Sweden, Finland, Norway and the juncture thereof

[luzula]

Theme words for the last week: roadtripping, hiking, rare sedges, skinnydipping, WOLF PUPPIES.

Day 1
podfic_lover (Inga) and I both arrive in Luleå and get the rental car out. Then we start driving north, up the Swedish-Finnish border along the Torne river. We both go skinnydipping in the river, and see a couple of reindeer walking stupidly on the road, as they do, and two foxes. We camp by a lake also frequented by lots of mosquitoes (from now on, take "lots of mosquitoes" as a given in anything we do).

Day 2
We arrive in Kilpisjärvi and take the boat across a lake, from where we hike 14 km to Pältsa. Lovely hiking route, overcast and cool weather. We see ptarmigans with chicks. In the cabin are a couple of Finns, a couple of Poles, and a Swede. In the evening: sauna!

Day 3
I drag Inga up a mountainside with snowfields and we ford two ice-cold streams barefoot in order to see the rare sedge Carex nardina. We also see a hill which looks very much like Weathertop. In the evening: more sauna!

Day 4
I would have liked to climb the Pältsa mountain (and see all the rare plants on it) but it's a bit too far/high for us. Instead we hike into the Pältsa valley and I at least get to see Carex glacialis which is also a new plant for me. Unfortunately I also damage a muscle in my butt, which is really not pleasant to hike back on, especially as I already had some back trouble. Worth it or not? I can't decide. Also: more skinnydipping (take "lots of skinnydipping" as a given in most of what we do). In the evening: even more sauna!

Day 5
Luckily Inga has all the necessary medical supplies, and she doctors me with anti-inflammatory salve and stuff. We take a day of rest to let my muscles heal up a bit, and just do a 1-km hike to a waterfall. Also Inga chops wood for the first time in her life, and we read a lot. In the evening: return of the sauna!

Day 6
We hike back to where we took the boat, going by way of the Three-Country-Cairn which marks the meeting point between Sweden, Finland and Norway. I also take a 2.5-km detour to see yet another rare sedge: Carex holostoma (whatever, I'm obsessed with sedges, okay? Don't judge me.) My butt feels mostly fine up to 15 km, but the last 5 km are painful, especially as I also have blisters. In the evening: burgers and fries instead of dry food! Then we drive over to the Norwegian side and camp out by a stream. Ow, my back is so stiff.

Day 7
WE CUDDLE WITH ADORABLE WOLF PUPPIES AT A WILDLIFE CENTER AND THEY LICK OUR MOUTHS. Possibly that is all that needs to be said about this day. Oh, and also we learn that searching for a camping spot along a steep fjord is a bad idea: all the available flat space is already taken up by people living there. Duh. Instead we stay at an actual paid camping.

Day 8
I realize that I forgot wallet at the wildlife center, and we have to drive back. Luckily it's still there. Then we drive back over to Sweden and spend the afternoon in Abisko, which I know very well (the research station I work for in the summer is close by). I show Inga the beautiful river canyon; we also see an old guy who looks like he's searching for something. Me: "Are you looking for Silene furcata [rare plant known to grow there]?" Him: "Yeah." Me: "I've looked for it as well and not found it." We commiserate. Then we drive southwest for a couple of hours and camp by a lake. Oh, and also today Inga suggests that I am an exhibitionist, since I skinnydip with no regard for people who might possibly see me (not true though--it's just that I don't care). I had two lovely baths today: one in the clear salty Norwegian sea, and one in a calm eddy by the rapids of the Abisko river.

Day 9
We drive southeast. Also we spend a couple of hours in Muddus National Park, where I have never been because you need a car to get there. Gorgeous old-growth forest, very hot though. We drive to Boden where I will take a train in the morning. We didn't find a camping spot on the road there so we drive to the Boden camping. It is hot and crowded and costs an arm and a leg--staying there would be like paying to suffer. We drive out again and search some more for a place with water where we can camp. Finally we ask at a house we pass by if we can pay a bit to put up our tent there and get some water. The woman living there goes: "Sure, just put it up for free. I'm working night shift, so it's just good if someone is at home." Whew. We give her our leftover food in return.

Okay, yeah, a bit tired now. Heading home by slow stages. I promise to post photos from my summer at some point...

Comments

[mific]

Wow - the wildlife and saunas and skinnydipping sound really great! And WOLF PUPPIES! The sedges may be an acquired taste, though! :)

[luzula]

Hey, who wouldn't like sedges? : ) But yes, I suspect you may be right.

[riverlight]

Hiking! Skinnydipping! Wolves! Sounds like the best vacation ever. :)

[luzula]

It was great, yes. : )

[jesse_the_k]

Epic! That sounds like a wonderful trip, except for the back business. Heating pads, heating pads, stretches.

What mosquito management techniques do you use? I'm heading up to a lakeside cottage in Rhinelander and I'll take any wisdom you have to share.

How do you say "an arm and a leg" in Swedish?

For those of us shockingly illiterate in the geography of the Nordic countries:
https://goo.gl/maps/PNL02

[luzula]

My mosquito management technique is "put on clothes which cover basically your whole body, and which are bite-proof". Can be hot if it's warm outside, but I also get sun-burn easily, so it serves that purpose, too.

We say it costs your shirt, which I guess is a short form of saying it costs the shirt off your back.

[isis]

I shall henceforth take "lots of sedges" as a given in anything you do. ;-)

[luzula]

Well, perhaps not everything, but I am very fond of them. : )

[china_shop]

\o/

[luzula]

\o/, indeed!

[seascribble]

This sounds like an excellent holiday! I giggled a little about the commiserating with the old guy about not finding the rare plant though. *g* I am looking forward to all of your summer pictures.

[luzula]

It was! I'm in the process of choosing photos, but I keep getting distracted. Have internet now, but it's pretty crappy.

[exeterlinden]

Sounds like a wonderful time :)

[luzula]

It was, yes! I hope your trip was good, too.

[exeterlinden]

It was! And hot! Maybe I'll get around to posting some pictures, too ;)

[sproid]

This sounds like an absolutely fantastic trip! I am glad you had such a great time, and got to see so many cool things. Including the wolf puppies, omg. I meant to ask about those actually: what are they doing at a wildlife centre? Are they parentless, or bred in captivity, or something else? *is curious and knows very little about wolves*

Your poor butt and back and muscles though. Ow. They deserve a rest, I reckon.

Are you going to miss skinnydipping when you're back home? *g*

P.S. If you have photos, I for one would love to see them if you get a chance to upload any!

[luzula]

The wolves are bred in captivity. Not sure why they want them socialized to humans (I think to make it easier to handle them, given that they don't intend to let them out into the wild?)

I am going to miss easy access to swimming, period! I don't really have any good place to go swimming close to my home--I mean, I can get to places, but it's a bit of a project.

[feroxargentea]

That sounds like the best holiday ever! (except for the bit about the mozzies)

Definitely pics at some point :)

I skinnydip with no regard for people who might possibly see me (not true though--it's just that I don't care

I feel kind of bad if people have got cameras, cos I don't like to spoil the scenery for them.

[luzula]

Well, there was maybe a bit too much driving, but otherwise it was great! Ha, I mind the driving more than the mozzies, for sure. But yeah, people react differently to them: Inga got big swollen lumps where I only got little red marks. Maybe I've just been exposed to them more.