Home in Obbola – what to do outside Dec 13 2024

After quite some travelling in the last weeks I finally arrived in Obbola, Sweden, my “home home” yesterday night. Today it started snowing a bit and I wanted to go outside to take a break from home office.

I went to the coast by our house where parts of the bay were frozen.

I haven’t been running for four weeks, so let’s go …

… running!

I put on my running shoes from Icebug. They have so many spikes that you can run on bare ice. I start on the doorstep and turn to take the trail called Spåret. This will give me a lap of round 5 km. But it was not so easy as expected. A lot of trees lay across the trail. A reminder of the storm three weeks ago.

I can go round these obstacles but soon give up running for another reason. Some parts of Spåret are bare ice but the thin layer of fresh snow glues itself to the soles of my running shoes making the spikes useless. After I slid several times I decide to stop running and go home. Total running distance: 0.78 km :-D

When running does not work, let’s go …

… kayaking!

This takes a bit more preparation. But finally I have found the paddle and the waterproof bag for the mobile phone and am dressed in my survival suit – Teletubbie style.

I drag the kayak to the shore and then through the shallow water. Slushy ice is swimming on the sea surface. To my surprise another layer of ice is grounded.

Then I walk on the ice. Will it hold or break? I don’t know yet, but I do know, the water is shallow here.

The ice holds. When the icy layer gets thinner and softer I enter the kayak. Sometimes I use my hands to push myself forward, sometimes ice claws, sometimes the paddle. Anyhow it seems to take ages until I finally reach the open sea.

Finally: open water (and some ice slush)

To my surprise I meet two other kayakers. That have never happened to my here before. They found a better place to set in their kayaks. Will winter paddling get popular here?

Anyhow, I haven’t planned a longer kayak tour and so I only round the small islet Lillskär and then head back to shore. First there are soft ice floes that I can paddle through.

Then I reach some fast ice. It is too thick for paddling and too thin to bear the weight of the kayak with me inside. I exit the kayak and “walk” it while breaking the ice with my knees. The ice gets thicker and I can kneel on it without breaking through. Now I crawl on my knees for a while until I can finally stand up and drag the kayak ashore. On the photo you can see the different stages.

Finally I’m ashore again. Total paddling distance: 0.91 km. :-D :-D

But it was fun!

November thaw Nov 10 2024

It took only four days to melt away 47 cm of snow.

Last Sunday I used skis to glide over the snow in the forest. However, the forecast at yr showed already that this pleasure would be temporary. And yr was right. It became much warmer and rained a lot. My way home on Wednesday was wet and so was the jogging on Thursday.

On Monday the snow depth had been 47 cm. On Friday it was zero. Thaw and the amount of rain led to flooding and several roads and bridges were closed. In the forest and on the bogs it looked like autumn was back.

Today I took another promenade through the near forest and felt like being back in October regarding the weather. With a clear difference: Having this cloudy weather it is not longer bright outside anymore.

Sixteen more days and the polar night in Tromsø starts with the absence of the sun for the following seven weeks. The darker it gets the more I’m longing for snow. It makes everything brighter.

Ski premiere 2024/25 Nov 3 2024

After the snowfall in the first half of the week …

… snowfall continued in the weekend.

Saturday, 2 November – walking

When I woke up yesterday morning another 10–15 cm of snow have fallen over night and it is still snowing. I get myself dressed, grab my camera backpack and go out. At the kindergarten I follow the way to the ski jumps. The light is still dim and I am quite alone. A strong wind gust blows snow from all trees and for some seconds snow is everywhere in the air.

I turn left and head to the small pond. The pair of Red-throated loons has left long ago and now the pond is frozen and covered in snow.

From there I cross the small grassy bog and follow some of the many forest paths.

