Friday 15/8 – Sunday 24/8

Friday 15/8

There was rain on and off during the night, and just as I was about to get up it started pouring down, to the extent that there was a drip from the chimney above the gas stove. This turned out to be more of a shower, and as I made my morning report with the latest forecast to my two guests there was even a bit of sun. This didn't last long, however, for soon another wall of water pulled in over the lake, although visibility was still fairly good despite the mist. Both of the others had had some doubts about whether to stay, but in the end decided to chance it – the Swedish woman having to reach Stáddájåhkå in one go as she had no tent – and as they left things were starting to look lighter again.

Conditions kept shifting back and forth between mostly fine with good visibility and heavy rain with dense mists, but there was no wind. There was also some deep thunder sounds from the far south/southeast, and as the forenoon progressed the weather settled on the rain'n'mist option. It was actually fairly nice to stand out on the little porch under the roof there as there was still no wind, but I couldn't see very much, and there were certainly no signs of visitors. I spent most of the time reading, and by the time I sat down for lunch the rain was petering out again.

Again this was a temporary state of affairs, for soon it was back to downpour, and the still distant but closer thunder kept rolling. The rain varied in intensity as I solved crosswords, and eventually I spotted movement to the east, resolving into a Swedish woman with a runner's pack. She had been caught in that thunder up on the heights and hunkered down beside a rock while it passed – much like I had done on the other side of the massif many years prior. While she started drying up inside I went back to the end-season inventory project I had just started, moving around various supplies in my room for better order as I progressed.

Later in the afternoon the rain suddenly took a turn for the worse, and then another turn for the much worse – it was a veritable deluge reducing visibility to a few meters, and now there was also some wind to boot, so anyone caught outside would be soaked within seconds. This bout soon moved on towards the east, and in its wake visibility was restored. The wind remained, however, and it was now quite chilly as a result. Eventually the incessant rain petered out again, and when the next two people arrived from the east the wind had died down as well. Needless to say they were quite wet; the aforementioned deluge had hit them just as they were negotiating the ford on Adámvallda and so the final stage had been a dreary one for them.

Needless to say the sauna was in want, so I went off to light it, noting that the water level in Varvvekjåhkå was visibly higher. It was back to rain and wind as I moved in for dinner and the others moved into the sauna, and it kept at it into the evening with misty conditions. I spotted a few reindeer out on the northern plain, which was the first time I had seen any on the Swedish side this sojourn. It was now chilly enough that I turned on the gas heater in my room, and then I went over to speak with the others; the duo were planning on visiting the glacier on the morrow, so I related some tips from my own visit a few days earlier.

The stream was noisy and displayed more whitewater than usual, which is hardly surprising as it collects water from the whole area. It was really bad outside as I prepared for bed, with whipping rain and haze, so I was glad to be indoors – and I hoped that the two who had left in the morning had found adequate shelter too.

Saturday 16/8

The night was a very windy one, with rain to and fro, and I slept on and off. The morning forecast looked rough and the runner was having a hard time deciding what to do, while the other two seemed calm enough. It was still rainy and windy but somewhat less so, although the water in the stream was now considerably higher; probably more than a couple of decimeters or so. Things were getting lighter in the direction of the massif as the rain kept diminishing, leaving "only" a cold wind. This had eventually tipped the scales of the runner who intended to go for Stáddájåhkå, and the pair were holding firm to their glacier plans.

I did some work in the storage areas while the guests left, and now it really was getting lighter, to the extent that there was even a bit of sky showing. After some other tasks in the main cottage I returned to the woodshed, oscillating between feeling warm when the wind was absent and chilly when it wasn't. Later in the afternoon the weather improved further and I went out for a stroll, enjoying the mesmerizing light upon the lake; there was a fair bit of sunlight around, but most of it at a distance. Then, suddenly, the sun broke through the clouds and stayed in the open for a long while, which was very positive for the charging system which had been somewhat under the weather, as it were.

