Ski tour with reindeer audience

After lunch we decided to enjoy the sun and went skiing on a new track (for us). We took the car to the west side of town and soon we saw the signs for "Olles spår". We chose the 10 km track going through the pine forest, without any big hills. Mainly the forest was young and you had untouched snow next to the track. A relaxing feeling being close to the nature (if you exclude the exercise which made you tired).




After a third of the track the snow were not untouched anymore, it was more like if a lot of animals had passed. Next to the track there were also other evidences of animals, even if we had a hard time to fit the larger footmarks (reminded more of moose size) and the small droppings (small like roe deers).






A few minutes later we got the answer; a smaller herd of reindeer lives here among the young trees. Probably they are used to the skiers, since they seemed quite unbothered by all passing people.

At the end of the ski trip the legs and the arms started to be tired and the body in general felt more stiff compared to when we started. When will the body become adapted to skiing?

Downhill skiing at Agnäs

Today we decided to test how much we remembered of skiing downhill (we did it once while we were in Wisconsin, but that ski area was quite flat, not many mountains in that state), the weather seemed promissing. Our goal for today was Agnäsbacken ski area. Not extremely large area that either, but at least it is just about one hour away from Umeå. One thing with the roads up here is that they are quite straight, and the speed limits are a little bit higher than they would be for a similar road in southern Sweden. That is of course due to the much less traffic.
Since we don't own any skis, we rented the whole package when we arrived. We tried to be there in time before they opened, and we managed quite well (later on some of the other guests had trouble finding parking spots).

Our first hill down started as a light slope and then turned into Björnbranten, a more steep slope. Not so good start for Maria the Beginner, she had a hard time to enjoy the landscape view. You could really feel that it was quite some time since last time on a pair of downhill skis.
More of the day was spent in JonErsvängen, a middle-easy slope.







Unfortunately the slopes were facing north, but at least we got some sun shine at the top of the mountain. Being in February the sun actually warmed you a little bit.





We stayed until the lift stopped for the day. Quite in time for the sunset this time of the year.

Our first ski trip

This week we weren't out so much during the weekdays, not when it's -20 - -25C. More or less only during transport to work or short walks, hardly recognizable behind all winter clothes.

But just in time for the weekend the cold weather loosened its grip and today we had around -5C. With some sun shining as well, it was a shame to not be outside. Yesterday we took a walk in the neighborhood, after our standard group exercise hour.

Today we decided it was time to use our skis for the first time, so we walked to Nydalasjön. Surprisingly there wasn't so much snow on the lake as in the landscape around. We followed the perimeter of the lake, in tracks from earlier skiers. Probably the lake wasn't frozen when all the snow fell, since in some places water had pushed through the ice and mixed with the snow, which now had become slush. This kind of surface was hard to ski on, the skis almost got stuck. We arrived back to the apartment 2½ hours later, feeling good about the time outdoors.
Next time we might try the prepared ski tracks around Bräntberget.

Via Ferrata to the top of the Skuleberget mountain

Around eight in the morning (left photo from an hour earlier) we started our way back to the south entrance.











Instead of going straight home when we came back to the main highway (E4), we just crossed to the other side: Naturum (Nature Centre) at the foot of Skuleberget mountain. The center provides an introduction to the park´s human and natural history, as well as an exhibition about the post-ice-age isostatic recovery of the land surface.

After about one hour there, we decided to take ourselves to the top of the mountain. But, not the ordinary hiking path.
(notice some "hikers" in the middle of mountain picture? Clue; yellow helmet)




Instead we chose to take the high road; Via Ferrata, a road up the mountain equipped with a fixed steel cable and some steps to put your feet on on the way.
We were equipped with a harness which had two carabiners attached to it, that way you always were connected to the cable with at least one carabiner. That is, you wouldn't fall to a certain death if you lost your grip of the cable. We were also equipped with helmets.
The first part of the "iron road" was quite simple, but then you really had to figure out were to put your feet, and at some places it would have been totally impossible (at least if you were not a quite experienced climber) to continue without using the cable. Your arms worked as much as your legs, if not more. Luckily there were a lot of places to take a rest at.

After about two hours we reached the top. It is quite strange to imagine that the top of the mountain was the coastline after the last ice age, but now it is 286 m (ca 940 ft) above sea level. The distance between the highest shoreline in the High Coast and its present shoreline is only approximately 2 km. The High Coast in Sweden has the highest isostatic land uplift in the world after the latest glaciation!

The cable way was one way only, so we took the ordinary path down to the nature center.












Around Skuleberget is a mix of vegetation more common south as well as north. We don't see many maple trees around Umeå, we do miss their pretty fall colors.









On the way down we passed a cave.

Slåtterdals cleft back and forth

At 6:30 we rose, (you need to use the few lit hours this time of the year) after a night on the hard sand dune. It was somewhat cold during the night, but warmer again when the sun rose.
Breakfast and repacking was done before today's hike started. Pretty soon the ascent began.
At first the path was quite wide and even, but the higher we got, the windier the road become with stones and roots to stumble on.










A wide pebble stone field was passed (the bog was only seen on distance), before we chose to take the "high road", a side track up on one of the mountains.





It was well worth the pain, because the view was astonishing from up there.








The wind was strong, so we didn't rest much in order to not blow away. It's surprisingly how the vegetation adapt to the growth conditions, like this pine.
We then went downhill to the Slåtterdals cleft, after a look from above.








It was impressing, you felt quite small standing between the 40 m high walls.












The track continued downhill to Tärnettvattnet lake, where we stopped for a lunch break.








The road got even steeper, past a cave. You really had to work to find something solid to put your feet on among the many stones.








When we arrived at the Tärnettholmarna islets, the legs and feet were quite tired.








We took a well-needed pause before the last kilometers of the day.









The goal was Näskebodarna, where one of the cabins belongs to the environmental protection agency (which also runs the national parks). Three beds and a stove could be used to cater for yourself. Soon after we arrived another young(er) couple showed up, with whom we shared the cabin.






At around 3:30 we had dinner, upon which followed relaxation at the beach. The cabin was still cool, and quite dark. After some trouble we were able to start a fire in the stove (the firewood was probably damp), which resulted in the cabin almost getting too warm. We allowed ourselves noodles before the sun set. There were tea lights in the cabin which became our source of light for the evening.

Skuleskogen National Park

Around three o'clock Olle picked up Maria at work and the car took us south. About two hours later we arrived at the south entrance to Skuleskogen National Park. The last 10 km was on bumpy gravel road. We got some drizzle on the car the final stretch, so we decided to dress in rain clothes and put the rain covers over the backpacks. But, in retrospect, that was the only rain we got this evening.
We walked about 1,6 km from the parking lot to Kälaviken. You are only allowed to camp at dedicated spots inside the national park, Kälaviken is one of them. This time of the year we were alone, but the sandy glade had room for more than ten tents.
We pitched the tent and started preparing the dinner. Surprisingly many mosquitoes around us, some have obviously survived the cold nights that are becoming more and more frequent. After dinner there wasn't much more to do than to move all the stuff inside the tent/apse. Already at 7:30 the darkness made it quite hard to see anything, so you could only hit the sleeping bag. We slept long before nine for once, which should give us a lot of sleep for the next day.