I walked here quite a lot last summer but now that everything is covered in 25–30 cm of snow I miss some of the paths. That circumstance gave me wet feet quite soon. While trudging through the snow I suddenly felt my rubber boots sinking in something else. Seconds later I stood knee deep in a patch of mud. Brownish water eagerly filled my boots and the mud was so sticky, that it took me a minute to get free again. The rest of my walk I had wet and pretty cold feet. Back home I praised the inventor of the hot shower. (And that of the shoe dryer.)

Saturday, 2 November – jogging

Two hours later I go out again, this time to jog. I just have started again three weeks ago and I want to continue in wintertime as long it is possible. This time I stick to the “official” ways – some of them are already packed and groomed for cross-country skiers. Luckily you are allowed to bike or walk on the side of these tracks. It is fun to jog while it is snowing again. And my feet remained almost dry (just a bit of snow came into the Icebug winter running shoes).

Sunday, 3 November – skiing

This morning even more snow has fallen and I decide to take a ski tour. Not elsewhere but directly from home. I fetch my “fjellski” and poles from the shack and start my ski tour right from the entrance of my apartment. As the day before I pass the kindergarten and the small pond. The snow depth has grown to 45–50 cm and the skis sink in 20 cm with each step. Mostly I take those forest paths that are not too steep, but sometimes I follow the ski tracks where even I am as twice as fast.

Some more snow showers pass while I’m skiing cross-country. But then the sun comes out and colourises both sea and clouds deep orange. While I try to find a good spot to take a photo (I have my DSLR with me) the sun has begun to hide again. Photographer’s bad luck!

I pass the lake Rundvannet, while another snow shower approaches. No bathers today.

While I am heading back the sun comes out again, this time for longer. It is pretty low and soon disappears behind the mountains. In 3½ weeks polar night will start in Tromsø.

The huge ski jump of the Grønnåsen Ski Jump Center is a good landmark. Since it is on top of a hill it is visible from many places. Today I will climb up and finally ski down the ski jump to see how far I … well, just kidding.

From the ski jump it is only 800 metres back home. I ski the whole distance although I always feel uncomfortable skiing on the roads. The snow is so slippery there. After 7.5 kilometres – sometimes on tracks but mostly cross-country I am back home again.

Some hours later – 16:12. It is dark and another snow shower has approached. More snow! Anyhow it is only a temporary pleasure. Next week it will get much warmer and from Tuesday 78 mm of rain are expected for the next seen days. I guess the road conditions can be pretty ugly then. I am glad that I was outside in the “preview” of winter 2024/25. Let’s see when the next snow will arrive.

October snow in Tromsø Oct 31 2024

After a period of warmer weather it got colder the weekend and on Monday, 28 October it started to snow. After work I took the bus to the lake Prestvannet and walked home. Some snow showers passed through making the landscape brighter. Most small paths are still wet and some are pretty muddy but apart from that it looked so nice with the first cm of snow.

The next day more snow came at temperatures round zero. After work I walked back pretty the same route (there are zillions of small paths leading through the hilly forests and over some overgrown bogs.) New snow depth: 6–7 cm. That makes a difference, at least visually.

Yesterday I took the bus home, today I walked again. It is 31 October, the last day of the month. The temperature is slightly below freezing and the now snow is fluffy. New snow depth: 15 cm. As the days before I pass the lake Prestvannet that starts freezing over at the edges. It is fun to plunge through the snow but as long as I leave the main tracks – and I do – I’m still glad about my rubber boots because under the clean white blanket of snow there are the same mud puddles as three days before. On the broader gravel paths however the first people have started using their skis.

Fun fact: the photos #2, #7, and #15 show the same motive. From open swampy water to frozen and snowed over in three days.

To Trollvassbu and back Oct 14 2024

Annika and I used last weekend to hike to the cabin Trollvassbu where we’ve been already in August this year. It’s just a bit more than five kilometres to walk, mostly through the forest. In the strong wind it took a long time to warm up the cabin and we were glad to have down sleeping bags with us. Next time we will go there it will be with skis.

