From the shadow into the sun Nov 19 2023

It has snowed quite a bit in Tromsø the last days and the snow depth measured this morning was 50 cm. The weather was fair and so there was no reason for me not to start the back country skiing season today.

I take the car to the parking at the Finnvikdalen on the island Kvaløya, where I started some other day trip ski tours the last years. I arrive at nine o’clock and am first. I change boots and jackets, put on gloves, mount the skis and off I go. The snow is fresh and fluffy and I guess that I won’t see my skis today a lot when I don’t follow another track.

First my skis sink 10–20 cm into the snow, later it will be more like 20–40. When I approach an old ski track covered in snow I decide to follow it. Where it will bring me? I’ll see.

At the beginning the track winds through the sparse birch forests. Everything looks quite grey and dull in the dim twilight.

When I however look back I see the first colour in the sky: A thin red cloud.

Twenty minutes later the southeastern sky is filled with the colours of sunrise. Which is no surprise, because it is actually sunrise. Somewhere far away behind the mountains of the mainland.

I continue following the old track. Looks like someone dragged a pulka behind. On one of the hills I spot a cabin. It is Stillvannsbua, a hut open for everyone and a popular tour destination.

The track passes the cabin and so do I. Shortly after I meet a guy with a pulka. Probably he tented somewhere around. Was it him making this track? Probably, because soon it ends and I continue on areas of loose, untouched snow. Exhausting but beautiful.

On a lot of places the snow under my skis reacts with a loud, muffled noise and the snow sinks down a centimetre or two. The noise spreads in all directions for one or two seconds, a clear sign that the snow is quite unstable. But I’m in the midst of a valley– no avalanche risk here. When I reach the end of a valley I do not dare to proceed to steeper terrain but turn back. I am exhausted anyhow.

On my way back I still cannot see the sun. It is too low to be visible from here. The sky however is even more colourful and then it even starts to snow a bit. Snow and sun – one of my favourite weathers.

Some higher mountains are already sunlit …

And then there it is – the sun! It just appeared from behind a mountain.

All of a sudden the snow is not a featureless white but you can see every feature of the surface. The snowy land has got its colours back.

Everything that is lit by the low sun now shines in the most beautiful warm colours and I enjoy every moment of it. It is only nine other days, then the sun won’t rise again in Tromsø before 16 January. Polar night.

Now I’m not alone any more. A lot of skiers come towards me, many of them with a dog that pulls the skier. Three hours after I have started the tour I arrive at the parking again. The tour was short – just 7½ km – but the main thing was achieved: having been out in the wonderful nature that surrounds Tromsø.

Back in Obbola – the shortest ski tour Apr 1 2023

Two weeks ago I was in Longyearbyen, one week ago I was in Tromsø, my “work home” and yesterday evening I arrived in Obbola, Annika’s and my “home home”. Annika mentioned already, that we have quite a lot of snow.

Yesterday it was too dark, but this morning I could see our barbecue place. Sort of. While the benches were snowed in completely, the grillage was still visible.

Time for a walk to the tiny coastal promontory, that is round 160 metres from our house. The first steps the snow held, then my legs broke 90 cm deep into the snow. The same happened with the next steps. So I chose an alternative way of transport.

I chose the wooden Tegsnäs skis because the ski binding takes every shoe and I didn’t have to look for my ski boots. It is quite wobbly to ski on them – they are 240 cm long and the binding is very loose – but deep snow is no issue anymore. And so it took perhaps two minutes until I reached the promontory. Perhaps my shortest ski tour ever?

I love our coast in winter. The snowed in islet, the blank ice, the open water on 1 April. It’s beautiful and it’s home. I’m glad, that I’ll be here for the next weeks.

Skitour on the Austeråsfjellet Mar 26 2023

Slowly I’m gaining height with my fjellski. It is sunny and almost windless. Round -6 °C. I seem to be alone. I start traversing a slope while continuing gaining height. I’m nervous. I’m not a downhill skier and every metre I ski up I have to ski down again somewhere.

Mission accomplished: I’m above the tree line. Above me the blue ski, below the white snow. And, while I go further I get another blue: The sea.

When I look back I can see the whole island Tromsøya. Somewhere over there in the south, hidden by the wooded hills is my small rented apartment.

