Tuesday 18/8 – Sunday 23/8

Tuesday 18/8

The next day came with low clouds and rainfall, so I spent the morning rummaging through the cupboards. Stig went for a day tour towards the bridges at Sállohávrre and I continued to take it easy, finding some more stuff at unexpected places. Then a couple of Norwegian men came from the south, and after an outside chat they came inside to have lunch. They were out fishing, but so far had not caught anything – on the whole it seemed as though fishing conditions were fairly poor this year. A couple of Swedes also appeared, but they only wished to acquire some toilet paper for a runny nose before continuing. I then started looking through the inventory lists – autumn wardens are tasked with counting most if not all loose (and some fixed) objects – and then commenced the project while talking to the Norwegians. I kept at it until lunch, during which another two people passed by without saying hello.

I completed the inventory as far as the guest rooms were concerned, moving some stuff around, while the cloud cover shifted in extent and density. I also found some items I thought were missing hidden away in the cleaning cupboard, and then a couple of Poles (I think) stopped by for a break. While they were resting Stig returned with a big smile on his face – the landscape of Skäjdda had been right up his alley – and I discovered some more things in the warden's room. After a while Stig went off again, this time heading for the waterfall, and I went out to get some replacements from storage, not finding everything I needed.

Having done what I could I sat down for afternoon tea, after which the clouds finally let the sun through for real; apparently they had also brought some fresh snow higher up, for the peaks were a bit whiter now than before. The improvement was only temporary, however, for soon a couple of hefty showers hit. I went out to the woodshed to produce what I needed for the coming dinner, and while I was producing a German couple with a guitar(!) arrived. I fired up the stove in the eastern guest room and started making a pizza, putting it into the oven compartment when it was hot enough. After some careful watching and fiddling the desired result was reached, and I dug in with some fervor.

Towards the end of this digging a trio came from Vaisaluokta in yet another shower. I finished off with a cloudberry-enhanced dessert, and then gave the last piece of pizza to the Germans, who had expressed some interest in my doings. I went over to Stig's for a talk, and also gave him a bird book I had found on the inside of which "Belongs to Vaisaluokta" was clearly written – there was also an identical one without markings, so I claimed that for Kutjaure. A short burst of sun-rain with rainbow caused a little photo outing, and then I started going through the "office equipment". I relaxed for a while before going over to the Germans for business purposes, followed by a long talk, and then it was the trio's turn to get the same treatment; one of them was very interested in my lead-in tour. As I was preparing for bed the Germans brought out the guitar, and it was to their soft plucking and singing that I went to bed at 22.

Wednesday 19/8

In the morning the clouds had split apart, but thick ones lingered around the eastern peaks, and there was even more powder upon the latter. After breakfast I related the weather forecast as usual, which brought about a lengthy discussion about fjeld weather and shelters with the Germans. I prepared for a day tour while the peak-clouds slowly lifted, ultimately deciding to try some fishing. After enjoying the view out on the porch for a while the Germans left, and they were soon followed by the Swedes; Stig had already departed without my noticing. After a quick peek into the rooms I set out for Vuojatädno before 10:00, wearing the wind jacket and gloves against a cold wind.

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There were two Swedes inside upon my return, and a third member of their group was currently making use of the privy. I relaxed with the radio as the cloudiness decreased, and eventually I had no choice but to go out and sit on the porch (an inevitable habit at this place). While I was making dinner the persistent clouds covering the peaks finally gave in, with Sarek leading the way, and it looked to be a fine evening. Thus I went out again, just as another three people arrived from the south, and soon more and more people joined me. When the sun passed into cloud again it got chilly, and I went back in. After some talk with one of the trios I lay down to read, and then it was time for money transfer, which as usual entailed long discussions, just as usually having to do with all things fjeld. It was now perfectly clear outside, and the light was stunning. Temperatures were also dropping steadily – @0.5°C the last time I looked – so I expected that there be frost during the night.

Thursday 20/8

I awoke to an overcast sky and a keen southeasterly wind, and since it was already 9°C there was no frost after all. Shortly after breakfast a helicopter drew near, and after circling a few times it set down just in front of the cottage. As expected it was the telephone installers – Kutjaure had had no assistance phone before, but one was planned for this autumn – and I helped them unload their quite extensive gear.

There was a designated place for the phone in the vestibule, but in order to make room for the large accumulators an old woodbox would have to be removed. This took some force to accomplish, as it was nailed to the wall, and when it was done it was clear that some cleaning was in order, for behind it a fair bit of unpleasant stuff had amassed over the years. As I was preparing to do so a couple walked up from the south, consisting of an STF tour guide and his wife, and they decided to pause outside for a while. I did my best to restore the affected floor and wall sections to can-be-looked-at order, while a light rain started outside. During this one of the trios left and an unknown man passed by without slowing down. One of the workers was putting up stuff inside, while the other assembled the roof antenna and put up a sign on the other side of the bridge.

