Tuesday 10/8 – Monday 16/8

Tuesday 10/8

I slept like a log until 7, and then slumbered on and off for over an hour more. The sky held a few high wads of cloud and there was no wind. No one had arrived during the night, and with the absence of people came an increased presence of rodents and birds on the yard to compensate. Having had breakfast I prepared to have another go at fishing, and went out at 09:30.

First up was the rock beside the bath bay, and then I proceeded northwards. It was often very nearly still and so the water was like a mirror, and it was very warm in the sun. Clouds were quickly approaching from the west, however, and after I had managed to solve a particularly tricky case of bottom-catching drops started falling; at first they came far apart, but as the sun passed into a large cloud it developed into more continuous but still light rain coupled with more wind. I put the jacket on and continued casting for a bit, but when I had just called it quits and was returning up things got markedly worse, so I increased my pace.

Back inside I sat looking at what was now pouring rain, and after it had stopped two people with a small dog arrived from Vallbo. I met them outside and we talked for a good while; the sun was coming out again and the wind had died down completely. As such, they would be having lunch at the outdoor table before continuing on their way, and I went in to have lunch myself.

After my meal I went out to try the fishing thing again, now accompanied by birds upon the waters. There was powerful thunder off to the south, but it was moving off. Fish were breaking the surface here and there, and despite my hitting several of the locations in short fashion I could pique no interest. Eventually I gave up and returned home by way of the trail around 14.

After I had fetched water and relaxed both inside and outside two people walked up from the east, having come from Arådalen via Hosjöbottnarna, and now they located a tent spot in among the trees for the night. There was heavy rain and thunder off in the direction whence they had come, but at Anaris the weather remained fairly good. People were approaching on the Vallbo trail, the first two of which were also tenters (and fishers) who opted to try out the water hole hill.

The rest of the visitors, five in total, had come from Issjödalen where they had tents and would be returning there the next day after spending the night in the cottage; they were supposed to have been seven according to the reservation, but apparently the last two had remained in/at their tent. Having gotten them settled I sat down for dinner and dessert as the sun passed into cloud once more.

Movement

Downpour

Flier

A shower hit while I was relaxing with the radio just as another two people came from Vallbo, and they took the bumpy-but-sheltered campsite used by the trio a few days before. I spoke some with the quintet and then there was more rain, with a bit of solar breakthrough. The end of the evening was beautiful, with the light over Åreskutan especially grandiose.

Wednesday 11/8

After a night of interesting dreams I arose to a semi-clear day with weak winds. The quintet were finishing up breakfast, and several of the tenters were also striking camp. I waited for the cottage people to leave and then did my usual chores; the sun had disappeared for a while but was now back, and the wind had increased to fairly strong. Shortly before noon I went out for a little lunch tour, setting out along the water path.

I went up onto the hilltop and then continued further east along the edge of the rise, walking through low shrubs. I soon reached a large boulder I had seen from the cottage, and managed to climb it from behind with some effort. I had my lunch on its top in a good deal of wind, but it was also quite warm. I surveyed the lands with my binoculars, but saw no movement save for someone rowing a boat out on Anasjön.

On the water path

Green and bumpy

The Rock

Sönner-Långtjärnen and Anasjön

Northwards

Abode

Eventually I carefully slid my way down to ground level, trusting the lichen layer to provide friction, and then made my way towards another flattened, rock-strewn hilltop off to the southeast. This involved crossing land absolutely littered with delicious blueberries, and then skirting a large-ish mire before crossing a wet narrowing overgrown with osier. The last bit up to the top was dry, however, and from there I had very wide views of the forest, rocks, mires and lakes in the area.

The mire

Stor-Anahögen rising

From the hilltop: north...

...northeast...

...east...

...and southeast

Bird pair

Half pair

For the next stage I aimed southwestwards, sticking close to the mire edge because of rocky bumpiness and denser vegetation higher up, and then I came upon a faint path that led to the main one. This I crossed, and once I was back out in open terrain the wind returned, having been almost absent in the forest. I climbed another large rock for a better vantage point and then continued to the canal leading between the larger of Anaristjärnarna and the reed tarn above the water hole. As these canals often are, it was very deep in many places, so crossing it was out of the question. I followed it upstream for a while, and could then get across where it splashed down over rockier ground. I went around the wet portions to an area of low shrubs and gravel, and then followed the dry ground northwards until I reached the water trail, coming back to a deserted cottage at 13:30.