After dinner I went out for another little walk, noting the vastly increased power of the gushing water at the bridge, but now the paths had dried up. There were low drifting clouds intermittently obscuring the sun and a dense shower passed out on the lake. At one point I espied a single hiker making their way to the northern trail split from the west, and after what looked like a selfie series turned back west, eventually putting up a tent at the same spot by the ford which the Dutch man had used earlier. Huh.

Now the drifting clouds were growing smaller and the sky clearer, and the wind was growing less albeit not at all to the point of oblivion. I went through some more storage and found some additional items I had thought missing, and looking out over the stream the water level appeared to have passed its maximum. It was now quite cold outside and the thick drifting clouds were back, hanging around the peaks. The wind was on the increase again, making outside visits a shivering affair, but it was much lighter compared to the evening before now that much of the sky was uncovered. There were no guests this day, so I offered a remote good night to the selfie fellow and turned in alone at 22.

Sunday 17/8

There were some strong gales during the night, but when morning came it was more of a steady cold northwesterly wind, and the clouds were low. As I had breakfast I observed the tenter get up and break camp – and head back west. All that for a selfie, if that was what it was? Now the clouds were partially breaking up with some weak sunlight showing, so I decided to go fishing again around 09:45.

I started out at the downstream bridge pool, and now the water had sunk back to nearly the level it had been before the heavy rains. This time there were no nibbles and I soon continued downstream; I tried a few casts in places but for the most part it was too swift and shallow for comfort. There were mists further west and from time to time a drop or two reached me, but no worries. At the outflow it was definitely too shallow, so I continued around the channel where I had a very clear view of the bottom and so could gauge the depth accurately.

To the bridge

Downstream

After the outflow

Misty

Unsurprisingly the watery barrier at the end was still watery and barring, so I made my way back and then across the little mire as I had done previously, returning to the shore where I continued fishing. I caught something other than a fish a couple of times; at first I thought it was the bottom, but the resistance slowly yielded as I pulled on the line, eventually releasing completely, so maybe a log or something. Once again a bunch of loons made off before my approach, and now the mists were all around. When I reached the same place I had turned back last time the water grew too shallow, so I decided to call it quits once more.

Homespotting

Around I go

Bushy

Shallow

I set off straight for the cottage, which was in clear evidence even with the mist, eating both cloudberries and blueberries along the way. When I was about halfway back I noticed a couple of people approaching along the eastern trail, and I met them at the table around 11:30. They were foreigners with a rather American-like accent who had spent the night on the eastern side of Adámvallda, and now they were headed west on a clockwise circuit of the massif. We talked for a long while, with me relating a string of tips about the trails they were to take, while the mist remained in place, giving off a light drizzle from time to time.

Mist on the lake...

...the delta...

...and the far shore

As they left I had lunch inside, while the outside was a wild mix of conditions. I set about chopping some more firewood until it was back to wet, and soon there were strong gusts as well. I rested for a bit and then went out for a while, noting that the semi-tame ptarmigans were now three in number. These and some hovering falcons were the only moving things I saw, though, so I wondered if it was going to be another empty night. Later things got lighter and the wind was weaker, but the clouds remained low and the mists weren't going anywhere. As I was preparing dinner the local reindeer that still hung around ventured closer than they had thitherto done, and now it was very dark off to the east.

After dinner and a dessert of warm cloudberries it was still misty but light, and as the evening progressed the clouds started lifting, giving way to a weak sun. As prognosticated no one had arrived, so since I was due for a wash I heated water and went over to the sauna's washroom again. It was quite cold there since it had been unused for several (cold) days, and even though I used up all the hot water I shivered a bit. Outside conditions were slowly improving and there was mostly no wind, but the low clouds remained so as I hit the sack earlier than usual.

No pots of gold there

Banded

Visitors

Still low

Monday 18/8

I remained in bed until after 9, and once I was up the low clouds were lifting somewhat and the sun was coming out. Rain mists were rolling in across the lake together with an increasing wind, and everything was more or less unsteady but with a slight lean towards the better side. I set about taking some more inventory in the shop while a light rain started, and then sorted various papers until lunch.