The other trio had decided to stay for another day, and were having a calm and late breakfast. Before the couple left I donated some left-over bread that they had use for, and then read the morning's newspaper the installers had brought – having the daily news delivered by helicopter is not exactly commonplace. It had gotten fairly chilly in my room so I turned on the gas heater, which took some doing, and all the while it kept raining outside.

In the afternoon the antenna was fixed in place, and cables started being drawn. It was still raining, so I spent the time reading, but the trio eventually decided to go see the waterfall just the same. I had afternoon tea while listening to the radio, which suffered some interference from the device tests; I watched the final ones, and everything checked out OK. The trio soon came back, and now the rain had stopped and there was even a bit of weak sun. I turned off the heater and spoke with the workers, who were having a second food break, while the weather continued to improve. It was not entirely clear when they were to be picked up again, so in the end they simply lay down to rest, and I had my own dinner.

Outside installation

Inside installation

Sign pointing to installation

Later a man came from the north with a dog, and a piece of work he was. A Norwegian national, he filled the stereotypical image of a frisky outdoor man to the fullest, with a booming dialect for completeness. He had been out for two months already, and now he aimed for Sulitjelma. I dutifully pointed out the ban on dogs in Padjelanta, at which he balked as this was the first he had heard of it, and an alternative (permissible) route would be very awkward. At Kutjaure itself, however, dogs are more than welcome, and he came in to join the others.

The helicopter finally returned at 19, and I helped to load it. A bit later two youngsters with large packs came from the north, wanting to pitch their tent on the premises; there are few good spots to do so right there, but they found an acceptable one above the privy. I continued to read and listened to the athletics, and outside the peaks were now out, even though some drops had started falling again. As I was preparing for bed at 22 the end of the cloud front was about to pass, but it was fairly warm yet.

Friday 21/8

A nightly outing gave me some nice sights of the predawn glow in a clear sky. When I arose for real in the morning it was sunny and warm (17°C), and only some clouds in the far south. The Norwegian had made an early start, and had just entered the Park – with the dog. Later in the morning the southern clouds approached quickly, sending out forerunners borne on an appreciable wind. I packed for a day tour and waited until everyone had cleared the building. I said goodbye to the trio while they finished up on the porch, and walked off before 09:15.

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I was greeted by a German woman in the vestibule asking about the weather forecast, and after receiving some terrain tips as well she left. Myself, I went down to the lower bath, which I found better than the upper one. Lower clouds were coming in from the southwest, and the rainfall increased. I had a smaller snack with radio, after which a Swede arrived from Vaisaluokta. He gave me two letters addressed to Låddejåkkå that he had brought from Ritsem, since he would turn north towards Kisuris after the bridges the following day and therefore not reach the destination himself.

It rained more and more, and now the clouds were low all around. I finished my book and then went to get water, which was not too easy since it involved balancing on rain-wet rocks, and on the way back up I slipped on the path and spilled out the bucket, so I had to start over. Then two more people came, whom the other man had told me about, and they joined him in the room which he had had time to warm up. We spoke for a while before it was time to have dinner. It had stopped raining, but there was a lot of mist still. I rested with the radio and then talked some more with the guests, and after some more rain the clouds started to lift. I followed the men's high jump until it was no longer interesting, and was thankful to hit the sack at 22.

Saturday 22/8

I was woken during the night by rainfall, which made a hollow drumming sound on the metal cover protecting the gas canisters. Looking out the door in the morning I immediately noticed that the roar of the smaller falls in Sieberjåhkå was louder than before, so obviously the rain had raised water levels. At the moment visibility was good but the peaks were just hitting the fast-moving ceiling, and it was both warm and still. I listened to a radio show from another part of the fjelds before having breakfast, after which a "liquid light" effect came into being in the valley I had come to call the Swan valley, after its central stream Sjnjuvtjudisjåhkå (sjnjuktja "swan"). On the whole the weather seemed to be improving, with more and more gaps appearing more frequently in the cloud cover.

After spending some quality time out on the porch I started a project I had been thinking about for some time, namely the construction of a new bench; the existing one was cleverly placed against a rock, but unfortunately a large tree blocked the Swan view, so I wanted to have a stand-alone one placed at a better spot. I located some suitable logs and when the last guests had left I got to it for real.

After producing the necessary pieces it was time to nail them together, and this is where my problems started, for even though I used rather large nails they all bent before getting far enough into the wood. I found this strange, and what was worse I was unable to pull the failed nails out. In the end I could use some smaller ones at an angle instead of straight through the sitting board, and eventually I managed to muster enough force to get the big ones out. Having thus finished the construction phase I carried my creation to the intended spot – a patch of grass beside the porch – and started padding and stabilizing the base with flat stones. Feeling pleased with the end result I packed some food and went for a short lunch tour before 11:45.

