Adventures in the wild
Jul. 4th, 2016 01:33 pmI've been on two camping trips; the first wasn't an adventure as such. Me and ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
exeterlinden went to Söderåsen national park in southern Sweden over a couple of days. It was pretty great! The park has beech and hornbeam forests with a deep rift valley (not a ravine, as the park ranger person explained). We had good luck with the weather too; it only rained during the night. Also one time we wished it would rain so that the obnoxious drunk guys with a guitar would go away, and then there was a thunderstorm!
After that I was home for a few days and then headed up north. I found someone to drive me over in a boat to the north side of Torne träsk from Abisko, the goal being to see some rare mountaintop plants. I was out for four days and did find Braya linearis, Viola rupestris ssp. relicta, and Cystopteris alpina, but not Carex bicolor. I don't know what's up with that last species; this is the third time I try to find it and fail. Maybe it does not actually exist.
Anyway, I pushed my limits a bit with the hiking. Like, when I got down from the mountain my legs were almost shaking. But then I got my second wind and put my backpack on and went on through the birch forest, which without a trail is pretty slow going. And I did enjoy it; it's good to know what you're capable of. But of course you pay for it afterward--I am pretty sore now, after hiking back around the lake. Also my hammock seems less comfortable than last year? This could be because 1) I took my non-inflatable sleeping pad or 2) I was more sore in general for unrelated reasons. Hmm.
I am now headed for a feminist camp where we will learn to build and repair things and also mow grass with scythes. It is organized by some friends who need things built/repaired on their farm. After that, a forest inventory trip. I asked to sleep indoors during the building camp so that I wouldn't get field coma from too much outdoors time. Er, I hope I'm not overdoing things. I'm looking forward to some good company, though--the only people I met while hiking was a Norwegian group with a guy who made a sexist remark to me. /o\
exeterlinden went to Söderåsen national park in southern Sweden over a couple of days. It was pretty great! The park has beech and hornbeam forests with a deep rift valley (not a ravine, as the park ranger person explained). We had good luck with the weather too; it only rained during the night. Also one time we wished it would rain so that the obnoxious drunk guys with a guitar would go away, and then there was a thunderstorm! After that I was home for a few days and then headed up north. I found someone to drive me over in a boat to the north side of Torne träsk from Abisko, the goal being to see some rare mountaintop plants. I was out for four days and did find Braya linearis, Viola rupestris ssp. relicta, and Cystopteris alpina, but not Carex bicolor. I don't know what's up with that last species; this is the third time I try to find it and fail. Maybe it does not actually exist.
Anyway, I pushed my limits a bit with the hiking. Like, when I got down from the mountain my legs were almost shaking. But then I got my second wind and put my backpack on and went on through the birch forest, which without a trail is pretty slow going. And I did enjoy it; it's good to know what you're capable of. But of course you pay for it afterward--I am pretty sore now, after hiking back around the lake. Also my hammock seems less comfortable than last year? This could be because 1) I took my non-inflatable sleeping pad or 2) I was more sore in general for unrelated reasons. Hmm.
I am now headed for a feminist camp where we will learn to build and repair things and also mow grass with scythes. It is organized by some friends who need things built/repaired on their farm. After that, a forest inventory trip. I asked to sleep indoors during the building camp so that I wouldn't get field coma from too much outdoors time. Er, I hope I'm not overdoing things. I'm looking forward to some good company, though--the only people I met while hiking was a Norwegian group with a guy who made a sexist remark to me. /o\
