Saturday 12/7 – Friday 18/7

Saturday 12/7

The next day was, as expected, much worse. While there was no actual rain yet a fog was crawling up the slope from the west, and soon held the entire site in its damp embrace; at worst I couldn't even see to the other cottage from my window. The guest groups were departing one after the other, while Birgitta finished up her remaining tasks. Now a drizzle had started outside, but it wavered back and forth in strength. After a final conversation between wardens the relieved one left at 10:30, and I went out for a quick check in the other buildings, after which I read through the on-site information material. The rain then intensified, so I remained inside and looked over the shop – to my dismay finding that quite a few things were not at all in order, so I spent quite some time in there trying to fix this and that. When I had finished the "worst" the fog had lifted, and the rain had ceased as well, and I started lunch preparation. Just then Olle in Lunndörren called to say hi, and then two people came upon the Gåsen trail, but they only wanted to pause.

After lunch the fog made another attack, and suddenly a family with two small twin girls emerged from the whiteness. During the following sales session I discovered that there was something fishy with the till, so I started a manual register on the side lest I lose track of the money flow. Outside the fog had dissipated to a large degree, but rather than going out I lay down on my bed, feeling tired, and I even dozed off for a while.

When I awoke there was quite a bit of blue sky to be seen, and the wind had turned. I changed a fractured gas tube outside and then started dinner, which was followed by dessert. A bit of sunlight was beginning to break through, but the amount of clouds about was still large. A Swedish-speaking German then came, soon followed by a young couple with a small dog, and after handling their respective transactions I turned to reading previous wardens' notes dating back to the 1980s; it is always interesting to see how things change – or stay the same – over time. When I went to bed at 22:15 it was mostly cloudy but things still seemed lighter than before.

Sunday 13/7

The following morning came with much cloud, but there were also patches of blue to be seen, and there was neither rain nor wind. I continued poking around in the store while the others left or prepared to do so, and the clouds also started lifting in a slow manner. When only the German lady remained I started preparing for a day tour myself, and after speaking for a bit with her outside we went our separate ways around 10:45.

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There was no one present when I got back, but there were signs that at least one person had been inside during my absence. I took it easy listening to the radio, and now the sun was returning at places; off to the northeast there was a lot of blue. After dinner there was some more rain which grew stronger later on, but the northeastern hole held out, and I relaxed inside with a book and crosswords.

Later in the evening the rain passed and the clouds broke apart once more, so I went out for an late walk up Roupe. On the summit I could see that Ottfjället was cut in half, but otherwise things did not seem that bad. I went on to the northernmost of the higher hilltops and then found my way back towards the other path, which lands on the trail a few hundred meters north of the cottages. Upon returning I fiddled some with the till; I believed to have figured out what was wrong, and that thenceforth things should work as intended. I went through the usual procedure of snack and weather forecast and then turned in, having seen no arrivals.

Light on Gåertiestjaerhvie

Lowlands to the northeast

Trondfjällen

Gråsjödörren

Calm Kroktjärnarna below

Returning

The trail to Lunndörren

Monday 14/7

Clouds were in full evidence also on the morrow, but they were light in appearance and high enough not to degrade vision. After breakfast I continued sorting through the shop, being interrupted by a call from Bengt in Anaris informing me of "two runners" who had just left his cottage, aiming for mine. While the clouds lowered themselves around the peaks to the southwest and southeast I set about washing the windows of the new cottage, after which I replaced the broken mesh in the swill disposal. A short rain shower then reached me from Gråsjödörren, and I returned inside for lunch. The weather kept shifting during the afternoon, with the heavy stuff going on in the direction of Gråsjödörren, so I stayed indoors and started baking both bread and cake, finding that the gas oven was not to be trusted and needed supervision. When everything was done I sat down to try it out, being most pleased with the results.

Around 16 the first of the runners showed up, and while we waited for his companion two people with a dog came from the vicinity of Vålåsjön where they had spent the night. A bit later three young women came from Stensdalen, and the ones with the dog went on their way, but two more (sans dog) soon arrived from Gåsen to replace them. It was now raining again, and after dinner (and dessert) another two came from Helags. When I was doing the dishes I cut my finger rather badly on the sharp edge of an open tin can, and had to rummage through the first aid kid to fix it as well I could; while it was bad, it was not serious to the point of emergency. I spent the rest of the evening talking some with various guests and exploring the contents of cupboards and folders, before entering bed to read a bit after the weather report.

