'd glimpsed on the actual GR59 path.

But I digress. I knew I didn't have a long day ahead of me so I wanted to challenge myself despite the longer first day.

About half an hour into the not-GR59 route I regretted my decision. It's wasn't unpleasant, per se, however, the path was a less-walked one and turned into a jungle thicker than I'd expected.

(from this)

(to this:)

 

 

It took some time to get through it with vines strangling my legs, tick-anxiety making me stop every few steps to brush off my legs and shorts, caterpillar-worms of webby strings intercepting my path, clinging to shirt and cap but eventually I made it out the other side unscathed. (Not a single tick despite hip-high grasses and bushes and several leaf-passages where I was completely surrounded by vegetation!)

Here are some pictures of the other side of the jungle:

(And the question that's probably popping up in your head right now- or not: Did I regret it? Would I have done anything differently? And I've gotta say no. Because, as brushy as it was, it was a cool little side-adventure with views on different forests patches, some of them completely overgrown with moss, like a secret passage through fairy-land.)

At the other end of the passage I had a view of the actual GR59 route... and regretted my decision to go the longer path only slightly before adding another half kilometer to my day to check out what it would have been like on the riverbank. I'm undecided if I should be envious. This stretch was a lovely, easy walk on the riverside, and I'm sure it would have been super pleasant.

After a little bit of walking on the road (the actual GR59 now again) I then crossed through La-Chapelle-sur-Furieuse. This was little town of 50 souls where some villagers looked at me curiously as I passed with my backpack.

 

Out on the other side I crossed a larger road and ascended into another forest that become a meadow with another smaller settlement quickly.

(Yikes: I found my first tick on a dandelion stem here... and I dropped that thing unblown before the tick could crawl onto me.)

After the little hill village and the enormous dandelion fields...

 

(So yellow!)

I was almost at the end of the route for the day. There were some more beautiful vineyards to pass...

and the view opened up into hilly countryside covered in sunlight. The walk was mostly on asphalt road here so it was easy-going and the sun... hot. But pleasant. (Note: I was stupid and got a sunburn the first day. I didn't cover up anyway. So eventually my shoulders started to hurt because burnt skin+backpack. Anyway... I did cover up from then on.)

So I came to another crossroads. The end of my route was only some 2km away. But it was 1:30pm and my "hotel" (you'll see why this is in quotation marks shortly) wouldn't open until 15:30. Also the day was hot and absolutely pleasant and I had no intention of hanging around town so early if I could help it.

So: another 5km up to Mont Poupet? Sure. Instead of down the road into Salins-les-Bains (where by the way I heard some drumming and other musical instruments... and singing like some shamans were trying to summon the great gods of good wine-harvests...) I turned on the up-the-hill road to Saint-Thiébaud. I passed an apiary and chickens in someone's backyard. I saw some sheep and the going was steep and... hot. I know I've used that word a lot today. But it sums up my experience on Day 2. And not in a bad way.

 

After Saint-Thiébaud (another tiny village) I adjusted my route to go to a small café at the foot of Mont Poupet. It was... scorching and I wanted to get a beer. I was also running out of water so when I found a little fountain I took my chance despite the lifestock. In defense of this questionable foolishness, the fountain was an actual basin with a spout, not that that says a lot, but I didn't get sick from it so it must have been all right.

The café was great. It's called Café du Mont Poupet and it's basically someone's little backyard with a three tables and a few chairs. I'm not sure who the owner was, but an old lady came out to take my order, and brought me my beer, which was delicious after the day's hike.

There was little to do afterwards than to finally descend into Salins-les-Bains- although I did see some hiking paths that would've actually taken me up to the peak of Mont Poupet that tempted me severely. But, in the end, tired feet won out and I decided this was an adventure for another day.

So I strolled down to Salins-les-Bains on the mixture of hiking paths and roads and found myself back in civilization around 3PM.

 

The first thing I noticed (and got really envious about!) was that there was a Therme des Salines right where I entered town. Unfortunately I didn't bring my bikini (which I usually do on such trips!) because the last two trips I didn't find any opportunity to bathe and so couldn't check it out more closely. (Sigh!)

I went to the supermarket to get myself some dinner (yeah. I'm a heretic.) and turned Frencher than I'd been before...

(That's a baguette sticking out of my backpack! I know it's difficult to see but the angle was hard to take a picture of! I also really wanted a Coke Zero at this point... the beer's fresh coolness long forgotten in the day's heat... but they only had plastic bottles or 9-packs of cans... so no dice.)

and made my way through town to find my "hotel".

Note: You'll be seeing two forts on a cliff-outcrop from below. Don't worry about visiting them immediately. The next day's route (if you stay in Salins) will get you there.

Entering my abode for the night I wondered briefly if they'd take my kidney in payment:

But the apartment was actually quite all right:

(This is the Apartment VanSuly in Salins-les-Bains.)

I was able to do the laundry and eat my supermarket-bought food with proper cutlery. The shower was all right and the room decent for the night.

So.

Would I have done anything differently on Day 2? If I'd been on a more luxurious trip I'd probably have looked into booking a hotel room in the therme to let my feet rest. I would have definitely brought my bikini for the therme and a swim.

Then again. After the 42km the day before and 21km I was happy to just hang out on my borrowed couch and go to bed early.
 

This concludes Day 2. I'll see you again next week for Day 3 and my adventure to Fort Belin and the Great Forest of Garlic! (Note: Definitely follow the @jimneyhikes Instagram if you want sneak peaks and more pictures of the trip!)

- Jimney