Tromsøya as seen from the Austeråsfjellet

I didn’t plan a route for today. I just wanted to be out enjoying the winter. But when a heap of stones marks a top and it’s easy to reach I have to ski there. Mountain summit 1: Kraknesaksla (ca.335 m). With a nice view into the sound Grøtsundet.

According to the map there are some lakes a bit down. The lakes are invisible. There is only snow. What I can see are the buildings. One small cabin and a wee, tiny shed with a wind turbine. The cabin is closed and I cannot see any sign. Probably it’s private.

I continue my ski trip. I have reached a vidda – a plateau.

Now I start to see other people. A single skier, a group of three going uphills, a skier with a dog in the distance. Most locals love to be outdoors but perhaps not as early as I.

I decide to ski to a mountain top I found on my map app Norgeskart. It’s called Jerremaš (467 m) and is a kilometre away. On the way there I see that the group of three heads into the same direction while two others are already returning. Seems to be a popular place.

And it is. I’m not alone. Several other skiers are sitting there, enjoying the sun, talking Norwegian. Almost all of them are 65+.

I look at the 360 degree panorama. There are snowy mountain chains everywhere, the sound Kvalsundet, the island Ringvassøya and somewhere in the northwest the Norwegian Sea.

How shall I continue the tour? Skiing downhills and letting the others watch how I fall face first into the snow? As I mentioned before, I’m not a downhill skier. The others are probably all former Olympic athletes. I decide to take a small detour …

I start to ski down. To my surprise the hills are gentle and the snow is soft and uniform. I manage to ski downhill the broad, snowy slopes and I’m enjoying it. Sometimes I even think, it is too slow.

Much faster than expected I leave the vidda behind. I pass the first trees and see more and more tracks – and skiers. Many of them are skiing on the prepared ski trail that cuts through the valley like a German Autobahn. Others just sit on a mat in the snow taking a break.

A hole in the snow triggers my curiosity. I ski there and look down. A shallow mountain stream flows down there. Open water. It’s comforting that the snow layer is more than a metre thick.

Now it’s only some more kilometres to ski back to the parking lot where I started my ski tour this morning. Although I’m avoiding the prepared ski trail it is obvious, that more and more skiers have been here the weekend. Ski tracks everywhere.

After round about 17 kilometres I’m back at the car. Pretty exhausted and thirsty but very satisfied.

Here’s a map from today’s ski tour. I went counterclockwise. Red is faster than green but still not fast. I’m not a downhill skier.

A short ski tour to the cabin Trollvassbu Feb 11 2023

Prelude

What do you need to go skiing? (A) snow? Or (B) a shopping cart?

This week started warm, rainy and very windy. On the Norwegian sea a full storm was raging. Boat traffic was cancelled, bridges and schools closed. Here’s a Norwegian article: Uværet stopper fergetrafikk og skoler stengt – NRK Nordland.

Tromsø however is quite protected by the surrounding mountains. I saw this shopping card was thrown on the empty parking lot, nothing more. The ice was probably more dangerous but I have good spikes for my boots.

Two days ago the temperatures had dropped and snow was falling gently when I went to work. Yesterday it was still snowing, but less gently as you can see on the second image.

Skiing

Since then round 30 cm of snow had fallen. I packed ski and other stuff into my car and drove to a parking place on the mainland. It took a while to go there. First it’s 40 km and then there were some heavy snow showers. Sometimes it was hard to follow the road and I almost went through a red traffic light because it was snowed in.

Then I reached the parking place. Is it cleared? Well, I don’t know, I only see white. Let’s try …

I tried to back but it was obvious, that the car got stuck in a snow drift. The problem was not only the packed snow under the car, but also a layer of ice under the snow. The tyres just were spinning. So I had to dig out my car and decided to do it before skiing. 15 minutes warm-up with my snow spade, then the car was free.

There was another car, otherwise I was alone. I dressed for the tour and started. Plan for today: the cabin Trollvassbo, just 4 km away. It started snowing and wind increased. Mountains and other features were invisible. The snow was loose and my skis sank 15 cm with each step. But I was lucky. The pale spot in the distance turned out to be three women, that had stayed overnight in Trollvassbu. Following their ski track was of course not much less exhausting and I hadn’t to care much about navigation. Nice!

After two kilometres the track was lost in nothing. Snow and wind had filled the track. Sometimes it cleared up a bit and I could see the mountains, sometimes a new snow shower approached.

