Sunday—After an
adventurous change of plans due to a canceled flight, Betsy and I make it to
Stockholm almost five hours later than planned.
The rest of the group has arrived without incident and taken care of
business including getting Ross and Elsa’s bikes to the bike shop.
We drop our luggage at the train station and have enough
time for a quick meal before heading back to the airport for our evening flight
to Umea and a nice hotel.
Monday—The hotel includes
a breakfast that is so wonderful and sumptuous we hate to leave. Still we make our 7:05 bus and pass the
restful three-bus 5-plus hour trip through the Swedish countryside, with mostly
red houses, to Ammarnas without incident.
At a brief snack stop we buy a thermos to make up for my unilateral
decision not to bring one from home.
After a quick lunch we head out for the 8-kilometer uphill
hike, delayed slightly by taking a questionable alternative route to the
starting point.
The uphill hike features views back over the valley and a
sighting of a hawk owl.
After reaching tree line we cross a few bogs and soon reach
the Aigert Hut.
Host Anders clues us in to procedures at the huts. Exhausted by two days of travel and lack of
sleep I turn in before dinner. The photo
is of the sauna, taken from the porch of the hut.
Tuesday—We
continue to climb through berries, dwarf birch, and some willow, with some
rocky terrain. What an invigorating
place, with spectacular colors and long vistas! I had been apprehensive about
this long (19 km) day with a lot of elevation change, but early on I realize I
wouldn’t have missed this for anything.
Here we see the first of many flocks (herds?) of reindeer as
well as a lemming. We cross the highest
point on the Kungsleden except for the far north.
We take a snack break at a rest hut and have lunch near
another one. Later in the day we head
down into open birch forest (damaged by moths 30 years ago). About this time we catch the first real views
to the southwest rather than northeast or northwest. At the bottom of the hill we reach a great
bridge spanning a river above a waterfall.
The Serve hut like Tarnasjo hut the next day, is located in
the woods.
Wednesday— Host
Nils (no, that's Gary) has taught us that Anders’s warnings about the various blue berries were
exaggerated. Armed with this new information
we stop soon after departure for some serious berry-picking.
The stretch takes us along a southern exposure, with high
views overlooking Serve Lake and other water bodies before entering a forest
and bog stretch and heading down to Tarnasjo hut. Energy level is relatively low.
I had expected this to be a hum-drum day for scenery but it is
at least as interesting as the other days.
Tarnasjo hut is near a few private cabins. Host Sarah is very friendly and points out
some birds to me (some of the few passerines I saw/were identified), including Bluethroat. She also forages some chanterelles. We have a sauna and bath. By this time we are getting used to seeing
the young German couple, Johannes and Muriel, which continues to the end of the
trip.
Thursday—Berry
picking continues, along with an attempt to find chanterelles (Gary finds
one). Hiking along the shore of
Tarnasjo, with mountains on the other side, then a bog-and-moraine landscape
which leads to the bridges across the lake and a beautiful but strenuous climb
with spectacular views back over the lake.
Weather is blustery and threatening, but no real rain. Energy level is a little better than
Wednesday.
Syter hut has a pretty hilltop location near a stream
(Father-in-law Creek). The hut is pretty
full, but as the other guest at Tarnasjo (Michael) promised, host Annette takes
good care of us.
Friday—Having
decided on a plan during the evening, five of us set out shortly after seven
for the glacier, which we reach in good time after a surprisingly moderate
climb of five or six hundred meters.
We return to the hut for an unhurried lunch before starting
on the twelve-kilometer trip through Syterskalet. This area has some of the best colors on the
trip.
We are a bit weary of hiking at this point and do not pay as
much attention to the beautiful topography of the valley as we should.
Viterskal hut is newer than the others and built on a different plan (though it seems more beat up). There are more
people here, a day’s walk from Hemavan, as well as a number of people camped a kilometer above the hut near a waterfall.
As often happens, one of the other guests quizzes us about
how we got here—it turns out that
Americans are a rarity and we are the object of much curiosity.
Viterskal hut is where Ross, discussing the candy options,
explains that, “They don’t have Plopp; they have Jop.”
Saturday—Before leaving
many of us take a turn at cutting and splitting wood.
The valley widens somewhat on the hike out. There are many day-hikers and as the trail
turns west toward the road, staying high above the approaches to Hemavan, we
see more signs of civilization.
After passing the
tops of several ski lifts we head down to the village, ending at the Naturum.
Here Betsy gets the news that her father, who had been in
the hospital when we left, is failing.
Betsy and Carl quickly decide to head back as soon as possible.
The hotel picks us up and transports us to their splendid
hilltop location. After a sauna and
cleanup, over single malt and tea, we get to work making plans for the return
trip.
Dinner is fantastic, featuring a chanterelle appetizer,
reindeer filet with blueberry and wine sauce, and blueberry parfait, all
matched with lovely wines.
Sunday—In the
morning we learn that Betsy’s father has been taken off the BiPAP (respirator),
and shortly after that he has passed.
This is the sunniest day by far. After breakfast we hike to the top of the
rise behind the hotel, then practice yoga and kung fu before catching our bus
at 2:45. This trip consists of another
restful bus ride followed by two trains.
We play some six-hand euchre while waiting and on the train. A guy on the train tells us about the
political situation. Sleeping in the
compartments is okay. We have no problem
making our Monday morning flight.
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