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luzulaTheme 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...
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...
(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-26 12:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-07-27 05:59 pm (UTC)