Wednesday 22/7

The night was windy but not very rich in precipitation, so come morning it actually didn't feel that wet anymore. I got up early and did my very best to go through my morning procedures as quietly and darkly as I could, so as to disturb the others as little as possible. Since both current conditions and the prognosis for at least the first half of the day held little rain I decided to walk in the hiking trousers and rain jacket only, and having had a last talk with Anna I finally departed Kårsavagge before 09:15.

Rain further in...

...but not further out

Last look

The westerly wind was carrying a fine drizzle from the haze up the valley, but nothing at all to worry about – and the rucksack felt light indeed. Almost all of the snow was now gone, but in some places this necessitated holding a somewhat higher course to get around the resulting wetness. Now, things were certainly wet enough on the trail anyway, in quite a few places with ponds and running water upon the path itself, but nothing deeper than my boots.

Melting

Bye!

Watery

I crossed the first, smaller arm of the Latnjavággi stream easily enough, and once I reached the first of the larger ones I thought that it looked passable in the boots after all, and just managed to traverse this and the next larger course without getting my feet wet, which involved some balancing acts. After bustling through the surrounding osier thickets the path got considerably better, and it was not long before I reached the next stream, which I could easily step across in what I judged to be the same place as on the way up. Having passed the grassy meadow, where there was a tent on the lower part, I took the middle one of three clear paths, and as I reached the cottage visibility limit they all converged and became the trail.

About to cross...

...the Latnjavággi stream

Cottage still visible

Near the crest

Approaching Vuolimus Gorsajávri

Trail behind

Trail ahead

Walking was easy, but whenever the path passed through thickets of varying density my legs got wet from the brushing leaves – and then dried again in short fashion. In the forested section it was wetter than anywhere else, and here I had to leave the path entirely in a few places due to the depth of the collected water upon it. The drizzle went back and forth between "very little" and "nothing at all", and it was quite nice there in among the trees. Gorsajohka east of the lakes was now a formidable torrent, and since I had already seen the ex-bridge location I took a shortcut this time, bringing me directly to the border of Abisko National Park.

Lower valley

Li'l delta

Still misty to the west

Flowery

Bumpy

Cute pond

Woods ahead

Verdant

Lush

Pac-Man...

...taking a bath

Park border

There was still a haze behind me, and another one was hanging over Abiskoalperna, so much more limited views this time around. A few hundred meters inside said border were four people outside a tent, but I took the path closer to the stream and never met them. I met a single hiker among the hills, and as I neared the forest the clouds'n'haze across Torneträsk as well as over Abiskoalperna began to lift. In among the trees it was very verdant and flowery, including a good many orchids, and also quite still. I met five people early on, and then walked briskly along the well-trodden path until I reached the classic "outlook shelf" overlooking the lower parts, where I sat down on flat rocks for lunch at 11:45.

Clouded peaks

Swift Gorsajohka

Hills and clouds

Plateau

Leaving the heights behind...

...and entering the forest

Saw quite a few of these

Slippery

Lunch vantage point

There were some drops in the air owing to a shifting haze before Abiskoalperna, but it was quite warm even without extra clothing. Having eaten and also both heard and seen an ore train passing by I saw no point in delaying, and got up again just as a whole flock of people were coming up on the trail. Me, I trodded on downwards at a good pace, and the incline felt gentler in this direction. I passed another group of five people who were having a food break, coming close to slipping on the wet duckboards on several occasions.

Pretty

Cloudy

Lake-y

In the meadow forest below the slope it started to rain lightly, and then I found myself at Rihtonjira, which looked precisely the same as on my last passage, apart from the fact that I now met a lightly clad runner there. Two more people came along the trail and then I went out to the rocks at the Ábeskoeatnu rapids, which were as, well, rapid as ever. I passed through the tunnel under the railway and went to have a quick look at the canyon before walking up to the tourist station after 13.

Meadowy

Same same

Upstream Ábeskoeatnu

Downstream Ábeskoeatnu

Ábeskoeatnu flowing under the bridge...

...into a tunnel...

...beside another tunnel...

...into its deep canyon

Abiskojåkka

Back where I started...

...in Abisko

I took care of business in the reception at once and finished the last of my report, after which I went in search of Johan who oversees all the cottages, but he was AWOL at the moment. I looked about the station a bit and took it easy in the foyer, noting a good many people out and about, and then went down to the basement to have a shower (but, unfortunately, no sauna due to you-know-what). After moving my stuff out to the service building I made another go at the office, and this time Johan was present, so I delivered my report and we talked for a good while before I returned to the service building. I rearranged the pack and then prepared dinner in the common kitchen, which was operating under a booking schedule, after which it was time to go to the train and leave the fjelds behind for now.

Lakeside

Outside

Inside