Tamokdalen, Rostadalen, Dividalen Oct 9 2024

Sometimes the trains in Northern Sweden run and sometimes they don’t. Last weekend, when my wife Annika planned to travel from Obbola to Tromsø they didn’t. Anyhow she was lucky and got a lift for most of the distance ending in the town Bardufoss. That’s less than two hours from Tromsø so I fetched her from there.

Sunday morning my car was covered with ice flowers. I was very happy that I got my tyres changed two days ago. Now I have studded winter tyres and I feel ready for winterly road conditions.

On my way to Bardufoss I took a detour through the valley Tamokdalen and the side valleys Rautadalen and Dividalen. Still many trees were clad in colourful leaves but a bit higher there where white of snow.

In Dividalen the temperature dropped to -4 °C and the road in the shadow was icy. Thank you, winter tyres!

The valley Dividalen is long and I didn’t make it to the end. On my way back the sun began to set. I crossed the river Målselva that has some river isles and turned left to the main road.

One other stop for a bog covered with frozen grass and a hill with green pines and spruces and yellow birches.

One day later – Annika and I take a walk through the forests nearby. Nature here may be less impressive but I like it very much as well. Two photos with the same theme: autumn, meet winter. What luxury to have access to nature nearby but only two minutes to the next bus stop.

Four autumnal pictures Oct 4 2024

It is the first of October. The wind is blowing and it is raining against the large window panes of the Framsenteret, the building where the Norwegian Polar Institute is located.

Rain in autumnal Tromsø (seen from the Framsenteret)

After work I take the bus to the lake Prestvannet and walk home. That’s about 4 to 5 kilometres depending on which of the zillion routes you choose. I prefer the small paths. Rubber boots recommended. It is still raining anyhow it has become colder and more and more sleet mixes with the raindrops. When I cross one of the broader ways the sun peeks through the clouds creating a beautiful light. I really enjoy these walks home and do it twice a week.

The sun peeks through the cloud but still rain and sleet fall down

Today it is three days later. I wake up early and it is snowing, but the roads are dark and wet. After work I’m taking a smaller promenade through the neighbouring forest. Some patches of the morning snow have remained.

On the grass some morning snow has remained

My way back home leads along a small path over one of the bog. The grass is turning yellow and so are the birch trees. Some of them have lost there leaves. The mountain Tromsdalstinden in the background has been snow white for many days. And the weather is pretty fair. A good end of the workweek. Now it is weekend and guess what – it will rain tomorrow.

Bog, autumnal forest, and snowy Tromsdalstinden

Four days hiking in Tromsø – part two Aug 9 2024

It is the morning of 5th of August, the third day of Annika’s and my four day hiking tour in the fjell of Tromsø’s mainland. (Part I)

Day 3 – Blåkollkoia—Trollvassbu

We are at the small and cosy cabin Blåkollkoia and will hike to the next and last cabin Trollvassbu. With round 13 km it is the longest stage, which is actually not so long after all.

The weather is still calm, sunny and pretty warm. We leave round 9 o’clock. The way leads up through sparse birch forests with wet ground. The air is humid and feels hot in the sun. We are sweating and walk quite slowly. After a good km we leave the forested valley behind. Now we have an easy path to walk on over the vidda – the mountain plateau.

Red blueberry twigs on the mountain plateau

But still we are pretty slow. Why? Because of the many berries to pick and to eat. It’s not only the omnipresent blueberries but a lot of multe, Norwegian for cloudberries. They prefer boggy ground with normally zillions of mosquitoes around. This year however the summer was dry and so was most of the ground. Too dry for the mosquitoes. Yeah! I don’t think I ever ate so many cloudberries on a single day as today.

This part of the trail is very easy to hike and it is a pleasure to follow the small path. We really liked it. Some birds – long-tailed-jaegers – however don’t want to have us around. They are flying mock attacks. Soon they realise that we’re just passing and leave us alone. Beautiful birds nevertheless.

Long-tailed Jaeger – part of the skua family

We continue walking through the mellow landscape and meet only a single person – a hiker we already met two days before.