Lighter

Darker

Bluer

Rainier

In the afternoon the rain had gone but the clouds were low, and off to the northwest mists were drifting about. It was fairly nice outside, but the wind was on the increase. I spent most of the time reading and doing crosswords/sudoku until at last a single Swedish-speaking German woman arrived from Vaimok, so no third empty night in a row. Since I now had company I took the opportunity to change an empty gas canister connected to the warden's cottage, as this is somewhat risky work, and I just managed to get it done before the next shower hit.

A Norwegian man then also arrived from the east, and having had a very rough night in his tent he now wished to sleep inside, especially considering the forecast. A huge haze was approaching, and I just had time to fetch water before things turned really bad with strong winds and pouring rain. A third hiker soon arrived from the same direction as the last two, this being a Swede who also opted for a bed; he usually didn't use the cottages on his tours, but given the conditions he thought it a good day to break a decade-long habit.

Once everyone was inside I had dinner while the rain splashed on outside, and afterwards the strong wind remained. I spoke some with my guests in the main cottage and then went to fire up the sauna, having to work a bit more now that it was chilled out. While it heated the sun came out in force and it was a very nice evening for a while – quite the contrast to just a few hours before – but once the sauna sessions had started it was back to light rain. I read until it was time for my evening snack, and then the weather took a turn for the worse again.

Tuesday 19/8

During the night the wind increased further, with heavy bouts of rain to boot, and there was a veritable roar in the chimney. Perhaps not too unsurprisingly my dreams were both stormy and nightmarish, and I felt slow in the morning. When I got up at 8 it was 4°C and a dense mist covered the land, and an extensive shower was occurring. As I walked over to the main cottage for a morning report I noted that there was fresh snow on the massif, but none had fallen down here at the lake.

The Swede had originally planned on walking into Norway along the northern route, but with the weather as it was he decided to stick to the northbound trail instead. Suddenly the wind dropped dead and the sun came out in a large patch of clear sky, giving rise to a strong rainbow out on the white-crested lake. It was still pretty nice while I had breakfast, but then the wind picked up again, and by the time everyone had left the clouds were returning to a low position. There were light showers on and off as I did this and that inside, and after some more continuous rain it was getting lighter once more with mist around the perimeter.

After lunch it was lighter still but also windier, with some pretty strong gales. Suddenly an eagle alighted close by and flew eastwards, scaring up a local falcon as it touched down. I went out for a bit during a lull and picked blueberries, finding another good patch in the closest slope. I returned inside when the next bout of badness approached, very quickly giving rise to a strong northerly wind, and then sat down for afternoon tea in my comfortably warm room.

Scary eagle

Scared falcon

My prey

I rearranged some cupboards and then went out again in the next window, doing some outdoor work. A single hiker was making his way down onto the northern plain as more of the massif emerged, showing off a growing snow cover. I met him outside and quickly found out that this was a participant in Gröna Bandet (Green Ribbon), i.e. walking the length of the Swedish fjeld range, but I had not expected to meet any of those now in August as Pieskehaure is at least a fourth of the way from the northern end and most people start earlier. He had had rather a cold day and was now happy to be offered a warm bed and a considerably warmer sauna.

As we talked the clouds broke apart again and the sun came out, and then another hiker arrived from the east. This was a German with quite a heavy pack – very much the opposite of the Swede – who had last been at Pieskehaure all the way back in 1997. I had a quick dinner and then fired up the sauna, and this latest German turned out to be another one of those who enjoy firewood work, so he set about filling up the cut pile. The sky was getting clearer all the while, and it was rather nice outside apart from the cold wind. Towards the end of the evening the wind mostly died down, but it was indeed cold, so both my guests and I were glad to spend the coming night inside.

Wednesday 20/8

The wind quickly returned in force and then remained in play throughout the night. In the morning the clouds were low and a haze was hanging on the other side of the lake, feeding some drops hither. In the main cottage the Swede was almost ready to leave while the German took it easy. There was a large hole of blue more or less above the lake, but the wind was chilly and it took some time before a veiled sun showed itself. After the German left I prepared for a little outing, and having looked over things I went out at 11:15, opting for the boots due to the cold.