But then, after 3½ km I spotted it – the cabin. Somewhere behind the drifting snow.

Another 800 metres and I arrived. The cabins of the Norwegian tourist association DNT are locked, but luckily all with the same key – which I had with me today. So I could take a rest inside.

Oh, lovely! The cabin was cosy and still warm. I took a frugal lunch – water and crisp bread. I regretted, that I didn’t took some real lunch with me, here where I could use the gas stove. Anyhow I stayed there for almost an hour.

I took a photo of the snow drift behind the cabin and then started my way back to the car. Just while I took out the camera to take a picture of a mountain a snow cloud approached. Half a minute later the mountains was gone. Another half a minute later I skied through a heavy snow shower.

I put off my backpack to firmly tie up my snow spade and continued. Anyhow this was last stormy shower. Then it cleared up a bit and I could see the mountains again. I was more easterly than on the way there. Here the terrain was more sheltered from the wind. This means less wind but also deeper snow. Since there was no track left I skied through 20 cm of loose snow. So although I skied down a bit I was hardly any faster than on the way there. But that doesn’t matter, it’s not a competition.

The whole ski tour took less than 3½ hours including the break. Plus 15 minutes of shovelling. Plus 1½ hours of car driving. It’s near to impossible to reach all these great places round Tromsø by public transport, especially on weekends.

Warmly recommended if you have a car and want to have an easy tour without steep slopes. Perhaps you’ll get more friendly weather.

Two weekends in Tromsø Jan 17 2023

No, I will not write about this year’s warm January weather in Tromsø, the sleet showers, the icy roads, the rain today. I will write about the last two weekends.

Saturday, 7 January

My first ski tour this year. And since I’m a lousy downhiller I start again at the parking place at Finnvika on the island Kvaløya where terrain is not steep. At the parking place I meet a group of skiers, each with a dog but we have different directions and soon I’m alone and will be for the rest of the tour. It is not sunny – we still have polar night – but the sky is blue and bright. I ski cross-country, I’m too lazy no navigate. Slowly I gain high, it won’t be more than round 300 metres today.

The forecast is right, it gets windier and gustier by the hour and the snow is drifting over the barren rocks and the snow fields.

Some hours and 9 km later I’m back at the car. Some mountain tops have huge cloud-like objects in the lee. It’s drifting and blowing snow, a clear sign for high wind speeds.

Tomorrow I planned to take a tour to Sommarøya together with Marika who works at the Norwegian Polar Institute as well. We wanted to watch the waves in the storm.

Sunday, 8 January

Already the day before I changed plans. The weather service forecasted wind gusts up to 27 m/s. That’s not the weather where I want to cross wind-exposed bridges with my car. I just walk to the near shore to spot the waves there. Tromsø however is quite sheltered between mainland and the island Kvaløya and the waves are not so huge.

Saturday, 14 January

A lazy day. Nothing more to say.

Sunday, 15 January

I fetch Marika and we take the car to Sommarøya. No storm, no wave watching, just sightseeing and being outside. We stop at the road through the valley Gáhttovuonvággi (Sami) or Kattfjorddalen (Norwegian) to take photos from the mountains that shone brightly in front of the dark, purple clouds. They look harsh and untouchable.

On Sommarøya we walk around and visit some of the sandy beaches. Don’t let the clear, turquoise water fool you – it’s not the tropics and the water is ice cold. From the beaches and hills there are a zillion views to the mountains and islands around. It’s a beautiful spot, just an hour away and I should go there more often.

Next weekend?

Well, the weather forecast does not look too promising, but we’ll see. Maybe the next blog article shows only black-and-white photos.

Break at work IV – skiing through the forest Dec 16 2022

It’s Friday, the last day before weekend and the last opportunity this week to take a break at work.

In the morning I participated a workshop via video conference from my home office in Obbola. I just love the view through the window, where I can see the sun rising over the Baltic Sea and the snow covered backyard.

The workshop ended at 12:20. Right after that I took my old backcountry skis and dressed for a ski tour through the forests. Sunny, calm, -12°C. I wanted to go “Spåret”, a local forest trail. I followed the gravel road, crossed a ditch and followed the trail. Some hundred metres I was lost. When the snow is fresh everything looks quite alike. So I just made my own path. The fluffy snow was as deep as on the trail.