Winding path – the cabin is almost in view

The terrain is undulating and the views are constantly changing. So the question is: when will we see the cabin for the first time? Oh – there it is, less than a kilometre away. It lies on an idyllic place by the river Trollvasselva. We are lucky, the river carries water. Most of the smaller streams have been dried out and it was not so easy to find water to drink.

We arrive at the cabin in early afternoon. There are two hikers in the cabin but they do not stay overnight. So we will have the cabin completely for ourselves. We unpack our things, take a snack and wash ourselves in the river. In the evening it is spaghetti time. „Pasta pesto.“

Day 4 – Trollvassbu—Snarbyeidet

Today it is only five kilometres to the bus stop by the road. We have to leave early to catch the bus at 9:55.

I was awake early and took the opportunity to fly my drone. I need some training for the cruise I’ll join next week. Again the vastness of the landscape is impressive. Then we take breakfast, pack our stuff, tidy up and are ready to lock the cabin with the DNT-key.

Looking back from a bird’s-eye perspective

And off we go. Some hundred metres in open terrain before we enter a dense birch forest that will surround us for the next kilometres. To the right, down in the valley we can hear and sometimes see the river.

The last hundred metres are more open terrain again. There is even a short boardwalk we follow. Minutes (and a bunch of blueberries) later we arrive at the parking place where the busstop is. Time to drop the backpacks and wait for the bus.

At ten o’clock we climb into the bus. We have reliable internet again and are back in civilisation. I’m glad that we did the tour. It is pure luxury to have such tour opportunities right on the doorstep.

Change of subject while sitting in the bus: where is the Polarstern actually? I will visit this German research ice breaker two days later. Oh it already arrived in Grøtsund. And there it is, we can see it from the bus.

Thanks Annika for the wonderful tour. Takk for turen!

I really want to thank the people from the Troms section of the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT). The cabins are great, in great shape and you all do a fantastic job. Now we are looking to visit the place again in wintertime which according to the guestbooks seems to be the preferred season of many locals.

Four days hiking in Tromsø – part one Aug 7 2024

Prologue

I am sitting in the bus number 24, the bus that usually brings me to work.

But not today. It is Saturday, my wife Annika is with me and we will not leave the bus in the center but at the last stop „Kroken“. We have backpacks with us and are about to start a four-day hiking trip through the mountains on Tromsø’s mainland. We leave the bus stop behind, follow the street to the parking place above, pass the graffitis on the “trykkbassenget” and then …

Day 1 – Kroken—Skarvassbu

… we are on the hiking trail. Between the following two photos lie six minutes.

We are following the broad trail slowly gaining altitude and it doesn’t take long till we reach the tree line, which is between 300 and 400 metres in Tromsø. When we look back we can see the northern tipp of the island Tromsøya, but soon the city disappears behind the mountains.

At the lake Krokvatnet the path gets steeper and rockier. We celebrate every cloud because it is a warm summer day with temperatures above 20 °C.

With every hundred metres of altitude the landscape is changing. Soon rocks dominate the landscape, being a perfect habitat for the lichens growing on them.Here we are at an altitude of 700 metres – the highest of our whole trip.

Now we are descending again. Larger lakes have come into view: Čazajávrrit (or Storskarvatnan) and Storskarvatnet. Yes, the Norwegian names are almost alike.+

Between the lakes the cabin Skarvassbu is supposed to be – and there it is. A couple of black-roofed buildings, perhaps a kilometre away. We cross some more boulder fields and then arrive at the cabin. We have a DNT-key with us. That key fits to all but a few cabins of the DNT (the Norwegian Trekking Association), We unlock the door and enter the “hytte”. As many in Norway it is very cozy.

We have pre-booked two beds – probably quite unnecessary, since we will be alone in the night. Since it has been a dry summer the river usually being used to fetch water is dried up completely.

Luckily the small lake nearby has clear water and I fill one of the cabin’s buckets. A bit later I return to the lake to take photos from the cottongrass.