Tuesday 15/7

I listened to the morning forecast and news while still in bed, and upon looking out the window I saw that the clouds were low indeed, but at least it was not raining. After the usual morning procedures I went out to the garbage room to sort through the (unmarked) bags, while the runners set off for Helags. By the time I was done the clouds had lifted everywhere except over Stora Härjångsstöten – a state of affairs that was to be repeated many a time. The last guests left and after sweeping the floors I brought in a number of clean mattress covers the putting-on of which was my task, which I started in one of the guest rooms. Things were now growing lighter outside, so after some more tinkering in the shop I went out for a short lunch tour before 13.

I took the farther path up onto Roupe, where a weak sun competed with a somewhat strong wind. I proceeded to another hilltop to the northeast, after which I descended a short bit first to the north and then to the east, where I found a rock that provided some shelter from the wind, while still allowing for a reasonably good view over the "high lowlands" around Kroktjärnarna. While I ate in that spot there was a bit of sunlight now and then, and the clouds stayed clear of the peaks.

Before too long I was on the move again, winding my way through the intricate network of rises, hollows and pools that make up Roupe – I have expressed myself favorably about it in winter, and I see no reason not to uphold the view in summertime. I then came upon a somewhat larger mere which I rounded clockwise, finding a reindeer path which in turn transformed into a rather clear footpath. This I lost when it reached a mire, but after circumventing this I found another one which I followed for a bit. The wind was now getting stronger, and the terrain grew more difficult with rocks and dense shrubs. I came out onto another mire which I traced the edge of while the wind tore at my clothes, and soon thereafter I reached the Lunndörren trail. Now there was a bit of very light rain in the air, brought by the wind, and in front of me I could see that things looked dark indeed in the direction of Stora Härjångsstöten. I also saw that there were two people in front of me, and having quickly caught up with these I walked behind them the rest of the way, landing at the cottages after 14:30.

Leaving

Smällhögarna

Ottfjället

Trondfjällen

Gruvsmällen

Kroktjärnarna

Middagsvalen with its antenna

Overlapping mountainsides towards Lillådörren

Cute little pools

Gråsjöfjället across a little hollow

The mere

Gråsjödörren across said mere

Another view of Gråsjödörren

Härjångsfjällen

After a brief welcome I went to the water hole beyond the old cottage to have a wash, which as expected was a cold affair – and there was still minute amounts of rain in the air. I then had some much strengthened afternoon tea, after the conclusion of which the clouds broke apart and the sun came out. I continued changing the covers, taking a pause to show a day visitor from Helags around a bit, while things grew steadily better outside. This was only temporary, however, as the Darkness off to the west soon approached with more rain. Just as I started dinner preparations three campers came from Vålåsjön; they had just managed to beat the worst of the rain, which was now pretty bad. The rest of the evening saw more rain in bouts, and the wind only slowly decreased, so everyone just took it easy inside.

Stora Härjångsstöten hitting the ceiling

Smällhögarna (peak 1192)

The storage building

Sunny

"The premises"

Main cottage

Wednesday 16/7

I woke up early in the morning and went outside to find the weather mostly clear and fair. I also found a number of reindeer about, as well as two of my guests. I then went back to sleep and arose at 07:30 the next time, and then those two guests were already gone. More clouds were rolling in from the west, but to the east the sky was still all blue. There was a fair bit of wind which was now southerly, and the reindeer had taken to running to and fro across and around the yard. I noticed that I had missed a couple of calls from Stensdalen, so I called back and spoke some with Catrin, whom I had met on my recent short tour on the edge of Bunnerfjällen. As the morning progressed the clouds covered more and more of the sky, and eventually a drizzle started, but later on things seemed to be improving again, so I prepared for another fishing tour. The trio were about to leave as well, and we went out at the same time around 10:15.

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After a quick'n'lite wash followed snack'n'fruit, and then came both rain, wind, two guests from Gåsen, four from Lunndörren, and then another two from Gåsen – out of which six chose to camp outside. Yet another two stopped by to shop and then went on towards Lunndörren, and they were followed by two more who did the same before heading towards Gåsen. The rush was not over yet, for soon two and then four more people showed up, the latter of which had intended to camp but since suitable campsites are far between in the area and most had already been occupied, they elected to sleep indoors instead – and the ample rain likely had something to do with it as well.

