Friday 1/3

The room was rather chilly in the morning – around 4°C – and I stayed in bed as Janne got up and lit the fire. Outside the wind was back to weak, it was about –12°C, and things were mostly white although no snow was falling. All of us wardens had breakfast together, and as I prepared to leave at 10:00 visibility was improving.

I followed mostly in my own tracks (or would have, had I seen them) at first, and then continued west of the trail as the mist was slowly lifting and more and more of the valley was appearing. The snow was perfect for skiing, and before I knew it I had entered full sunlight, leaving the dense haze behind me. The sun gave no warmth, however, and the small draft going through the valley was chilling. I continued to ski on or near Čeakčajohka, going up around a small ravine which, as it turned out, I could well have passed through.

Leaving Sälka

Still misty

Just my tracks

The valley emerging

Parts of the Čeakčačohkka massif

Sun behind

And again

And once again

A single skier had just descended from the Pass, and as I approached it two more followed. These were the Germans, as expected, and I returned to the trail just in time to catch them; everything had been ok at Tjäktja in my absence, and that lone skier I had just seen had been the only other guest for the night. I followed the trail up, stopping on an intermediate crest to look out over the valley, which was now all in the clear, and then sprinted up the remaining bit to the shelter as more time than expected had already passed.

Below the Pass...

...I met the Germans

Going up myself

Sun-bathed Čeakčavággi

Panorama over the valley

Almost at the top

I sat down right outside the little building around 12:45, facing the sun to the south, and had a fortified lunch. I hadn't skied for long afterwards when I met Jesper and Kristian headed for Singi, and I asked them to stop by on their way back to pick up a letter for Marie in Abisko. I aimed my skis for Ážik and glided along at a leisurely pace; the weather was perfect, and everything around me was a glittering white. Mmm-mmm. The last bit was covered in the cold shadow of Lulip Muorahisčohkka, and the time was 14:15 when I arrived to an empty cottage site.

By the shelter

Trail

Jesper and Kristian going over

Untouched

I had turned off the heater in my room while I was away, and since the inside temperature had now fallen to 5°C I cranked it up all the way. I cleared the paths properly after the recent snow'n'wind, but didn't have to do much else as the others had done a good job. I finished writing the aforementioned letter, after which a sinle Frenchman arrived "from the border". His thermometer had shown –25°C at noon down in the valley, and now he was rather cold and so wanted to stay inside. The low temperatures made for a very pretty light, which turned bluer as it got colder. Kristian passed by to pick up the letter, and then it was time for dinner.

Steps

After I had paid the Frenchman a visit (and he had paid me) there was a sudden burst of strong aurora, with dancing purple bands among the usual green, but it had faded by the time I got the camera out. Instead I returned inside and read in my book, noting that the room was now comfortably warm again, until it was time for sleep.