Later I found Spåret again and followed it. I walked through the shadows because the sun didn’t rise more than 3.3° above the horizon today. But at the part north of the treeless swamp the sun had a chance to peek into the forest edge.

At the road I decided to walk straight ahead instead of turning right to avoid the asphaltwith my skis. This was when I lost Spåret for good. Mostly I followed animal tracks because optical orientation is hard when it looks like this:

But it was fun because there was always something to see, even in a forest covered with 40 cm of snow. A frozen puddle at the rim of a swamp – a small pine covered with rime – thick animal tracks – the temporary (and abandoned) snow cave of a black grouse.

Sometimes I could see a roof of the house or hear a car. It’s Obbola, no wilderness. And so I came to the road that we use to take to town. I didn’t follow it but took a side road today. Less asphalt, more snow!

I arrived home at 13:55, some minutes after sunset. Again the horizon was coloured orange – and again I had a video meeting.

A sunny ski tour to Bønntuva May 20 2022

Three weeks ago I made a ski tour to mountain summit Bønntuva. There was a layer of half a metre of fresh snow and it snowed so much, that navigation was quite demanding.

This morning I decided to take a day off and do a ski tour to Bønntuva again, because finally the weather is sunny and warmer. No snowfall, no sleet, no stacked cloud layers, just a blue sky.

Same routine: Park the car, buy a ticket for Fjellheisen, the cable car and check, how much snow has melted away from the swing and the slide on the playground. Well, not much!

The playground at the summit station is still snowed in

But you see the difference. Patches of heather and more rocks are visible. The cabin Steinbøhytta however is still snowed in, too.

The cabin Steinbøhytta is still snowed in as well

The only other skier, that started with me – you see him on the first photo – is far ahead and so I have the mountains for myself.

Thanks to my short climbing skins that you can hook into the skis and the easy conditions I reach the the summit of Bønntuva earlier than expected. Time for a short rest and a photo with self-timer. (To the right the selfie from 19 days before ;-) )

The view is marvellous. It’s mountains everywhere. Some are rocky, some are snowy. Some are steep, some are rounded. Some are by the fjords, others amidst other mountains. So beautiful!

After the break I decide to ski back. I am pretty nervous because the snow is fast and I am a lousy downhill skier. Where other carve beautiful sinus waves into the snowy slopes I walk more zigzag. Anyhow I manage to ski down the Bønntuva (which is not steep at all). Now I start to meet other people. Some on skis, some with hiking boots, because the snow is quite compact. I use one track of a skier to bypass the summit of Fløya – a good track, that slowly leads downwards.

After I pass the cabin I unmount my backcountry skis to walk down a steeper passage. Then I mount them again and all of a sudden I feel a bit more comfortable. I have a bit more control and can even do some bends by ploughing. Nice! Next year I should stand more on my skis! But this I say every spring. We will see what next winter has in store for me.

I arrive at the summit station ten minutes before the cable car goes down. Time to take a photo of Tromsø on the island Tromsøya and the mountains of the island Kvaløya in the background.

Then it’s time to leave the winter, go down by cable car and then stop the parking timer in the app, because parking at Fjellheisen is expensive!

My first “topptur“ Jan 29 2022

Just 14 km by car to the parking place on Kvaløya and I’m at the southern end of the two valleys Finnvikdalen and Krabbelvdalen. I put on the skis, put on the backpack, up with the hood and I’m ready to ski. -14 °C, hardly any wind.

First I follow an old track, perhaps two skiers and two with snowshoes went there. But soon I leave it to follow the Krabbelvdalen. Further plans: none yet.

Slowly the terrain rises. I do not have climbing skins with me but mostly I can ski just straight ahead. I’m alone and leave a track in yesterday’s freshly fallen snow.

I spot a cabin by a mountain slope and realise that the mountains may be not as steep as they looked first. Could it be possible for me to ski over the saddle between the two summits of the Mellaskarfjellet (301 m and 325 m) to make a round trip? Well, at least I can try. To gain height I have to go zigzag a lot and some of the snow is hard and icy. I’m a lousy skier and wonder if I ever will be able to ski downhills and leave this place. Well, I reach the saddle and it’s only 40 more metres in altitude to the southern top. Let’s go and make the round trip a topptur – a summit tour.

