Lost in the Alps

Okay people so this is the story of two women who trusted a very trust worthy source and got totally lost.  The story begins innocently enough.  I met Katrina.  Katrina and I became instant friend.  She even commented on knowing we would be friends when she saw me in my tyedyed tshirt.  And she was so right.  She was spending more time than me in Zermatt but we deceided to do one of the options for a tour in the Alps.  We went to the tourist information office and asked what was available.  There was a train that takes you to Gornagrat  or a lift that that takes you to Glacier Paradise.  The lady went on to say that if you wanted to you could take the train to Gornagrat and hike down.  She assured us that it was an easy, clearly marked, 3 hour hike.  We deceiced that that is what we would do.  The next morning we headed for the train and rode up to the top.  It was stunningly beautiful.  There were even breaking the the clouds from time to time to allow for some great pictures of the Matterhorn.  We began our descent down the mountain and I think we can say that for at least the first 90 minutes that we where on the right track although I am not sure where we went wrong.  I do know that we went wrong.  That realization came about the time that fog rolled in and we found the sheep and cows.  We hadn't seen another human in a while and the map we had didnt seem to fit into where we thought we where suppose to be.  We deceided to keep going as there really wasn't another option.  So, remembering that my father had once advised that if you find yourself lost in the mountains go downhill.  People tend to live in valleys and assuming that since we were still on a path, not very well worn but a path none the less, and those sheep and cows had to belong to someone, they didnt but those bells on themselves, we continued down the path.  Shortly there after, following the path down a steep section, we found a trail marking that indicated that at some point we had picked a path that led AWAY from town but at least we knew that we were on a path.  We continued down the path I like further and here the bells the indicate livestock and rounding a corner saw Zermatt!  To make it just that much more fantastic there was even a rainbow over the city.  Totally, stunningly beautiful.  Thinking it wasn't far now we headed down the path and found the source of the bell.  I thought they were Sheep but low and behold they were goats!  Friendly goats at that.  They were just hanging out eating sapling pine trees and watched us pass. Hoping more than expecting at this point that we must be getting close we keep going and the path is more established now but then we come across a sign that didn't seen like it could be true.  Not only did the sign say that we where still an hour from Zermatt but it seemed to just point straight of a cliff!  No joke.  After a brief discussion we deceiced to follow the sign.  The path turned out to be a switch back that slowly made it's way down the cliff.  A little in the distance there were houses and we thought surely this was it.  Wrong again.  After about another hour we finally made it back to our hostel and instead of getting there around 3 when we planned to I could catch the train to Milan we got back at 6.  I will tell y'all the God's honest truth.  If I had been better prepared I wouldn't have been nearly as worried.  As it was, I was in a pair of kicks and while the original 3 hours may have been fine the 6 was too much. To end this story on a happy note the Barley soup at the restaurant we went to for dinner was AMAZING!!!  Oh, and we lived.