One of the things I love being out in the mountains for several days is watching the changes of light. It still does not get dark but still the sky shows evening colours.

Day 2 – Skarvassbu—Blåkollkoia

When I wake up at 5 o’clock it is broad daylight. It is Sunday, the 4th of August and sunrise was already at 2:45. No reasons for a photo session, I continue sleeping. At 8 o’clock I take some photos with my drone. It’s the first time I have it with me while hiking. Some aerial photos can be pretty boring but the extent of the landscape is often impressive. The mountain in the background is Tromsdalstinden (1238 m).

We have Müsli for breakfast. For milk we mix our milk powder with water. Perhaps not our favourite meal, bit it easy to carry and provides energy for our long trip. Wait, did I write “long”? Today it is only 5–6 km to go.

The first part takes a bit of time because the hiking trail crosses a large boulder field. The marks of red paint – sometimes a dot, sometimes a “T” – are guiding us.

We have left the worst rock fields behind and are looking at a lovely, grassy mountain valley from the escarpment we are standing on. That looks nice! But first we have to follow the winding path that leads down. We pass one of the rare and small snow fields. It has been a warm year and even many higher mountains are free of snow.

And then we reach the alpine meadows that present us a treasure: Blueberries!

According to some tour description Annika found in the net there are rivers to cross. Wading however was not required, all rivers and brooks had very low water levels and were easy to cross and so was the river Goahtevuomieatnu (or Norwegian: Tønsvikelva). We are walking along the river and soon the small cabin Blåkollkoia comes into view where we arrive round noon.

In the afternoon Annika and I go to the river again. We want to check how to cross it the next day, we want to fetch water, we want to clean some clothes and we want to bath. Four times success: There is a bridge, there are nice places to refill our water bottles and to do some cleaning and most important: there is a deeper spot perfect for taking a refreshing bath on an even warmer day. We dry ourselves in the sun and then are sitting by the river for an eternity. This is definitely a highlight of the tour that I will remember for a long time!

And we still have plenty of time. For reading, for taking photos of birds …

… for flying my drone again …

… for preparing dinner (Pancakes with blueberries), for enjoying sun and seeking shadow and for enjoying life.

Note to ourselves: if you want to make pancakes, bring butter or oil …

The next day we will continue to Trollvassbu, with 13+ km it will be the longest day of our four day hiking trip which on the one hand is far, far away from everything and on the other part of the neighbourhood of my work town Tromsø. What a special place in many ways!

Bjuröklubb over night Jul 1 2024

Annika and I have been in Bjuröklubb a lot, especially when I lived in Skelleftehamn, but never we stayed overnight. Anyhow, there is a cabin called Spanarstugan and that we booked for a night last weekend. The cabin is modern and quite large but still cosy. It has electricity, and running water as well as toilet are not far away.

Spanarstuga. Bjuröklubb – the living room

After a short lunch in the shadow of the large yellow lighthouse building we took a promenade to the beacon Bjuroklubb NÖ. The way there involved some climbing over rock fields but the view was worth it.

At 7 o’clock in the evening we went down the gravel road to the small marina where we sat for a while and watched the sky, the sea and a lonely sea bird.

Then we went up again – the ways are short – to the lighthouse building. The sun was partially hidden behind clouds and the light was warm and beautiful.

Round 11 o’clock in the evening I took another stroll up to the wooden view platform. I wanted to watch the sunset. First the sun was round and red then it resembled more and more a huge glowing jellyfish until it morphed into a small dash and disappeared behind the horizon.

Annika and I were in doubt if the lighthouse would be active in summer, when it doesn’t get dark. But round sunset I could see the light go on, blinking in a steady rhythm.

I sat there for a moment but then I became tired. So I walked down and went to bed where after slaughtering some mosquitoes I fast fell asleep.

In the night it rained, in the morning it was foggy but after breakfast and cleaning up the cabin the weather was sunny again. We enjoyed our stay there very much and started wondering, if this place is accessible in wintertime as well.