Distance: 38.9km (183.0km).
Gudbrandsdalsleden will today take me over Toten, it smells farms, fields and farmland a long way. And maybe the occasional potato. The idea for today is to reach the shores of Mjøsa and the small village of Kapp.
Høgkorsplassen in the morning.
The rain made sound almost all the night, but I still slept pretty well. A look outside the tent in the morning does not tell me much about the surroundings, dense fog envelops my tent and the crosses. The smoke from my stove mixes with the fog, but the porridge and coffee tastes good.
Descent through fog from Høgkorsplassen.
The first point on the plan for today is to get down from Høgkorsplassen and to the southern end of Einafjorden. Well on the way down I want to turn around and go up again. For the clouds have now lost their grip on the treetops and light returns to the world. Slowly they drift through the trees and gradually the forest and valley below emerge. I am probably not alone in glorifying the view of nature revealing itself. The trees embrace me again and the rest of the walk down goes smoothly until the noise from the cars on the road below wakes me from my slumber.
Clouds are lifting and nature revealed.
The asphalt is wet, which is clear and distinct from the sound of the cars that pass by when I balance on the other side of the crash barrier. Down by Einafjorden there is a gapahuk (shelter) that would make for a nice place to spend the night at, but I had been warned in advance that the place was the center of the mosquito colonies in the area. On the water, the sky and the farms are reflected along the edge on the other side.
Einafjorden.
Two frogs in love.
Today I had to pay heed to how important good footwear is, or in my case, that the footwear is in good condition. When I walked the Saga trail prior to this hike, I found out that my shoes had gone up in the seams. I have not had time to buy new shoes for this walk, so I had to use the same pair of boots. The ground is wet after the rain, and the water finds its way into my boots. I will come back to this later, but where the route leaves Einafjorden near Teiterud it is on wet paths with tall grass.
The path through the woods after Teiterud.
The route offers a nice view of Einafjorden, with Høgkorset now further behind me. There are no traces of anyone but me. I wonder when I will see the recognizable backpack in front of me, maybe with the characteristic scallop on, but that does not happen. Is everybody else walking Østleden (the eastern route), I wonder? My feet start to get wet. The path goes through tall and wet grass.
Clock tower at Dyste farm.
The trail comes out on a road, from now on asphalt and gravel will be my friend or foe for the next few hours. There are always days on long distance trails where the hike does not feel so exciting. After a nice start to the day, it now gradually begins to feel a bit like such a day. Although the trail offers some variation as it goes down a path over a bridge in a break from walking on the road, crosses over a green field on a marked path, goes between two fields on an elevated tuft between them and there are rural gravel roads to walk on. Toten (an area in Norway) and mashed potatoes, a break in the stands of a sports field. Eventually the farms begin to look alike, although some of them are large and stately, but that might just be because I am a little tired today.
Then the pilgrim path crosses over an acre.
I am getting closer to Kolbu church, but on the final approach I have to stop. A young elk has set off on the pilgrim path. Everything is going well; I am slowly moving further. Until it discovers me. Then it panics. I choose to stand completely still, allowing the elk time to consider its options. It decides on the absolute worst. By trying to go through the netting fence on the left. When that does not work, it tries with speed and force. Here it can quickly go wrong, I am afraid that it will get its head stuck in the fence and acknowledge that I have to remove myself as a threat to it. I will have to go back. Only then does the elk calm down so much that it sees how it can get away and shortly afterwards I see it running back to the safety of the forest on the field next to me.
Framed pilgrim path and peasant, the path follows the line of grass between the acres.
The white wooden Kolbu church is from 1739. The church office is open, and I get a stamp in my passport. At the benches at the bottom of the cemetery, I fire up my stove and eat my lunch.
A scared young elk before Kolbu church, I tried to keep calm and keep a distance, but had to turn back and retreat in the end so that it should be calm enough to get away.
The same farms are passed by (they are of course not the same, but they look like it) and I get a little bored. Then, after a while on the road, it feels good to suddenly see the landscape open up in front of me, at the back I can see Mjøsa. Views are always a welcome thing. It is a nice little walk down to Lena, through a birch alley and farms with contrasting backgrounds. Behind me the horizon has suddenly become dark, and I see rain coming, but it takes a different path than me and I escape the wet drops.
Preparing lunch at Kolbu church.
It is a bit difficult to follow the trail just before Lena and I am on my way to the centre before I realize that I have taken the wrong path. My feet are not happy that I have chosen to continue walking with wet socks, which were unavoidable with the surface on the ground before, but now the shoes and socks have started to dry and with that the problems arrives. As time goes by and the meters are put behind me, my steps hurt more and more. Sometimes you pay a price for stubbornness.
Walking through a culture landscape at Toten.
My sore feet are looking longingly up at the signs of Hoff Gjestgiveri (accommodation), but there is no mercy to get from me, we are going on, whether it hurts or not. Hoff church is from the 12th century. From there to Kapp it is 6.5km. 6.5 sore kilometres. On the other hand, it is a nice walk, when I manage to get my mind away from the whining feet.
View above Lena.
Path going through a birch alley.
Yellow acres form a contrast to the blue waters of Mjøsa, trees form a gate to the view. The walk down to the shores of Mjøsa is nice, but with tired feet, the last part feels like a detour. It is a nice avenue to follow down towards the largest lake in Norway, but the trail is taking its time to get to where I have intended to go today.
Dark rain clouds behind me.
I cross the road, look at the map and laugh a little at the thought of where the trail has been laid according to what is fastest and easiest. Which is only my sore feet complaining, they want to go the fastest way to my destination, but the route takes you on a nice detour through the white wooden houses of Kapp. I walk past a stately house with its own version of Skibladner (a well-known ferry that goes on the lake), past modest small beaches, white houses and picket fences, before I get to Stensveen.
Hoff church is from the Middle Ages, and in the past this was also a center of power.
Which is a nice oasis to get to when you have tired and sore feet. Here the pilgrims live in clean and nice rooms, have a large garden to rest in and with a nice and hospitable host. I get to hang up the wet tent to dry. Although, before my feet can rest, I have to go to the store to buy some food.
Mjøsa in sight.
Walking down towards Kapp and Mjøsa.
Below Stensveen there are two copies of a Viking ship, one not very big and one a little smaller than that again. There is a beautiful light over Mjøsa and I am happy to get this short tour and look at the village.
Vikingship at Kapp.
I eat dinner out in the garden and then relax outside in one of the many seats provided for the guests. This was the first day of the pilgrimage where I have not felt completely satisfied, it was nice going down from Høgkorsplassen and parts of the strange route through the woods after Einafjorden was nice, as well as the last bit down to the shores of Mjøsa. On the other hand, it was a bit much the same farm after the same farm in a somewhat similar landscape today, but that is a subjective thing. And after all, I had a nice evening.
In the garden of Stensveen.
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