The Baltic Sea is open Mar 30 2017

The temperatures were quite different in the last days. Sometimes it was -7 °C in the morning and even cold at daytime, sometimes it was warm with temperatures round +10 °C and frost-free nights.

But it wasn’t the warm temperatures that eliminated the ice on the Baltic Sea, it was the stormy and gusty winds that broke it apart and blew it away from the coast. Now I could easily paddle again to and even round the island Gåsören if I only had the time. There are however other things to do right now and so it’ll have to wait a bit.

Ice fishing in Skelleftehamn Mar 25 2017

When it’s as warm and sunny as today many ice fishers enjoy sitting on their little folding stools on the ice, that still covers a small part of the bay Kallholmsfjärden in Skelleftehamn. I guess it’s both the glorious springlike weather as well as the knowledge that there may not be many opportunities left to set foot on the ice and do “pimpelfiske” this season. The open water in the background is quite near.

Some hours earlier: I stand at the very edge of the peninsula Näsgrundet and look at the Baltic Sea, which is partly ice covered and partly open. As it looks, I could both walk and paddle to the island Gåsören. I do neither nor. I don’t dare walking since the ice may be weak and I’m just too lazy to take the kayak today.

Sunny morning at the coast Mar 16 2017

Sunny morning at the wintry coast of the Baltic Sea

It’s a sunny morning today with temperatures slightly above zero. It’s windy too and I was glad that I’d been not too optimistic about the warmth and had a isolating jacket with me when I strolled along the wintry coast of Skelleftehamn today.

The Baltic Sea is covered with a thick layer of ice and snow and it looks like full winter, but when I crouched on the ground to make another photo I heard a bird voice high above me. I looked up and spotted two seagulls, floating high in the air. One of the seagulls cried again. Seagulls need open water and their appearance is one of my favourite signs of spring. When I looked at the horizon I saw a small but clear line of dark blue flickering in the warmed up air. Over there the Baltic Sea is already open. You can see it on the picture too.

À propos warmed up air: My winter garden – unisolated and unheated – has already 15 °C and the temperature is rising with every minute. The March sun has a lot of power.

Mountaineering in Skelleftehamn Mar 10 2017

It’s a well hidden secret, that there are mountains in Skelleftehamn. They are completely snow covered and not a single tree is able to prosper on the rocky slopes under these harsh conditions.

Today I decided to climb up two of the snowy summits. I guess I’ve been the first person that conquered these mountains in wintertime. Not easy to achieve, since the slopes are quite steep and I slipped back several times due to bad equipment. The view from the top however rewarded the efforts.

View from one of the summits of the Skelleftehamn mountains

Wait, whoa! Mountains in Skelleftehamn, what’s that all about?

OK, I have to confess, that I didn’t write anything about the altitudes yet. Those mountains that I “conquered” today, are barely 10 meters high and just huge piles of rocks and rubble that were dumped near the shore last year. In summer they were quite ugly but covered with snow as now they appear quite beautiful from some perspectives.

Of course the ascent was short and took hardly a minute, even if it was quite steep indeed. To add some drama after this anticlimax I want to point out, that there had been avalanches rolling down the steepest slope:

Skiing from Skelleftehamn to Skellefteå Mar 6 2017

In summer 2015 I tested the Kraftleden, which connects Skelleftehamn, where I live, with the town of Skellefteå. I’d found it not worth to go, since it was both a bit boring and in bad shape (thickets, boggy ground …).

Anyway Kraftleden was originally a cross-country ski trail, not a hiking trail and when I read that the trail is well-prepared for the Kraftloppet – a cross-country ski competition that takes place next weekend – I thought about giving it a second chance, this time on skis.

I started at the very same starting point as 20 months before. Temperature was round -13 °C, perfect for skiing.

After I followed the scooter trails some hundred metres I reached the electrical power line, name giver of the Kraftleden and starting point of the well-prepared ski trail.

(Power line in Swedish is “kraftledning”, which sounds quite similar to “Kraftleden”, meaning “the power trail”.)