To make a long zig-zag story short: I reach it! I put on my down jacket and take a rest with a bit of chocolate and half frozen water.

The descent to the Finnvikdalen takes some time. I do not dare to ski straight downhills because parts of the snow are icy and other parts is crusted powder snow where you break though. So I take it slow and easy.

I see two other skiers with a dog approaching. While I slowly ski downhills they catch up and thank me for the track I made while passing.

Two reindeer nibble at the birch trees, I’ll never will understand how they can survive cold winters with this nutrition. The dog is quite interested. “Will is run? Is it fun?”. But alas it is on a leash and the reindeer calmly trots through the snow to find another birch to nibble at.

Now it is me who is the lucky one. The dog owners leave a fresh ski track on which I at least double my tempo. They head to something that looks like a broader ski track and so it it. It leads to a mountain hut.

A lot of skiers are on this trail. After I have passed the hut I’m on a broad trail prepared by a snow mobile. Now I can ski even faster (still slow ;-) ) but I’m unsure where this trail leads me. I continue following it constantly checking my map app until it signals that I’m on my old track again. What? Where? Here? I do not recognise this place!

Some hours ago I was alone, now a broad track cuts through the landscape. I pass the very same tree that I photographed this morning. Ok, the app is right. The parking place comes into sight, it is full of cars. Just a bit more to go and I arrive at my car. While I stop my tracking app and change my clothes other people pass me on both sides.

I guess many Norwegians would just laugh about me calling my today’s tour a topptur, since the summit is a hill, not a serious mountain. Many Norwegians are excellent skiers and topptur is used for alpine style tour skiing often in steep terrain, not necessarily for cross-country skiing . Anyhow I liked this tour and give it the name I think it deserves from my perspective.

On the map you can both see my zigzagging near the summit and that I was significantly faster on the trail back ( slow | fast).

To my big surprise it has become colder. -16 °C the car thermometer shows now. At home it is only -7 °C. I wonder why because both places are located quite near the sea.

Four winter days in and round Obbola Jan 9 2022

OK guys, it’s Sunday afternoon and I’m too lazy to write long texts. I just show some photos of the last days where our German friend Medi joined Annika and me on various excursions with some notes.

Thursday, 6 January – skiing in Västermarks naturreservat

+++ Västermarks naturreservat, 50 km north from Umeå +++ a non-commercial forest made us climb over and under fallen trees that lay across the marked loop trail +++ by the trail a wooden cabin +++ time was too short to fire the oven but lighting candles is cozy, too +++

Friday, 7. January – lunch break skiing

+++ right next to our postbox (500 metres from our house) starts Spåret, a 3600 metre long forest trail +++ we use back-country skis to ski Spåret in my prolonged lunch break +++ we, that’s Dirk – guest for two nights – Medi and I +++ -12 °C, but my Anorak is too warm +++ I tie it round my hip +++ on the photo it looks like a skirt +++

Photo: Dirk Thomas

Saturday, 8 January — cross-country skiing on Olle’s Spår

+++ grey weather, -14 °C +++ the trees are covered with snow +++ black-and-white imagery +++ after some days of back-country skiing it’s nice to use cross-country skis on a real trail +++

Sunday, 9 January – Northern lights and sunrise

+++ 1 o’clock in the night +++ I check for Northern lights +++ we are lucky +++ Medi and Annika watch the aurora beside of the garage +++ I take some photos from our garden +++

+++ 8:20 in the morning +++ the Baltic Sea freezes over more and more +++ sunrise colours by the sea  +++ and then in our garden +++ watching sunrise while taking breakfast +++

Still Sunday, 9 January – Strömbäck-Kont

+++ just a short walk at one of Annika’s and my favourite places: Strömbäck-Kont +++ looking at the ice ridge by the sea +++

Still Sunday, 9 January – halo effects

+++ after lunch we are taking Medi to the airport +++ strong and colourful parhelion or sun dogs halos +++ the photo is taken at the airport +++ I am questioned by the security and show the taken photos to prove I’m not a spy +++

Happy New Year 2022 Jan 1 2022

Some photos from New Year’s ski promenade with friends. We were lucky – clear sky and -12 °C gave perfect conditions for some outdoor BBQ at Stora Stenen. And when the wind increased we went inside the wooden cabin of this public recreation area and fired the oven.

Have a Happy New Year 2022 all together!

Older articles >