So, the window held – and a good thing, too, as things were rather unstable afterwards, so this was probably my best shot in the time available to me. Luck – or foresight.

I had seen some reports that there would be wet areas, but they were more frequent and extensive than anticipated, and only the marshiest of them were marked as such on the map. Seeking out detours around them soon became second nature, and my actual covered distance was probably significantly longer than what the figures and graphics suggest. It's a small wonder the boots did in fact hold together with all that splashing, but it was a somewhat close call at the end, so my decision not to go for a longer tour this summer was probably a good one. The time period was a boon too, as the marshes would have been prime country for mosquitos just a few weeks earlier, whereas now I hardly saw any at all.

It was also a stroke of luck that I got that ride and didn't have to start off from Kallsedet late in the day with that non-existent path, which was the plan right up until that last change. I don't know what year that map marking is from, but it clearly cannot be very recent or I would have seen at least some traces, but there were none – or at least none that I could attribute to a contiguous route. As it was, the last day was trickier than expected, but also well matched, so to speak, since I was in no hurry at all that specific day.

Waking up to those low clouds on day 3 was a downer, but my spirits lifted as the clouds did, and I was very glad to have achieved the sought-after view out over Rutsdalen, even if it wasn't entirely clear. Still, I felt very satisfied at the time, and given the late-afternoon rainfall I was also glad not to have tarried overly and to have completed the day's stage – which was a scenic, airy and largely pleasant one, despite the lack of sun – in time to get the tent up without stress before it started. Besides, the mists served to create a more mysterious atmosphere to the outlook than a bluebird day would have done anyway.

All in all I'd describe the terrain as verdant and vibrant, even in the late-summer wilt, and the insane abundance of blueberries was a definite high; I don't think I've ever eaten so much in so short a time, and then I didn't even stop along the way either. As for the rumor of desolation, on the one hand it was indeed met – those two on day 1 were the only people I encountered, and indeed saw excepting that tent pair down at Rutsälven, and the sparseness of the entries in the shelters' guestbooks told a matching story.

On the other hand, I was within reach of cell towers a large portion of the time, and certainly from all three campsites, so from that perspective the remoteness was somewhat illusionary, especially in the eastern parts where one can clearly see civilization in the distance. Still, I made sure to keep airplane mode on when I didn't actually need to use the available signal, which did very well to uphold the feeling of infrequently travelled wilderness, which was, of course, further strengthened by the condition (or indeed non-existence) of the paths.

So, a successful outing and I can finally tick the Skäckerfjällen box, which has long been a glaring omission in my catalog, my being an indigenous citizen of Jämtland and all. A little luck goes a long way.