And that’s what the first part of the Kraftleden looked like: A straight on ski trail under a power line. As in summer I found it a bit boring but the fantastic prepared ski trail compensated the slightly dull surrounding. I cursed a bit, because my own cross-country skis are really old and sooo sloooow. So I decided to ignore the fact, that I was slow and moved like a troll and to enjoy the great weather instead. And weather was just great!

Winter forest I (do you see the snowmobile?)

Perhaps two hours later I could see the first houses of Morö backe, a district of Skellefteå, but it took me almost another hour (including finding the right way), until I finished my tour at Vitberget, Skellefteås ski centrum.

The ski slope of Vitberget in Skellefteå

Now I unmounted my skis and took a promenade into the center, where I visited a friend, had a lunch and then took the bus back to Skelleftehamn.

Conclusion: The Kraftleden is nice to ski in winter, when prepared. Today I went it the first time, but definitely the last time with my ancient skis. I have to buy new ones.

Purple sunrise over the Baltic Sea in Skelleftehamn Mar 5 2017

Home again Mar 2 2017

This article is part of the series “2017-02: Northern Norway”.

After a fantastic two week journey through the wintry Northern Norway Annika and I have arrived in Skelleftehamn today. But before I could park my car on my property we had a bit work to do: skotta snö – snow shovelling. A lot of snow came the last days and especially the 70 cm high plogkanten – the hard pressed snow of the snowplough – gave a good workout. I guess that 60-70 cm of snow lie on my backyard now, but I didn’t have measured yet.

“Plogkanten” – weather and snowplough left a lot of snow on my property

In Sweden people use to say “borta bra men hemma bäst” which means “being away is good, being home is best”. I however like to be home but I’m fond of travelling at least equally and one of the reasons why I live in Northern Sweden is that it simplifies travelling to all known and unknown places in Northern Scandinavia.

Addendum

We arrived too early. We had an appointment in Skellefteå in the evening and when we came back two hours later, someone has taken away all the snow on and round my garage driveway. I guess, it was a neighbour. I have to find out who it was to thank him or her.

Slippery When Wet Feb 13 2017

We got roller coaster weather again. Yesterday morning we had -15 °C and in the evening about +3 °C.

Today Annika, two friends and I made an excursion to Kågnäsudden onto the ice. It was even warmer than yesterday (+7°C) and quite windy. The surface of the thick ice was very wet with many puddles of clear ice water and the structure looked like the rippled sand of the tidal flats in Northern Germany. The wind gusts blew tiny ripples over the large meltwater pools and it looked like the ice shield would reach as far as Finland.

But no – it didn’t. The wind and the waves had started to break the ice. We crossed the ice and went to the near island Kågnäshällan. We all were equipped with either spikes or snowshoes to be able to go on the slippery, wet ice.

Right behind the seaside shore of Kågnäshällan we could see the waves lifting and lowering the ice and finally breaking it apart. The rocks round the light tower were bare of ice – too warm was this season’s winter weather.

The lighthouse on the islet Kågnäshällan

Along the rocky shore lay large blocks of ice. They glittered in the sun because they were wet and free of snow.

Icy landscape along the rocky coast of Kågnäshällan

These ice floes were found everywhere. Along the coast but even between the small alder trees further on land. I guess that one of the high water levels this winter had flushed these ice floes ashore where they razored the bark from the thin tree trunks.

And the winter on land? Less and less snow – much too warm – I’m longing for colder weather and snow. Probably it will come in the beginning of May …

Winter Swimming World Cup and Scandinavian Championship 2017 Feb 12 2017

The official photos from yesterdays winter swimming competition in Skellefteå

Light snow fall in the sun Feb 9 2017

This morning the temperatures were round -12 °C, it was cloudy and snow fell. The snow looked like crystalline down feathers and was so light and fluffy that you could easily blow it away. Around noon the sun came out, but it didn’t snow snowing. This is probably one of my favourite winter weather sensations and I love the look of the sunlit glittering and glistening snow flakes slowly sinking down, covering the ground with a gentle layer of white, fresh snow.