Jotunheimstien // day 8 // Lunken - Skjellbreida

Jotunheimstien, day 8.
Distance: 34.5km (232.9km).

I had planned to camp this night as well, but the end of the day saw me lodged in one of the Norwegian Trekking Associations (DNT) cabins that is found on the trail, Skjellbreidhytta.

The reason why started all the way back at the chilly morning at Lunken, where I after having eaten breakfast found myself shaking off the morning dew from my tent. While shaking the tent, one of the enclosed small poles got loose and disappeared into the woods. I spent close to twenty minutes searching for the thin and small pole.

That is where a low motivation and tiredness comes into play. In normal circumstances (when I am motivated) I would have shrugged this off, but my mood was not bright when I had continued walking.

I did get better, however.

Naturally.

But that was not until I had passed through a seemingly remote cluster of hamlets and farms in the Snertingdalen valley and had walked on a gravel track above the three Svarken lakes. I could have pushed myself to reach one of those lakes yesterday, but was content by my decision.

There had been a mild moment of frustration again, as the trail had diverged into three paths and no waymarks to tell me not to take the one that I chose. Thankfully, the walk had been rather nice afterwards. Heather had started appearing around me.

Morning mist at Lunken.

On an unclear path between Svarken and Engomsætra.

Engomsætra.

Lundsætra.

Crossing over the bogs after Lundsætra before Storlonsdammen.

Lundsætra was a quiet interlude in the forest on open grounds with a mix of old and new buildings. There is supposedly a shelter or lean-to (gapahuk) here that could be used to spend the night in.

Then more woods and bogs had followed before I had felt the hard punch of asphalt beneath my shoes. The road went past the southeast side of Storlonsdammen, where I found some chairs conveniently located next to the lake. A good spot for lunch, and not very much traffic on the road.

On a sidenote, I had used the map and route found on the ut.no website to mark on my paper map where the trail was going. This was the reason for some of my confusion on the way when I had found myself on the wrong path. Such as after Storlonsdammen, where I had followed the road upwards before taking a footpath that eventually took me to a gravel track. With waymarks showing that the trail actually had been going on the gravel track and not the path I had walked following my map (the track went down to the lake).

There were cows running across the path as I had walked down it, as well as around me in the woods.

And then I sat down on the porch of Skjellbreidhytta with a hot coffee in my hand, while watching a purple-pink coloured sky above the mountain farm scenery outside. The sun was about to set.

For the last of the walk had been great, although I had ended up tired and opted for getting a cabin still. All the way the scenery had taken on the view of nature closer to the tree limit, and I had passed by some more old farms and bogs.

And when the landscape had opened up, passing by some mountain farms at Åltjerna, with a view of mountains ahead and a feeling of finally being walking on higher grounds, I had started to feel good.

Chillin at Storlonsdammen.

Åltjerna, and finally mountains close in the horizon.

Boardwalks (and ladders) and bogs again.

Another remnants of an old mountain farm, Brahus.

Evening at Skjellbreidhytta.

The mountains tomorrow.

<< Lunken // day 7Slivatnet // day 9 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 7 // Mustadroa - Lunken

Jotunheimstien, day 7.
Distance: 28.9km (198.4km).

Almost like what goes up must come down, what leaves the trail must come back. After a weekend off trail, I was again back in the grip of the woods and bogs on the Jotunheimstien trail.

Shortly after I had begun walking on the trail again, I was met by conflicting signs. The map I was carrying and the waymarks did not speak the same language. I chose to follow the map.

Continuing, the trail had steadily contoured its way around hills, through woods on a mix of gravel tracks and forest paths. It was all so similar, but with tiny hints of change.

My biggest gripe with this trail so far is that it feels like a long interlude to reach the mountains still not visible in the horizon most of the time.

I enjoyed the descent through the forest that felt like walking like being in a deep and secluded woods where only scattered light was visible.

The descent through woods from Venholhøgda.

Nittåstjernet.

Path between the bogs of Lysa.

Lysa.

Bakkemyrene.

Sheep had stood looking sheepishly at me as I had walked past scenic bogs on both sides, later sinking my boots deep in them to cross over.

Between Gorolia and Tranalia I had wondered if I was walking through the section that I had been warned about earlier, as the path took on a confusing and meandering route through forestry works and untidy forest.

The shelter next to the Langvatnet lake was a perfect spot to take a break for lunch at, or spend the night at if needed. More than enough space and shelter for leaving the tent in the backpack and with a relaxing view out over the water.

Then it was again the old farmsteads that caught my attention, it is always fascinating to walk past these old places where people lived in bygone days and think of all the hardships they had while trying to make a living. Lundon is another secluded spot seemingly deep in the woods.

Before the final walk led me to where I had decided to make my camp for the night, at Lunken, I had made my way up through dense undergrowth to the hill above Lundon for a brief breather and view over the woods and hills around Snertingdalen.

Langvatnet.

Lundon, an old farmstead in the woods.

View over Snertingdalen.

Reflections at Lunken.

Lunken in the evening.

Despite my motivational problems, it still felt good to be back on the trail again. And a quiet evening next to a serene lake is always gratifying.

<< Mustadroa // day 6Skjellbreida // day 8 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 6 // Elgsjøen - Mustadroa

Jotunheimstien, day 6.
Distance: 5.7km (169.5km).

At the end of the day, I was back home. I had to take a break from the trail to meet my family for a moment of remembrance for my grandfather who passed away earlier this year.

This left me with only a short walk today, doing the short distance from where I had camped at Elgsjøen to the road at Mustadroa where I could call for a cab to get me to Gjøvik.