I walked past the tenting spot and then up a bit before going down the slope to check out the little waterfall in the stream, after which I kept a low heading to the flat area at the bend. I passed the little adjacent brook and then followed its leafy hollow upwards, where I was more or less sheltered from the wind. I stepped across the brook again and walked upwards over dry heath onto a hilltop where the wind was back in full force, and it was quite chilly with some drops riding in from the western mists. When the hill levelled out I returned down and crossed the brook once more, following it downstream to the sheltered turn where I climbed the northern slope and sat down below the crest where I still enjoyed protection from the wind around 11:45.

Down by Varvvekjåhkå

Going up...

...beside the stream

Out of the hollow...

...up onto the hill

Almost-view

Lone one

Further up

Back down

The air and scene held a palpable feel of autumn even though only a few leaves here and there had begun to change color, and it felt good to be out and about again. As I munched on my lunch a weak veiled sun played over me, so I removed the down jacket I had put on, and when I got going again I only had the wind jacket on. This was very necessary up on the nearby hilltop where the wind was strong indeed, and now parts of the massif were visible, displaying more fresh snow.

Improvement

Still misty

I passed a somewhat wet hollow and came out onto the other flat area I had found earlier and then followed the stream as low in the slope as I could, ascending a bit to get around a steep brink section, and then returned down to the outflow of the brook. From the following patch I walked straight ahead up to the trail, where I was greeted by more strong wind on the last crest, and found myself back at the cottage after 12:30.

Through a hollow...

...to the campsite

Close to the water

Back on track

More and more blue sky was showing and a weak sun was reappearing, but it remained windy as I relaxed inside. Later in the afternoon I made scones, and right after a very close rainbow appeared I sat down for a proper British afternoon tea, with Earl Grey (hot) to boot. Now the gusts were really becoming strong, but there was still sun on and off. I sewed shut a hole in my gloves which had become quite evident out in the wind, while said wind kept roaring outside, together with some shifting mists. Two people arrived from the north in a short bout of sun-rain; these were Swedes who had camped about halfway from Stáddájåhkå, and they just wanted to check out the place before heading off towards Lomihytta along the northern trail.

Before they left another man arrived from the east, and this turned out to be Lasse, the husband of the current warden in Njunjes and a warden himself. He was out on a tour of the area and would be staying two nights. We talked for a long while outside while the weather improved, but the wind was cold. Three more people came from the north in short fashion, although they had actually approached from the south; these were northbound Ribboners, which was even more surprising given the risk for snow further north in September. Two of them were Australians(!) and the third a Swedish-speaking German whom they had met on the trail and struck up company with.

The sauna was requested, of course, so I lit the fire and then catered to the Ribboners' quite extensive needs in the shop. Outside there were more bouts of haze with subsequent rainbows which continued for a good while, and after I could yield control of the sauna I finally sat down for a belated dinner. Just when I was finished two Swedes with two dogs came from Vaimok, whom Lasse had alerted me to beforehand, and these would also be staying for two nights.

I spent most of the evening speaking to my various guests in various places and configurations while the weather kept shifting, and though there was no movement I did spot the two visitors from before making camp on the other side of the ford. After the dog people had had a quick visit to the sauna (sans dogs) as the last group I went in myself; it was now almost 22 so I didn't make a long session out of it either, and I had to use artificial lighting in the washroom due to the oncoming dark. It was raining lightly as I returned to my room, drowsingly entering bed after 22:45.

Thursday 21/8

I remained in bed while a morning shower passed, but there were no wind sounds any more. I arose to find low clouds and some drops coming from a haze off to the northwest, and the very modest 3°C actually didn't feel as cold as that. I went inside the main cottage and found out that the German had decided to stay for another day, and the dog people wanted to go up to the glacier. A bit later when the Aussies were up I spent a long time talking to all the Ribboners, and the latter two had also decided to take a rest day together with their friend.