Finished bench

I didn't bother with a clothes change, and neither did I put on the wind jacket as the now-wind was warm. I passed the privy and the hilltops behind it, and then walked across almost-dried-up wet patches of grass. I was aiming for the rise immediately north of the waterfall, and in order to get up there I myself turned north a bit, towards a place where the vegetation was sparser. I passed a brook and then started to climb through some thickets, and then emerged onto an open slope. The incline was one to be reckoned with, but I had no trouble reaching the top, where the wind was much stronger. I proceeded to a suitable rock at the eastern edge, where I sat down to eat at noon.

I put the fleece jacket on at once due to the wind and looked out over Guvtjávrre and its surroundings. Down at the cottage a couple of visitors were having a break on the "privy hill", but other than that I saw nothing of consequence. There was now quite a bit of blue in the sky, and I sat still for a long time enjoying the vista. Eventually I arose and walked westwards, finding that there was no actual top to this rise, but rather a more or less level continuation upstream Sieberjåhkå, and in that direction the clouds were denser. Instead of going further I started picking blueberries, which was a joy to do as they were large and grew densely, so I didn't have to move much. I was so immersed in this task that I hardly noticed that the sky was on the verge of growing clear – at least locally – and it was also getting warmer.

Guvtjávrre etc.

Skäjdda and Tsågahávrre

Just chillin'

Thick

Allak over there

Improved weather

Some bunchberries (not picked)

With a bag full of berries I left again at 13:30, without the jacket, picking my way down to the top of the fall, where I was hit by both fine spray and direct sunlight. I followed a small path downstream, sticking close to the fall, which was just as impressive from this angle. At several points I ventured out to small plateaus and the like to photograph, and the whole small-scale landscape was of a most appealing nature (PNI). Here the camera's batteries finally gave up the ghost, after complaining for some time, so I put in a fresh set. I made my way down to level ground, and turning around I realized what an amazing place I had reached.

It lay just beside a calm part of the stream, which itself exited from a short but deep canyon, and above it all there was the fall. Furthermore, there was a small stretch of stony "beach" immediately beside the rock face of this canyon, which made for a perfect bathing place, and a nearby turf could easily support a tent. After recovering from this discovery, and vowing to return shortly, I followed another small path along the stream, passing many a little fall. Some portions were hard to make out, and when I was passing below the upper huts I lost it entirely. Here I took a little detour around a wet patch and climbed up onto the plateau, coming upon the path to/from/by the Sámi buildings. I was back at the cottage before 14:15, and just then I observed a couple of new guests coming into view on the southern trail.

Some shots at...

...the start of the fall...

...where the water gathers speed...

...to gush down past...

...the dividing cliff

On The Spot...

...with the fall in the background

Smooth rocks...

...and miniature falls...

...in Sieberjåhkå

There were signs that someone had peeked inside, but there was no one there now. The new arrivals were Germans who only wanted to pause before going on, so I gave them some advice as to campsites. I took it easy and listened to the radio, being disturbed by shaky reception, and also had a small snack. Outside the clouds were covering most of the sky again, and they were also descending. I was feeling drowsy and lay down to rest, almost dozing off, and when I arose again there was mist all around. After a subsequent dinner with blueberry dessert I mostly just listened to the athletics – again with a fair bit of intermittent static – did some crosswords and went through papers. All the while it looked lighter to the east, where large amounts of sky could be seen, but otherwise the cloud cover was compact. I turned in at 22:00, chalking up the first night of zero guests.

Sunday 23/8

Again the metallic drumming woke me up, but at least this time it was already morning. So it was raining again, but the clouds were not as low as they could have been, and no wind blew. After breakfast I just took it easy reading and looking at the map(s); there was no change outside save for an increase in visibility-decreasing mist. I found this the perfect opportunity to start the autumnal task of changing the mattress/duvet/pillow covers, and I set about doing so in the eastern room. During this a couple of people passed by from the south, and I went out for a (very) brief exchange of words.

A bit later another two were approaching from the same direction, and just as I made the observation a single man walked past from the north without slowing down. I had just finished what I was doing when the duo arrived – they had camped not too far away, and now wanted to have breakfast inside to escape the insects. I joined them, but since it was still too early for lunch I just sat by and talked. By the time they left, the rain, which had abated earlier, had increased again, and not long thereafter I had my own meal.

The afternoon came with even more rain and I turned to the radio. Soon a lone hiker arrived from Låddejåkkå, wanting to dry up, and while she installed herself I went out to the storage building to take inventory there. Back inside the woman had trouble getting a fire started, so I helped her out while another two people came in, followed by two more. The current state of the rain was "pouring", so there was no talk of afternoon tours; tea, however, was not only considered, but had. I then went over to my guests to talk for a good while, until it was time to start thinking about dinner.

Afterwards I followed the last day of the athletics competitions, and the rainfall had trouble deciding whether to come in the form of drizzle or downpour. More long talks then took place, and when I went to fetch water later in the evening it was very apparent that there was much more water in the stream than before, which also greatly increased the power of the falls. As I retired at 22 it was raining anew, so I knew we had not reached the apex yet.