There was nothing special of interest to talk about, the trail alternated between a forest path and a gravel track.

View from Vesterås.

Jotunheimstien.

Arriving at the end of this leg at Mustadroa.

Lunch in Gjøvik.

Hauktjern from the train back to Oslo.

At Gjøvik, I had lunch before taking the train to Oslo. Of interest on the journey home was to see the places that I had walked through so far.

<< Elgsjøen // day 5Lunken // day 7 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 5 // Kvitingsmyrene - Elgsjøen

Jotunheimstien, day 5.
Distance: 31.0km (163.8km).

Given that I tomorrow have to get back home, I walked as far I could to get the closest to the road going to Gjøvik (from where I can take a train back home to Oslo). When I called it the day, I had pitched my tent next to Elgsjøen, approximately 5km away from the road.

The walk had begun in glorious weather over the bogs located at the top of Kvitingen and Glåmhaugen, despite doing nothing to keep my boots dry, but had changed to a paler gray during the walk.

Some subtle changes had started to appear, but the walk seemingly gave me the feeling of returning to a familiar theme. With nice woods and bogs along the way, all beginning to look the same as those I had already passed.

After Skjelbreida, I had passed through the only places with people (although the trail is never extremely far away from civilization, only passing through woods with scarce settlements in between, no shops). The path felt strange, and sometimes untidy, until I had left the last house behind.

Waymarking having been on and off in quality.

A small pond between the bogs at Kvitingsmyrene.

Kvitingsmyrene.

Descent to Skjelbreida.

A hut at Skjersjøen.

On the way towards, Mæhlumsetra, boardwalks over the bogs.

Cows protested my passing over Lunnasetervollen with the view pale and grim over the woods. And then I yet again walked with this strange feeling of walking through a strange nowhere-land (or forest).

Sun had made its reappearance when I struggled to get my stove going in the strong wind next to an open cabin at Skjersjøen.

With the exception of the two people that I met at Mæhlumsetra, I had not met anyone during the day. Mæhlumsetra, an unserved cabin run by the Norwegian trekking association (DNT), looked like a cosy little den to stay for the night. The surrounding landscape was nice.

The ensuing walk had finally seen me walking through some light and not the usual dark wooods, and was a scenic walk over the ever-present bogs. I only tried to forget the part where forestry work had been at play.

At the end, evening sun had shone through the clouds, and I found a spot next to the lake, the only company nearby being some bleating sheep and the now steady wind.

Lake in Tjernsmyra.

Mæhlumsetra.

More bogs and boardwalks after Mæhlumsetra.

View ahead from Øgårdssætra.

Elgsjøen.

I fell asleep listening to the trees creaking in the wind above me and my tent.

<< Kvitingsmyrene // day 4Mustadroa // day 6 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 4 // Lygna - Kvitingsmyrene

Jotunheimstien, day 4.
Distance: 26.4km (132.8km).

No predetermined destination for the fourth day on the Jotunheimstien trail, the only goal I had was to reach a certain distance. Meaning I had no clue as to where my walking would lead me to by the end of the day. That was at least one excitement I had for this day.

When day had changed to night, my excitement had brought me to a nice place to camp in the bogs of Kvitingsmyrene. The walk there had been another combination of the same scenery I had seen in the previous days. Forest aplenty, but still, some variations did appear at times.

In hot weather, the first hours after Lygna had me walking next to the road (badly waymarked and noisy), before I returned to the common mix of forest paths and gravel tracks. I passed by some abandoned buildings at Kortungen, made clear by the quarry close by.

A very short walk brought back some memories from my pilgrimage to Trondheim last year, during a brief moment on the Kjølvegen track leading up to Høgkorsplassen.

Then a quiet place had suddenly appeared in a clearing, with the strange name of Flyndra (flounder). What probably was an old forest farm before, now looked like a strange cabin in the deep of the forest.

Kortungen. With a quarry appearing next door, no wonder this place got deserted, although I believe people left it before the quarry appeared.

View from near Flyndra.

Walking next to a tidy farm at Runden.

Randsfjorden.

Hauktjernet, the Gjøvikbanen railway line goes in the hill behind.

I enjoyed the walk past the last farm at Runden with its flowers, arranged farm buildings and pleasant surroundings, before heading through tall grass with views over Randsfjorden. The next section saw me walking another strange section next to the railway between Oslo and Gjøvik.

As rain approached, I had my lunch at the remotely looking Hauktjernet lake (probably not remote at all). The feeling when I had walked further was of being in strange woods outside of everything.

Deep forest paths led me close to the Nordre Gulsjøen lake, then I started on the ascent towards Kvitingen. While light rain fell from the sky, the light behind was beautiful on the way up. A mixture of rain and sun always bring special colours to the views.

At the summit of Kvitingen (722m), I met up with two locals. It was a nice meeting and worried about the water I carried with me, they offloaded some they had to me.

As daylight dwindled, I found a perfect spot for my tent in this landscape dominated by bogs. Next to a small lake, there was an elevated flat rock where further up I found a good pitch for my tent.

Path through the woods in Hadelandsmarka.

Nordre Gulsjøen.

View from Kvitingen.

At the summit of Kvitingen (722m).

Sunset, Kvitingsmyrene.

With scattered rain, dispersed clouds on the sky and light in the horizon, the view took on a magical tone. Every now and then I had to step into the soft bog with my naked feet to catch a moment with my camera.

<< Lygna // day 3Elgsjøen // day 5 >>