The weather was steadily improving and I had another go at laundry in weak sunlight. There were still mists off to the west but as they seemed to remain there I hung the wet things outside. After donating some flour and oil to the Aussies for a small baking project there was a joint visit to the shop, the stores of which took another substantial hit as a result. I espied the two tenters breaking camp and crossing the bridges, as well as even whiter conditions up in the partially visible massif, and then it was time for lunch.

Next up was another baking session, and while the dough rose the dog people finally departed for the glacier now that the weather was looking up. Having produced a very nice set of bread I returned to the common kitchen where the down-unders had just produced cloudberry crumble for us all, so baking seemed to be the theme of the day. A single man was approaching along the northern trail, this being another German who also decided to stay inside. More and more of the sky was showing and more and more of the massif was creeping out, but it remained cold outside despite only a weak wind.

Peak peek

Nuortta Sávllo too

After a shower had passed I went to light the sauna which was in demand again (surprise!), and while I tended to the fire a Swedish man arrived from the east, not having seen a living soul along the way. This brought the total guest number up to eight, which is high for Pieskehaure in summer but just shy of the season record. While the Germans entered the sauna the Australians went to visit the old peat hut, so they should be back just in time for another turn after the former were finished.

Massif out

Nuortta Sávllo not

A dinner and many blueberries later the evening turned into a very nice one, but it was still somewhat windy and Nuortta Sávllo remained mostly hidden. I spoke for a long while with the non-warden Swede outside, giving some trail tips as he was headed north along Nordkalottleden with Abisko as the distant goal. Up in the massif the peaks were rising above and behind billowing clouds, making for a very cool scene – literally, as the temperature was dropping again. I had observed the dog people up in the valley going up earlier, and now I finally spotted them coming down again, but they were quite far away still so it would be some time yet before they were back.

I took in the laundry, which had mostly dried in the wind, and after a long talk with the Ribboners inside we all went outside to experience and photograph an incredible sunset. The air was now mostly still, and in the fading light I noticed that the glacier visitors had now passed the ford. After my evening snack Nuortta Sávllo emerged at long last, and the sky was all but clear. The Sálajiegŋa expedition then finally returned, having been all the way up to the lake which was longer in both time and space than they had planned, but they had had a terrific day. A late visit to the shop followed, and after some evening chitchat I called it a night at 22:15.

Friday 22/8

Said night was clear and displayed planets in its sky, and in the early morning a thin layer of frost was melting in sunny areas but still remained in the shadow. It was no more than 1°C and no wind was blowing – a somewhat strange feeling now. Despite the "high" visitor number this was one of the quickest departure mornings of the season; some people had already left when I got up, and the rest filed out in rapid succession. I therefore seized the opportunity to go for the first proper day tour for over a week; it was a bit worrying that clouds had already started appearing and being attracted to the peaks, but as I finished preparations things seemed to be growing lighter again. With everyone gone and all morning tasks completed I set off before 09:15, choosing the running shoes this time around for greater ease of movement.

Nice and white

Panorama of the snow-covered massif

Light frost

What a scene

Doggies

Clouds amassing...

...around the peaks

Go to day tour report »

I detected no signs of presence in my absence upon my return, and after munching on some snacks I had a quick wash in the stream while I was still warm; it was quite windy, but a weak sun was shining. I then closed that window which was indeed open; it simply appeared not to have been locked correctly, and displayed no damage. I relaxed inside while the wind howled and the clouds descended and spread, now covering the whole sky. How quickly things turn around.

A bit later a Swiss couple came from the east, one of whom spoke Swedish (and the other appeared to understand it to some degree). Not too long thereafter a Swedish man also arrived from the same direction, and once I had handled everything my dinner was just about ready, so I sat down to eat while a light rain started outside. Then it was sauna time again, and while I fed the fire the shower passed and there was less wind, but the clouds were now even lower. Things improved somewhat while the others had their respective sessions, but it was windy again and a haze hung across the lake.

