Saturday 29/8

It started to rain during the night as forecast, but when I made a quick sortie there was a break; it was also rather dark, but I just managed without the headlamp. I left a small gap in the window as I drifted off to a sound sleep again, arising to more rain sounds at 8 by which time most other guests were already up. The clouds were now low and it was raining in full, but there was not at all as much wind as prognosticated; indeed, the air felt fresh and invigorating (and damp). I had a calm breakfast together with the wardens, and during the unfolding conversation it emerged that I had actually met one of them in Lunndörren on my way to Anaris back in 2021. The clouds sank further as I packed up and cleaned, and the rain increased as well, so I put on all rain clothes before leaving at 10:00.

Low clouds...

...in the morning

Water place

Lower clouds...

...a bit later

The rucksack was now quite light, and the only real effort ascending along the summer trail came from the muddy path, but conditions improved when the ground levelled out. Behind me was a misty world, but as I progressed to more open tracts I saw a veiled light over the Vålådalen basin, and the rain decreased almost to the point of nothingness. The walk held a great feeling with a strong autumnal tinge again, and the shifting clouds lent everything a layer of mystique.

Up I go

Still low behind

Even mistier

Drifting clouds

Basin view

Lifting somewhat

Autumnal

Misty mountain

Another one

Yep, more

The bridge over Tvärån (one of many streams by that name around the basin) was a sturdy one, after which followed a series of duckboards that were obviously being replaced, with material lying around at places. Other than that the ground consisted of heathland right up until the path plunged down into the forest again, which grew dense immediately – and the rain picked up once more.

Tvärån bridge

This is nice

Not so much this

More mist

Shifting clouds

Turn

Denser

Down into the forest

Down in the forest

Here the path was in great condition, and the forest grew deeper all around as I walked upon it, with more blueberries in evidence. Around the winter trail split the sky was getting lighter, with some hints of sunlight getting through. This made me rather warm for a while, and since the rain had mostly ceased again I stopped at a campsite on the edge of a mire to remove the rain pants. While I was doing so I heard a rustle across an adjacent mire, but it turned out not to be anything more interesting than another reindeer. After some chocolate I sat out again, but as there was a renewed drizzle on I kept the rain jacket in place.

Nice again

Passing...

...mires

The next portion consisted of nice spruce forest, and soon the rain petered out again. As I reached Stensån I found two of the overnight guests from Stensdalen on another campsite, so I went on a bit further myself. The section along the water had acquired duckboards a few meters higher up, which was a welcome development as I remembered this part as very wet from the last time I passed by. When the trail left the stream behind I followed a side path to another campsite in among the pines, but there were no benches or rocks to sit on there, so I placed myself on a nearby springy half-fallen tree at 12:30.

Back in the woods

Clearing

Dry forest

Grassy

Back at Stensån

Downstream

Seatless site

While I was having my lunch the other two passed by, followed by a single hiker. When I had finished eating another shower hit, so I moved over to the large pine where I had placed the rucksack and stood in the shelter of its branches for a while. I then took a shortcut back to the trail, which after more duckboards turned into a wide, dry(ish) path through dry(ish) pine land. Before long the rain increased quite a bit, and soon it was pouring down. I met a couple going the other way, and now my hiking trousers were getting soaked below the knees, but it wasn't long before the rain abated once more and they could start drying.

Dry pines

Damp birches

Mireside

Wide Vålån

The path had grown puddly as a result of the downpour, and the air was quite damp. I passed the entirely still waters of Buråstjärnen and then came to a sign pointing out a new detour I had heard talk about in Stensdalen, due to high waters ahead caused by a new beaver dam. I decided to take my chances, however, and pressed on along the regular trail, which from then on held much fewer tracks. As I walked along the wide open expanse between Buråsen and Ljungdalsmyren the sun emerged in full, and it was starting to get warm.

Buråstjärnen

Amphibian

Sun is out

The slope down to the next mire had been supported with an erosion-reducing web, and the following portion of the trail had been covered with gravel to reduce wear – an operation I had seen in the news earlier in the summer, and which seemed ironic now that almost everyone was using the detour instead. The clouds were breaking up for real now, with the sun doing its thing all around as I approached Nulltjärnbäcken and saw that there was indeed flooding across a large area. The low bridge was partially submerged, and a quick look told me that the depth on the far side was well over boot level – and another quick look upstream yielded no improvement.

Web site

Freshly applied...

...gravel

Roadlike

Lakelike

Islelike

I therefore simply took the boots off and waded across the offending section barefoot, which was a breeze, while the two from before came along the detour and passed by again. After drying my feet in the grass on the other side I put the boots back on and soon noted more fortification efforts in the next slope. A short section of woods later I emerged onto the large field beside the car parking, from where I followed the road to the Vålådalen fjeld station at 14:15.

Engineered

Crest view

Civilization

Parked

End of walk

Fair weather now

There were a fair number of people outside, and I sat down at a table in the sun to wait for the bus. The weather was much better than the forecast had threatened, but here at least the wind was fairly strong in the gusts. The bus was of the larger kind and travelled the full route via Ottsjö, affording some more views before finally leaving the fjelds behind, thus bringing another late-summer tour through my home region to an end.