I fried my fish for dinner and enjoyed them to the fullest, topping it all off with some dessert. I then spoke some with the inside guests, coupled with some shopping sessions, and it took quite some time before the weather showed signs of improving. Later Håkan at Gåsen called – he and his partner Ingrid attended my warden course – and we chatted about this and that for a bit. More chatting then followed with some of the campers who were sitting inside, and during this a man I did not recognize showed up and signed the guestbook before asking, in a casual manner, if I had anything that needed transporting to Helags. As the time was around 21 this was not an expected question, and after receiving a "nooo...?" the man went out, put on his pack, and immediately set off on the 23-km stage. The rest of us who had nowhere to go simply drifted off to bed instead.

Thursday 17/7

Today the clouds were much broken apart, but off to the east they seemed denser. After breakfast Eva in Fältjägaren called, saying that she would be coming late – due to time constraints she had to cover the entire distance between our two cottage sites in one day, which amounts to some 35 km and change. All my guests left in due time, and I had some more calls from neighboring wardens while outside the sun made itself known more and more. Once alone I prepared to go out on a day tour to Vålåvalen proper, which I started at 09:45.

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Upon returning I immediately paid a quick visit to Sturebadet – the natural bath tub 200 meters down from the cottages – and then had afternoon tea and a fruit. A father with his daughter then arrived, and this turned out to be Mats, who has worked as a warden in the Vålå cottages before; in fact, he was the "replacement" who arrived shortly after I did on my first visit here. Naturally we had things to talk about, and when that was over they elected to stay in the old cottage, for coziness reasons. Some rain seemed to be approaching out of Gråsjödörren, but before it hit I saw the arrivals of both a single hiker from Gåsen and then my father from Lunndörren. A wind was picking up and the rain intensified, during which two more people came from different directions. Two campers from Lunndörren then arrived, after which I could settle down for dinner.

Later the clouds started breaking apart again, and after another two had come from Gåsen the phone rang – it was Staffan, who had gotten a crisis on his hands. The warden about to relieve Catrin in Stensdalen during the weekend had suddenly been called to heart surgery, so time was short to find a solution, and speaking with Catrin Staffan had learnt that Mats was in the area, so he took a chance and threw the question at him via me. After some extensive discussion back and forth Mats agreed to take on a few days just so that Staffan would get the time to find someone else who could stay for a longer period. Following the late arrival of two persons from Helags I sat down for an evening snack with dad, and it was now fairly nice again outside. Before going to bed after 22:30 I wrote a note to Eva telling her where free beds were to be found, which I posted on the front door for her to find easily in the night.

Friday 18/7

I went up and out at 06:45, noting that the note on the door was gone, so I could only assume that Eva had indeed arrived sometime during the night. Everything was pretty wet outside, but for the moment no new rain was falling. It did not take long before it started doing so, however, and the clouds were swiftly descending. In due time Eva emerged with a companion – they had not arrived until 01:00, and were glad to have my note to go by. The low clouds had now turned into actual fog, but its density was not constant.

By 10:15 Eva and her companion had persuaded their worn bodies to commence another stage, and before Mats and his daughter left I enlisted his help to convey a full gas canister to the new cottage for connection. More outdoor tasks followed while the fog lifted, and a drizzle came every now and then. The last of the visitors left except for my father, who was to remain another day, and he got to help out with more cover changes before lunch. Another bout of rain and wind gave way to lighter conditions and a rapidly clearing southwestern sky, and it felt rather nice outside. Following the arrival of a total of four new guests the sun finally broke through, and dad and I took the opportunity to climb Roupe.

Foggy...

...once more

The north room in the old cottage...

...and the south room

We took the closer path and walked under a partly clear sky, but it was fairly windy and up on the summit we saw that the clouds hung low and dark almost everywhere else. Back down I lay down to rest for a while, and then another two groups of two came from different directions. Dinner followed, and I recruited the aid of my father to get through the dessert, as the meal itself turned out more hefty than expected. I therefore lay down again directly afterwards, reading a bit and keeping an eye on the gathering clouds outside. A lone hiker then came from Helags, and once more the weather grew lighter, so the evening turned out pretty good.

Closeup of Gåertiestjaerhvie

Low clouds

More low clouds

Returning through the forest

"We're open"

Cloud and sun

Evening sun upon Gråsjöfjället