Shroom

Past a pool

Deep canal

Crossing place

Flat and open

Past a mire

I had a quick wash and spent the afternoon quietly before four people walked up from Hosjöbottnarna; they were soon joined by two more, and these turned out to be the present constitution of the booked group of eight I was expecting, having parted ways with the last two earlier due to physical misfortunes. When I had seen them in two campers came from Vallbo, and they were going to put up their tent nearby and fish a bit in the tarns before going back down the next day.

After dinner there was less wind, and when the sun was gone it was not too warm. I stood outside looking out over the lands, noticing three people on the Vallbo trail who broke off it to cut across the terrain towards the Lunndörren trail, and then continued southwards on their own without gaining altitude. I read for a while and then caught the fishers – who had caught nothing – as they returned up from Sönner-Långtjärnen, and I took the opportunity to send some mail with them. It was rather a beautiful evening, which ended at about the same time for all those present.

Thursday 12/8

The next day came with mostly clear skies and not much in the way of wind, but as I had breakfast the sun was obscured on and off by the few cloud banks there were and the wind picked up a bit. The sextet were late in rising, but they were in no hurry since they would be staying two nights anyway. Having said good morning to them I went out for a day tour at 09:15, again with the aim of fishing.

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I checked in with the others and then waited for a new arrival to emerge from the privy; he had come from Hosjöbottnarna and now wished to spend two nights in his tent, deciding on the water hole hilltop after I had pointed it out to him. I had a quick bath before a light shower approached from behind Stor-Anahögen, and then took it easy inside while the dark clouds moved off to the north, with thunderclaps behind them.

Two new campers arrived, and after a short conversation they went over to the outflow of Anarisstugtjärnen to pitch their tent. Another two from Lunndörren were next, and they moved on along the eastbound trail after I had given them some tips about the continued route. The wind was picking up again, soon bringing more rain which intensified as I was having dinner.

Eventually the rain moved on and there was sun upon Åreskutan, but soon there were more showers with rumbling thunder in the distance. The clouds broke apart later on, and after a sudden heavy shower everything seemed to have moved off, and the wind had died down once more. That was it for the day, and I went to bed at 22.

Friday 13/8

The sextet were early risers, as were the tenters, and it looked to be a nice day. After the former had left I started laundry procedures, and during the drying phase I worked here and there around the site. It was quite warm in the stillness despite the sun's being hidden by clouds most of the time, but it was comfortable inside.

After lunch I set out to fish some more, again contenting myself with Anarisstugtjärnen. While I was there the sun passed into a large, dark cloud, and the resulting light over the still water was mesmerizing. There were some lake birds around and I also saw fish breaking the surface every now and then, but just like before they just wouldn't take the bait. Just as the first drops from the dark cloud started falling the spinner got stuck again, and I had quite a hard time getting it loose; meanwhile the rainfall had increased markedly, so I threw the rain jacket on and scampered back up.

This time I did take the laundry down; it hadn't had time to get particularly wet(ter). I debated whether to put it up again when the shower moved on, but since there came more intermittent drops in short fashion I hung it inside instead. The air had turned much fresher, and I stood outside for a while before the next heavy shower hit. Two people passed by heading east, and now there were showers and thunder all around. A bit later a single hiker came from Lunndörren, and I provided the usual tips for his continued route towards Vallbo. I returned inside while he looked around the area, and he eventually left again as I was having dinner and dessert.

The drifting clouds that had formed from all the showers were now mostly lifting, but the sky was still mostly covered. A single runner arrived from Vallbo just as another shower hit, and he turned out to be the only guest for the night despite the booking list's saying otherwise. More creeping clouds were forming as the light faded, and it had now started feeling dark inside at bedtime.

Saturday 14/8

It was raining quite heavily in the morning, but visibility was fairly good apart from the rain mist itself. I made scones for breakfast, which I had after saying goodbye to the hilltop tenter who would brave the weather and head back east. The runner slept in, and by the time he was ready to leave it had stopped raining, but the peaks were hidden in clouds.

