Sunday 31/3

I woke up moist in the middle of the night, as the room was still much too warm for comfort, so I opened the ventilation hatch as much as I could and went out to cool off a bit. I could then sleep well, and when I awoke in the morning the temperature was much better. I arose just in time to see the sun rise in a clear sky, accompanied by a weak but cooling wind. There was a bit of a crowd at breakfast, but no real worries, and many were soon on their way. I left at 09:30 myself, noting some high veils in the sky.

Dawn over Sylarna, ...

...Helags...

...and finally the cottages

Full light

Interspecies meeting place

I had prepared my ankle by wrapping a thick sock around the affected area, and although it hurt at first it got considerably better after a little while, so I could ski largely unhampered. I did so alongside rather than on the trail, soon followed by a quartet behind, and then stayed west of the markers as I rounded Gåsen. When proceeding down towards Tjallingdalen I saw that there was a dense cloud front approaching from the northwestern quadrant, and also in the other direction the veils had spread. There was a multitude of reindeer tracks, and further down in the valley it looked like a veritable migration route.

Just leaving

Still leaving

Trail ahead

All of Härjångsdalen

Bunnerfjällen in sight

Nearing Västra Bunnerstöten

Northwest

East

Tjallingdalen

Closer to Västra Bunnerstöten

Lill-Stensdalsfjället shadowed

Gåsen behind

Having reached the bottom I continued up on the western side of Stäntja, rounding the nearest summit and crossing a shelf-like formation, where the wind was strong. The clouds were growing darker, and the sun had passed behind one of the veils, but there was enough contrast for me to have a perfect telemark run down part of the slope into Stor-Stensdalen. The remainder of the way was flat enough to require skiing/pole work, and at the bottom I suddenly came onto what looked like a polished floor. Then it hit me – this was the transport track used to shuttle building material out for the contruction of the new cottage in Stendalen, to replace the one which burnt down a few years prior. Since it was so very flat and hard I skied on the side instead, and stopped beside a collection of large rocks at 11:30.

Sylarna and Tjallingklumpen

Helags flanked by Stora Härjångsstöten and Gåsen

Weaker light

Passing Västra Bunnerstöten

Stor-Stensdalsfjället appearing

Steep Östra Bunnerstöten

Looking down into
Stor-Stensdalen

East over Tobbege

The transportation track

Passing Östra Bunnerstöten...

...down on the valley floor

I found reasonable shelter behind one of those rocks, and had my lunch there. A police chopper passed by overhead – and then I was very suddenly hit by an outburst of dense snowfall coming through Ö Bunnerskalet, which quickly turned everything white. Since there was no point in remaining still any longer I continued east, seeing nothing of the shape of the ground – but I did manage to notice a wolverine track. The snowfall was intense, but as I passed a large mire it lightened somewhat, revealing the sharp drop of Östra Bunnerstöten. I crossed the transport track as it turned around a hill, finding a ski track on the other side, but I made my own way anyway. A bit later I saw four people and a sled further ahead, moving in the same direction, but I still made my own tracks. After the top of Tobbege another bout of snow came in, and now I did follow a set of ski tracks I had come upon. They briefly touched by Stensån before going into the forest, and I arrived at the construction site in Stensdalen at the same time as the quartet.

Snow!

Still snowing...

...quite heavily

Lill-Stensdalsfjället's signature cliff

Arriving at...

...Stensdalen's construction site

There were a couple of tracked vehicles as well as an excavator present, as well as large piles of various materials. Two people were just leaving the place, four more sat inside, and another two who just arrived would just have lunch before continuing. I went over to the warden's cottage and met Sven, but due to the flow of people it was a while before we could sit down and talk. The quartet who had arrived with me would also just stop for lunch, since they were to camp, and another four from Vålådalen would also be returning shortly, so there were not that many overnight guests yet (which was good, given the reduced number of beds due to the fire).

Future cottage

Östra Bunnerstöten visible

The weather was changing back and forth, and during one of the better periods a pair of girls on skate skis came up from Vålådalen, debating whether to continue to Gåsen or not. In the end they decided to make an attempt, and as they left I walked down to the sauna, where the other guests were trying to fashion a new water hole, since the old one had just gone dry. Another two people arrived, acquaintances of Sven's, and I took the opportunity to get some past-due-date tortellini for dinner. I had a sandwich inside, talking some with the couple there, and then went back to the sauna which was now warm. The rest of the guests were already there, and the heat was very good; the new water hole also fulfilled its function.

Sun over the warden's cottage

Guest cottage

On Stensån

Water way

Back in the cottage I found the skaters, who had seen fit to turn back once they made contact with the heavy snow and wind above the tree line, not least because of all the fresh snow on the track. They had had quite a journey so far, having come all the way from Östersund via Gräftåvallen and Anaris in just three days, and now aimed directly for Storulvån on the morrow. Talk and food followed, as did another two guests from Vålådalen, who took up residence in the other room. A bit later a single Norwegian also arrived from Helags, which meant that all 12 beds were now taken; any more would require either matresses on the floor or the barracks. The rest of the evening was filled with conversation, and, eventually, snack. Outside it was rather windy, and everyone drifted off to sleep before long.

Drift on Tobbege