A Summer in the Mountains- Part Five
An inspiring view from a little rowboat
The north of Sweden had entered a heat wave by the time we left Kvikkjokk, and we were feeling the effects of it. For five days the temperatures were regularly rising above 25℃ (77℉). I’m sure some of you are scoffing at that number, but when you’re carrying a heavy pack you really feel the heat. The shoulders of my shirt have turned from a nice red and white checkered pattern to a sort of greyish color from sweat under my pack. God help us when we start doing desert hikes. We passed quite a few half naked hikers during those days. While it was tempting to follow suit, we chose to keep our clothes on. While you might be cooler with fewer layers on, you are much more exposed to the sun’s UV rays as well as the mosquitos.
This stretch of Kungsleden involves three lake crossings. Local people provide a motor service to get you across, but you also have the option to cross for free with the row boats provided.
Patty and Sue are on the south side of a like, and they need to get to the north side. On the shores of the lake there are three row boats; one on the south side, and two on the north side. When they are finished rowing there must be at least one row boat on each side of the lake. How many times must Patty and Sue row to successfully get across the lake?
I know this math problem sounds familiar to you. This was the reality that every hiker faced when they reached the shore before crossing. If you’re on a shorter trip, it might be worth paying the money for a motor boat ride across, but when you’ve been on the trail for almost two months, earning zero money, it’s time to give the arm muscles a workout and row yourself. Were we ever faced with the dilemma of one row boat? Nope! Apparently NOBO is the way to go, when it comes to row boats. We were faced with the one boat dilemma once, but we just set up camp for the night knowing that someone would be going SOBO the next morning. Sure enough, we awoke the next day to find two boats on our side, as if Christmas elves had dropped it off.
Skierfe, it’s a mammoth of a cliff, just 7 km (4.5 miles) off of Kungsleden. At about 8 in the evening we stared at the cliff’s face from the south side of the Laitaure lake. In the evening light the folds of rock glowed. In a second we decided we wanted to summit the mountain that night. With a burst of adrenaline we rowed across to Aktse, stopped in the STF cabin’s store for some juice and chocolate bars, and headed up to the Skierfe trail head. The cabin host kindly informed us that there was a cold spring and great campsites right next to the trailhead. A perfect spot for us to set up camp before ascending. We were still excited at this point, but by the time we found a campsite, the adrenaline had worn off and we were tired. We thought that was enough spontaneity for one day, so we decided to go up the next morning. Jerre and I have been good idea machines for this whole trip. Once we had finished our dinner and bundled up in our sleeping bags it started to rain. Had we gone up to the top that night, that rain would be falling on us. The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and left our camp up. Because it was the same route up and down, we didn’t need to bring our gear, just some water, juice, and snacks. At that time of day the trail was pretty quiet. Only one other couple was going up at the same time. We made it to the top. I was a little nervous to get close to the edge. Remember when I said cliff, I should have been more specific, it’s a sheer drop of 700 meters (2300 feet). I laid down on my belly and squirmed to the edge, had a look down, and decided that was enough. I spent the rest of our time on a safe boulder 2 meters from the edge, looking out onto The Rapa Valley. As we descended from the mountain we passed many groups heading up. By the time we made it down to our camp, it was time for lunch. Our tent was still set up, so we decided to escape the bugs for, and crawl inside. As soon as we zipped it closed, rain! Out of curiosity I poked my head out to see Skierfe, but it had disappeared in the rain clouds. I felt bad for those who were just reaching the top, but very happy that we escaped the brief rain fall.
There was one lake in the middle of this section that did not have a rowboat option. This was at the Saltoluokta Fjällstation (mountain station). Unlike the STF cabins that are trail side, this is a fully functioning lodge that can be reach by a short boat ride across the Saltoluokta lake. The boat that we needed wasn’t scheduled to leave until the next morning at noon, so Jerre and I were forced into a half day of rest. What do you do when you have extra time a mountain station? An evening sauna, snacks, wifi, and breakfast buffet. The extra rest was exactly what we needed before we continued on our way.
Jerre and I started our hike on Gröna Bandet much earlier than most, so we did not expect to meet many SOBO hikers until we made it to Kungsleden. Well we met a lot of people, but only one hiker and one dog going SOBO on Gröna Bandet. When you meet hikers you ask a lot of the same questions. Where did you come from today? Where are you going today? Where did you start your trip? Where will you finish? When we posed these questions to Svante and his dog we realized he a was a fellow hiker. With great excitement we exchanged tips for the upcoming sections of trail. I got a little bit of doggy love, and we said our goodbyes. I wish him and his dog all the best on their journey.
What happens when you miscalculate your arrival date, and make plans with a bunch of people based on that date? You end up doing 25 km (15 miles) a day for 4 days in a row, so you can meet them in time. To many thru hikers this is not a lot, but Jerre and I were looking forward to reducing our km’s on the trail and spending some more time at camp, and for us it was going to be a challenge. Each day we surprised ourselves by making it to our goal with smiles on our faces. After only one melt down, we had made it to the last day of the stretch. We were going to make it into Abisko that evening. Lunch was spent at the cabin just 15 km from our goal. Before leaving to finish the trail we decided to grab a couple extra snacks from the little shop. We were chatting idly with the host when Jerre noticed a small note perched on the shelf with a very familiar handwriting. Upon closer inspection he was surprised to find that is was a small parcel for us! Our friend and coworker, Quinten, had been there just the day before and bought us two beers and a pack of cookies. The surprise almost brought me to tears.
With a surge of energy we continued towards Abisko. We must have been about 3 km from the end when a group of small children approached. I was about 50 meters ahead of Jerre, and saw them first. They were all smiles and giggles when I passed. It wasn't until I saw the adults that I realized who they were. Jerre’s uncle Ubbe and aunt Paula had hiked out with four of their children to come meet us on the trail! They were the people that we were planning on meeting in Abisko, but the trail side family reunion was a real surprise. We found a nice spot for a snack, and sat down. Later that evening the Kinnunen family hosted us in their cabin for a feast of tacos. It was such a warm welcome into a day of rest.
We are going to take the next couple of days to continue resting. The Abisko area has a lot of easily accessible trails, so we are going to spend some time exploring them before leaving for our final goal. After that, it’s just ten day to Treriksröset!
