Sunday 5/7

I made a visit outside during the night, discovering a full moon in the process, and since the sky was still clear it was rather cool. When I got up next it was almost 07:30, at which time there were high veils in the sky frequently covering the sun, and there was still no wind. After breakfast there was a bit more sun, and having packed up and cleaned I stood outside for a bit before turning to the day's stage before 09:30, talking some with a group of three who were also just leaving in the same direction.

Night

Morning

I went on ahead from the start, quickly coming out of the forest and getting a very wide view all around. I walked across blooming heaths and mires at a good tempo, and soon came to another stream by the name of Tvärån (Stårjenjohke), this one spanned by a somewhat shaky bridge – although in this place it wouldn't actually have been needed. The veils were moving off and the power of the sun was growing, and it was just another splendid day in the fjelds. It did not take long for me to arrive at the point where the trail turns sharply, but I instead kept to the well-trodden (and, here, well-marked) path to Nulltjärnarna going on straight ahead – this probably being an older stretch of the trail. At the last crest before the descent to the forest a group of three older ladies who had started early from Stensdalen were having an early lunch break, savoring the views – and lack of mosquitos – and I talked a bit with them before continuing down the slope.

Stor-Stensdalen behind

Known shape

Lowlands

I'm being chased

Open

Another Tvärån

Panorama over Kyrkstensfjället

All of it

The basin

There were some wet patches to cross, and then I found myself at another split, with cairns leading off in either direction, but only one of these had a clear path, so I stuck with that. A number of larger and fairly wet mires followed, and even though the path was often lost in their middle it was no problem regaining it on the other side. Suddenly the forest enveloped me and the path slanted downwards appreciably, but the wet patches continued. In among the trees it was still and warm, even though the sun was mostly clouded, so it was a relief when the forest grew both drier and sparser and the wind had a chance to return. I passed a smaller mere and then walked upon a ridge along the largest of Nulltjärnarna to a connection with a smaller body of water where it flattened out. Here I decided to stop, and had my lunch beside the water at 11:45.

Approaching Ottfjället

Passing Uvberget

Leaving Lill-Stensdalsfjället

Not stepping on a flower

In the forest

Hairy

Drier

Wetter

There were some mosquitos about, but nothing I couldn't handle, and as I sat there the sun came back out and I had a pleasant rest, while still being conscious of the time I had to meet to catch the bus from Vålådalen. There were a lot of people on the beach on the far side, and two stand-up paddlers were moving in my direction. As they moved off I did the same, going up onto the next section of the ridge which I stuck to at first when smaller paths started intersecting it, but as I approached the well-utilized beach I went down there myself to get a good shoreside view.

After a short bit on the asphalt car road I was happy to turn back into the forest on the marked trail, which went through some rather pleasant dry woodland. At one point I managed to misstep and almost sprained my ankle but was saved by the boot, which I tied tighter to compensate, with good results. I met a runner whom I recognized from a couple of other encounters in the fjelds, but saw no other hikers on the wide trail before I came out onto the large meadow where all the trails converge – and the ones I did encounter then were the same two runners whom I had met in (and on the way to) Gåsen. What do you know?

Ottfjället across the larger water

Forest around the smaller water

Stand-up paddlers upon the water

Ridge path

On the beach

Still on the beach

Gulley

Heath

Not presently flying

Last look

Dense

Emergence

Station

The parking lots were quite full as I walked up to the fjeld station after 13:30, running into an old colleague who had just participated in a large international orienteering contest that was largely the source of this congestion. I had just over half an hour to kill before the taxi-bus was to leave, so I spent most of it out in the sun – as did most other people, for obvious reasons – thereby getting a great ending to a great tour.

Auxiliary buildings

Indoors

Outdoors