Friday 9/9

On the train, I shared a compartment with two elder ladies who were very talkative – not that it was disturbing or anything. When we drew close to Murjek there was evidence of earlier rain, and after passing Nattavaara there was snow both in the air and on the ground. Quite a mix, that – the trees aflame with autumn colors, the mires with their usual serenity, and then a frail shroud of white powdering it all. Both the falling and fallen snow ceased before Kiruna, however, and there was just a drizzle. The train was only 5–10 minutes late – astonishingly enough – so I had no trouble catching the intended bus to Nikkaluokta.

The rain expired on the way there, and visibility was rather good. A dim sun could be perceived through the clouds, and the air was crisp without being cold. The peaks and higher regions of the fjelds around had a fairly extensive snow cover, and the woodland was an explosion of color. I walked around a bit, taking photos, before having loin of pork with fried potatoes and apple sauce at the visitors' center, and then prepared to depart.

At Nikkaluokta

Autumn colors

Láddjuvággi

Fjelds to the southwest

A plaque at the...

...Nikkaluokta fjeld chapel

Báittasjávri

Govggenjunni from the front

I left at 14:00, in a drizzle so light that the best way to detect it was to observe the minuscule ripples it created on water surfaces. After about two kilometers of backtracking along the road, I came to the start of the actual trail. There was a sign there saying "Vistas cottages, 33 km" – which was rather surprising seeing as how an identical sign was placed at the parking lot in Nikkaluokta! I stopped to put on the rain cover on the rucksack, in case the rain were to increase.

For the first kilometer or so, the trail was marked by red paint on stones, but after that it was just a well-trodden path. Going was easy, and the trail passed through pretty much every conceivable type of lowland terrain – everything from swampy mires and water holes, via lush forest, to packed dirt and gravel. A multitude of brooks of various sizes frequently intersected the path, and there was offered no aid in passing most of them. At one particular stream of appreciable depth, however, trunks had been placed across it, but they were mostly in the water, at strange angles. Upon reaching that location, I scouted a bit after another suitable crossing place, but soon decided to make use of what tools there were. I also discovered that someone had tied a rope above the trunks, which simplified things.

Having worked up my temperature, I soon took off my jacket; what little precipitation there was was of no concern, and there was virtually no wind. The trail continued in the same fashion, and the only notable event was my startling a suddenly appearing reindeer, which quickly scampered off into the trees to join its companion. All along the path, camp site after camp site could be seen; Visttasvággi is more or less ideal for tenting. Just before the lower boat landing (one can go by boat for a bit upstream Visttasjohka), the drizzle returned, so I put the jacket back on.

Passing by Báittasjávri

Looking back west

The beginning of the trail

Colorful

The western fjelds disappearing from view

Part of Visttasjohka's southern delta

Guhppusčohkka

Govggenjunni from the side

Looking into Visttasvággi

More of the delta

One of the peaks of the...

...Govggečorru mountain ridge

Something died here...

Shrouded Visttasvággi

My plan was to make camp in the vicinity of the mere situated right by the path just after the lake Njerrem. So, once I spotted the mere, I started looking for camp sites. I immediately found a couple of good (and previously utilized) ones, but I wanted to go just a little bit further. For a few hundred meters, the land was such that no decent locations were to be found, but I soon stumbled across one right beside a small purling brook. By that time – 17:15 – the drizzle had once again decreased to barely noticeable.

While I was busying myself, I heard the distinct sound of a motorized boat coming up Visttasjohka. It passed me by, and came to a stop a little bit further upstream – which made perfect sense, seeing as how the upper boat landing was supposed to be 12 km from Nikkaluokta. Soon I also heard one or more dogs barking, which together with the boat was the first sign of (present) human presence I had had since leaving the road.

I then set about making dinner, accompanied by a few surviving insects (no repellant required), and while doing so, I heard the boat return downstream. I also found some litter under one of the stones that made up the existing fireplace, which I took care of. At 18:30, I entered the tent to eat; the rain had swung back to "light but not trifling". My timing was impeccable, for just a few minutes later it truly started raining.

First camp site

Some eggshells lying around

Snowy Govggečorru

After some quiet time in the tent, I suddenly heard the jingle of bells, and immediately thought that there were reindeer about. Upon looking out through the ventilation aperture, however, I quickly identified the source as a dog. Right behind it there came a man and another dog, and once the man got closer I saw that he carried a shotgun – which would explain some bangs I had heard earlier in the day. He secured his weapon as soon as he spotted my tent, and we had a brief conversation through the fabric; he was a Norwegian ptarmigan hunter who had his own tent nearby, and he had come my way in pursuing a quarry. He also had one bird already hanging from his rucksack.

The rain gradually petered out, and the clouds were breaking up. A light wind from up the valley came into being, which caused bursts of drops from the surrounding trees to strike the tent. Shadows crept over the land as the light faded, but the sky was clearing, which boded well for the morrow. The wind picked up for a while, and then all but died down; I also heard the boat again. I had a light evening snack before going to bed at 21:15, and then lay reading for a while.

A fair evening

Visttasvággi in the dusk

Pretty clouds

White balance experiment

Darkening skies

The tent in the dark

Long exposure