Sep 19
Holiday story #5 – Off the map
Another week, another mountain range.I drove to Mittåkläppen, parked the car about 1 km past Djupdalsvallen and started walking. After I noticed that the road continued in fine conditions, I was a bit bummed with myself for not driving further. I had never been there before so I didn’t know how it would look like and parked in what I thought was the last safe place. So it’s more walking for a lazy photographer then. Got to Holmvallen and my mood was getting even worse. Despite the autumn colour that finally seems to have started, I couldn’t find any good photo ops. The sun was occasionally out or shining through a thin cloud cover, but I just couldn’t find anything that appeared suitable for me.
I headed towards Axhögen and suddenly I got lucky – a herd of reindeer standing in a clearing with Mittåkläppen in the background. I had to crawl behind the bushes to find a good angle but the reindeer knew I was there anyway and they kept a watchful eye on me. Then I got even more lucky – the sun came out and allowed me to rattle off a few shots before the reindeer decided that they didn’t like me much and trotted off. My mood was infinitely improved though – I got some pictures!
After a while the path turned into a muddy road (or a tractor tracks) which was not marked on the map. I figured that it has to be one of the trails on the map though, just marked wrong, and continued. Then more wonderful scenes opened up in the front of me – it was raining just the teeniest bit, enough to create a rainbow next to Axhögen. Kodak moment. Sorry, Canon moment!
I was waiting for a fork in the road/trail but it never materialised, instead I suddenly was in front of another “fäbodvall” (homestead). I had planned to get to a homestead but was surprised to find one here! Unexpected or not, I took some pictures and then turned back as I was hoping to get back to Djupdalsvallen before 4 to eat some waffles they serve. But now I was getting annoyed again – I hate it when the map is wrong. Or when I don’t know where I’m on the map. Pick one. The fact is however that the tractor tracks are not marked as such on the map, but I figured that they will lead to the main road and I was right. It looks like I had actually followed the exact route I had planned beforehand, but I never quite localised myself on route. Weird as it sounds!
So now I had to hike some extra to get back to the car and again I was annoyed with myself for parking so far. The sun was quite warm and my hip was starting to hurt but no worries, I made it to Djupdalsvallen in time and got my waffle and some real strong coffee, all my annoyances somehow just vanished!
My mood thus improved again, I started driving back. Since I was in no hurry, I stopped to check out “Lyftstenen” that was marked from the road. Only 300m so no probs, I was expecting to see a huge rock left alone by the ice age, I’m always fascinated by them.
Now I’ve seen my share of sights during my travels. But the “Lyftstenen” takes the prize in its un-sightness! The English name they had given it was “The rock they carried”. That says it all. It’s a small rock (the size of those blocks they carry in the Strong Man competitions) that two guys had carried some eons back, competing who can carry it the furthest. Sheesh. I can do this – just pick a rock, make up a story, set up the sign and wait for the people to come. I’ve got two words for you: urban legend. I was laughing when I walked back! There was another sign soon after for something called the “Björnstenen” (Bear stone). I opted not to look. What would that be – a stone that a bear had once carried? And despite it; I know one day I probably will go and take a look anyway, just too curious!
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