Dreary

Tasty

Creepy

Cluthy

When noon grew near it started up again, and just as I was about to have lunch two bicyclists pedaled up the eastern trail and went inside the guest cottage where they set about making their own lunch. They had started at Håckren and followed the ATV road to Anasjölägret past Vattensjöarna and then turned onto the trail at Sönner-Långtjärnen, and would be returning the same way. After we had all eaten the sun came out again, but there were low drifting clouds and wind, and it didn't take too long before another shower started.

Later in the afternoon I had two visitors from the aforementioned fishing camp, who confirmed my experience of bad fishing luck/conditions, and then two overnight guests from Lunndörren also arrived. I had received a communiqué from Alexandra, my successor, and at her request spent some time going through her provisions looking for spoiled food items, of which there were a few – some appeared to have been caused by li'l furballs with sharp teeth. I then talked with my two guests for a good while; the prognosis for the morrow was anything but good, and they were anxious to get an early start so as to reach the Vallbo bus in time in case water levels would turn out to be a problem.

For dinner I attempted to make waffles with a cast-iron... iron, which went moderately well, and the cloudberry jam certainly helped the result. While I ate the sun broke through once more, but there were still drops on the wind. Five people were approaching along the Vallbo trail, and when they finally arrived they completed the day's reservations. They ended up taking the smaller room, and once everything was settled I had a light evening snack, still feeling full from the waffles. There was quite a bit of wind and it was hazy all around, and when I went to bed it had started raining again.

Sunday 15/8

The rain poured down and the wind howled throughout the night, and visibility was very bad. It was bad enough that when I went up to check the guest cottage I put on full rain clothes and boots, and found that the pair had already departed. After breakfast I started baking more bread while the rain pulled back, but the clouds were very low and the wind remained strong. The quintet left, and once I had finished baking it was time for lunch with fresh bread.

I spent the time listening to the radio and solving crosswords, while outside conditions were quite bad, but it didn't rain all the time. Later in the afternoon I spotted a single hiker approaching from the west, and he went straight into the guest cottage so I walked up to see who it was. It turned out to be one of the quintet; they had balked at the water levels at the crossing of the large tributary to Hällån on their way into Hällådalen and were now returning, and he had gone on ahead. Fortunately for them (and me) there were no reservations for this night, so they could take the larger room this time, and once they had all come in I talked for a while with the full group.

More radio and reading followed, and while two of the others went out on bird-spotting adventures I set about making dinner. The clouds had lifted a bit and visibility underneath them was unhampered. As it was now getting quite chilly inside I made some valiant attempts at lighting the gas heater, but had to conclude that the ignition element was broken beyond repairs I could effect there and then, so I used the oven as a temporary heat source for a while.

Eventually the clouds started breaking apart to some degree, and the rain had stopped, but it was still quite windy and chilly. I spent rather a long time talking to my returnee guests while reindeer roamed close by, and when it was bedtime the cloud base right above was fairly high but all around there were swiftly drifting banks that deepened the dusk.

Monday 16/8

The morning was chilly both inside and out, but the rain had not returned and the wind was back to weak. Some very cool-looking clouds were billowing over the peaks, and I could see nothing of the lower lands. The group were off to an early start, having rested well, and I waved goodbye to them before sitting down for breakfast. Mists from below kept drifting up, and visibility kept changing, but I still aimed for another fishing tour and left at 10:30.

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Shortly after I had returned I spotted five (new) people at the nearby trail split, plus a large dog, and they soon walked up to the cottage to say hi. They were a family with three children/adolescents who had started in Vallbo the evening before, and they said that even though there had been quite a bit of water on the path they had had no real difficulty. I related some tips re: camping and weather, and then they continued towards Lunndörren.

A cold bath later saw me having afternoon tea inside while the clouds lifted outside, and after a while a weak sun broke through in places. The rest of the afternoon was spent quietly, and after dinner there was more and more sun, but also more wind, and there were thick clouds lying atop the peaks. The clouds pulled shut once more in the evening and were only slowly breaking up when I hit the sack, without overnight guests for only the second time.

Perched falcon

Thick clouds

Wool