Tuesday 2/9

I slept well, noting some rain during the night as forecast, but it had stopped when I arose at 06:00 – earlier than usual since I had a bus to catch. The clouds were rather low, however, the grass was wet, and the southeasterly wind was back, and the inside of the cottage was murky since it was only just growing light. I packed up and cleaned while the clouds slowly lifted, a process which continued after breakfast, so it looked to be good walking conditions. Having finished up everything I left around 07:45, wearing the wind jacket from the start.

Low clouds

Trail fully visible

Somewhat higher clouds

The lower water level in the lake was quite noticeable in the first section around the little bay, and the large snowfield which had covered much of the following stretch a month ago was now replaced by wet ground since there was only a bit of melting snow left higher up. I was sheltered from the wind for a while there, and it was a bit warm, but on the next crest it was back in force. After a gravel field at the start of the subsequent headland I ascended on mossy dirt that turned to grass before long.

Leaving

Cavern

Towards the headland

Beach there

Past the headland

I walked on at a good pace, finding the path mostly adequate, but suddenly I found that I had somehow drifted off it and ended up too low when the actual trail ascended a few meters at a bend, so I climbed back up the gentle slope. After that the trail continued ascending for a good while to an area where the autumn feel was very strong, and the ground grew wetter in places. On the last crest before I lost sight of the eastern end of the lake behind me, I observed the sun breaking through there.

Next beach

Multi-colored

Islands behind

Redness ahead

Ferns

Another beach

Splashing

Sometimes wet

Lighter...

...to the east

I carefully made my way down a section of rock faces still damp from the nightly rain, and as I approached the conglomeration of cabins at the western end of the lake I crossed the larger stream at the same place as on the way east, and it was even easier today. Since there was more naked rock ahead I took a lower route across the flat grassy area, climbing back towards the trail later in a roundabout fashion to get as much traction as possible, but some careful steps with questionable grip were necessary – and there was an outlying cairn that led me slightly astray at one point.

Reaching...

...the cabins

Stream passage

Leaving the cabins

Upon the rocky threshold between Muorkkejávrre and Loamejávrre the wind was very strong, and I was glad that I had kept the jacket on. The next stretch had more naked rock than I remembered, necessitating more careful motion, but the further west I progressed the lighter the sky became, even displaying some touches of blue. The ground turned into dry dirt with moss and then back into grass interspersed with heath as I neared my previous lunch site, where I took another lower detour around more naked rocks along a stony shore which was now much wider.

Ridges

A look back

A look forward

Down from the rocks...

...over heath...

...to the stony shore

Back on the trail I soon found myself at the Tjalalveshytta split, down from which the previous snowfield was now replaced with gravel and dirt, but it was steep enough that I took my time. After traversing the ledge I reached the car road, where an ATV was parked on the side but there were no other signs of other visitors. The flow from the tunnel was much diminished, and after crossing the outflow I went out onto the little headland there where I sat down in a semi-sheltered depression behind a small hilltop around 10:30.

Lomivatnet behind

Sulidälbmá across

Lomivatnet below

Slope ahead

Predator

On the ledge

Headland and clouds

Barely flowing

After looking at some nearby reindeer rubbing their antlers on the local shrubs I had an early lunch while the clouds grew darker back east. It was soon getting a bit chilly, so before I started freezing I was back on the road – literally, now – with the jacket shut against the wind. Said wind was also starting to affect my hands, so since I had the gloves readily reachable I put them on. My progress was slightly ahead of schedule, so I set a comfortable walking pace, and now there were no snowfields in the way either. The wind increased as I got higher, and while I stood on a side spot looking back out over the lake the four-wheeler passed by.

Rub...

...a-dub

Lines

On the road again

The way I came

The way I went

Side passage

Turning

On the crest of the slope the wind was very powerful, but there didn't appear to be any risk of rain. There were a number of cars parked down in the area of the dam, but no one seemed to be out and about. As I rounded the hill the wind got even stronger, and I actually had to hold on to my hat while admiring the wide views over the valley that were opening up, keeping it slanting sideways as I walked perpendicular to the moving air for a bit.

Exploitation

That waterfall again

The lake in full

Passing Lomihytta

Dam etc.

The valley opening up

Sharp turn

Sulitjelma in view

A look south

More of the valley

Koppartoppen (Copper Peak)

At the crossroads to Ny-Sulitjelma I walked out onto a low rise that gave me a view of the place of accommodation further up, together with a colorful group of people out on some kind of excursion in the immediate vicinity. It was still windy as I walked the winding road downwards, still with a comfortable margin to the departure time of the bus, but my feet were starting to feel tired.

Ny-Sulitjelma above

Sulitjelma below

Cliffs

The end, as it turned out

On a stretch of road with below-average surface quality I heard a car approaching from behind so I stepped to the side to let it pass, but instead the Norwegian driver stopped and offered me a lift down. I accepted, and as he was returning to Bodø after having dropped off a couple of Germans up at Ny-Sulitjelma he would be passing by Fauske, so he also offered to take me all the way there, negating the need for the bus.

We chatted about this and that during the journey, which included no sunlight but still unobscured views all around. My benefactor intended to stop at a gas station in the city center, which was a suitable place for me to get off and extend my thanks. I now had about an hour longer than expected before the evening train, which I spent calmly rearranging my pack, reestablishing connectivity and the like, as well as visiting a nearby shop to procure provisions for the remainder of the journey. All that done I proceeded to a pizza restaurant a short distance away and had an enormous creation which I just barely managed to consume, but then again I was quite hungry.

Outside it was growing lighter and the sun was coming out in the distance as I walked up to the train station for one final wait. Again the train arrived on time, taking me to Mo i Rana where I would spend the night before boarding the replacement bus bound for Trondheim on the morrow, eventually bringing me to the last train home from there.

Plus-size

Observatory-like

Dusk...

...in Mo i Rana