It was a chilly evening that saw the wind increase further, so it felt good to go into the sauna myself after the Swiss were done. Since I had ample time at my disposal now I took the chance to really get the temperature up, and had rather a long session with repeated outside visits to cool off. This time the final wash required no extra light even though it was dusky, and back inside I had an evening snack by candlelight. The wind was howling in the chimney again as I prepared for bed, turning in at 22:30 after a rewarding day.

Washing room

Sweating room

Saturday 23/8

It was still very windy in the morning, and it was both misty, rainy and cold with very low clouds off to the east. I arose around 8 and went in with the morning forecast; there the Swede was just about to go on his merry way, so I gave him some tips about the northward stage. The Swiss had not yet gone up, so I returned to my cottage to have breakfast in the mists. Eventually the others arose as well and as they had mostly expected the day before they had now resolved to stay for another night.

As the forenoon went on outside conditions improved, even to the point of small glimpses of blue. After lunch a larger blue hole grew mostly above my position, but across the lake it was still hazy. The wind had also abated considerably and sunlight played on the land in the distance. I read in my bed while the sound of the wind returned, and suddenly there was a knock on the door. This was Kit Birks out on her hike through the length of Europe(!) – Nordkapp to southernmost Greece – now 48 days into an expedition she expected to cover a full year, and she wished to visit the shop and have lunch inside before pressing on to Vaimok.

I watched visibility shift with the drifting clouds while the wind stayed strong, and out on the lake the green light played on the waves. After a bit I went inside and talked for a long time with Kit and the Swiss, getting some "war stories" from and relating various tips and general knowledge about upcoming stages to the former and finding out that I had probably met the latter on my first warden assignment in Såmmarlappa way back in 2007. Not much else happened during the afternoon, and I mostly spent the time reading when I wasn't tracking the shifting clouds in the unrelenting wind.

The Swiss had their eyes on the sauna again, so one dinner later I set about the usual ignitive tasks, employing wood freshly and willingly cut by the male half of the pair – apparently wood-cutting was a much more sought-after pastime than usual during this wardenship. After a short shower there was an intriguing light on the clouds, and now the wind was decreasing again. I had another go at sewing shut holes in the gloves, reaching a satisfactory result, and by the time I was done the clouds were breaking apart for real. No more action this day, and I had an early night.

Sunday 24/8

After another very windy and very noisy night with equally windy dreams I awoke to a morning of both low clouds and a large sky hole. Later in this morning it was sunny on and off, but there were also some flying drops and rainbows, and it was quite cold still. After the Swiss had left I set about doing some weekly maintenance tasks in the main cottage, and then started the process of taking final inventory, again finding some things I didn't know were there. As per usual I ended up rearranging a bunch of stuff for clearer divisions/collections, which greatly improved future findability. The wind was slowly abating and the sun was growing stronger outside, and by lunchtime I was done with the first pass.

Having eaten I continued with the next pass, covering in turn my room, the storage, the outhouse, the sauna, the privy, the guest cottage and the off-season compartment. Outside the weather was heavily oscillating, with a feeling of warmth when the sun was out and of cold when not in the presence of wind, which was most of the time. I finished up most of the counting and rearranged some more, and then relaxed with afternoon tea.

In the late afternoon I took on the first aid supplies as well, and now it was more windy again outside. Up in the massif the recent snows had started to melt on the lower reaches, but the peaks were still quite white higher up. The only movement were reindeer off in the distance, but after dinner I spotted two people apparently coming down the Lomihytta route, one of whom then approached along the main trail while the other pitched a tent between the bridges. Since it was quite chilly I started a fire in the common kitchen as that single hiker drew near and then met him outside; this was another German who had had a rough tent night and now opted for a bed.

The sauna got another run as well as the sky grew clearer, and the wind went up and down but overall in the negative direction. I did some administrative work while the German had his sauna and then I relaxed by the candlelight. When it was time for bed the persistent clouds were partially dissipating, and for a change it was almost quiet when I lay down.