Day 2 – 21 Jun, Knivskjelodden to Grid 4558 78832

(20.5km, total 40km, 6h30, 0930-1600)

It rained all night and the temperature also dropped. Of course night is a relative term given it does not get dark at all. I had a restless sleep which is normal for the first couple of nights in a tent. I woke up at 0400 and it was full daylight outside. I was planning to get up around 0700 but it was still raining so I decided to just stay in my comfy warm sleeping bag for a bit longer. I am definitely glad I decided to bring a warmer sleeping bag. I was comfortable last night but I think I would have been cold in my other sleeping bag.
Just before 0900 it stopped raining, though the wind was getting worse. My tent dried quickly and I packed up before it would start raining again. I was in my wet weather jacket, rain skirt and gloves and that kept me at the perfect temperature.
I enjoyed the scramble over the rock slabs again and had a pleasant surprise when I got to the wide valley. There was a herd of Reindeer and I took a while watching them and taking some photos.

Walking over the rock slabs

Reindeer

Looking up the valley, the track climbs up to the right of the snow patch

At the head of the valley there was a steep climb of around 80 meters and then a gradual climb. I was now back into the fog and it was thicker than yesterday with only a few moments of clearing.

Great views

One of these times was when I was beside a big lake so I enjoyed the brief views.

I was surprised that there was no one else on the trail until I had been walking a couple of hours. Maybe the fog was keeping them away.
Physically my thighs were a bit tired and I could feel the hotspots on my instep but otherwise felt good. I had taped up the foot that had a slight red mark on my instep and hoped it was just the damage from yesterday I was feeling. At one point going down a small hill I felt a sharp stab in my right knee but northing further
The return back to the carpark seemed to go quickly and not long after I heard vehicle noises the carpark loomed out of the mist There were only 2 cars and 2 campervans this morning unlike the 50 vehicles of yesterday.
The fog had reduced visibly to 20 meters and I could not see any markers for the trail so I decided to walk cross country below the road. After a couple of km, just as the trail was meant to veer away from the road I saw some markers and was on the trail. There was no path on the ground but the markers were very close together, and actually standing up, so I was able to follow them down the hill to a lake. Coming down the hill the fog disappeared and the views were beautiful with the fjord opening out to the sea in one direction and disappearing around a corner in the other.

Trail heads down to the lake then along the lake edge.

At the lake the markers stopped and I made my own way sidling around the lake. It was slow going but better than the alternate of walking on the road. I passed a cute hut that was locked.

Locked hut

The trail

Once at the head of the lake I climbed the hill and saw the markers off to my right. I was able to follow them, though not closely as they went through the middle of some swampy areas. I passed some small lakes and headed left at a larger lake coming out where there were heaps of tourist busses and a crowd of people taking photos of a reindeer with a man in Sami clothing. I think it was the draw card to get people to go to the souvenir shop nearby.

I got some strange looks as I walked by, must be the bright white legs that should come with a ‘sunglasses required’ warning. I had come off the trail a little early so I walked in the scrubs beside the road until I crested a hill and got back on the trail, following skinny orange poles down a valley to another lake where there were more reindeer.

At the lake I turned left back onto the road at an intersection I headed straight over the road and up a small hill to join a track. This was actually a track marked on the map with dashes instead of a route marked by dots that I had been walking on. It looked like an old disused vehicle track. The track climbed gradually then headed away from the main rood at a quarry and down to a stream.

Light colour to the left of the road heading up the hill is the track

The rocks were too far to jump so I hunted for another rock to bridge the gap and get across with dry feet. The track then went around a corner, passing a house where I had a daydream that they would see me and ask me in for coffee. Alas there was no one in the house and I continued to climb gradually until the track re-joined the main road.

The map showed a track marked beside the road and it appeared to be the old road now overgrown and it was generally easy too walk on.

Track beside main road

The track kept climbing and there were nice views of the fjord to the right until reaching the mist level. Near the top of the hill the track veered off to the left climbing for a while then descending to a lake and a small stream crossing. This is where I had planned to camp but there was a cold wind blowing through so I just filled up my water and carried on for another 10 minutes when I found a nice spot sheltered by the wind with nice lake views.

I was a little tired now and hungry as I had not stopped for lunch as it was too cold. After setting up my tent I had a late lunch then just relaxed reading until making dinner. Dinner was Venison Risotto and Butterscotch instant pudding.

Night 2

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