A Hiking We Shall Go August 15, 2006

We have reservations tonight to stay at the Laktatjakko Mountain Station. We take a bus from the rail station below the hotel to the trail head about 20 minutes away. This will allow us to take one trail to the Laktatjakko and then another tomorrow back to the Hotel Fjallet at Bjornklidden. Several people get off the bus at our stop but they are quickly out of sight in the thick brush along the lower trail as we are moving slowly.

It’s a five mile hike up into the mountains to reach the station and after a half of mile the trail runs into a landscape that is devoid of trees or any plants over 12 inches tall. The ground is covered with lichens and moss and as we climb higher we pass snow fields that have survived the warmest part of the summer and will begin to grow again as the snow will start here in the next three to four weeks. We take our time on the hike up partly because I’m trying not to stress my knee (I have it wrapped with an Ace Bandage and covered with a thick neoprene brace) anymore than necessary but also because the environment is alien to us and we want to stop constantly to examine items of interest both near and far. We stop for a rest and a snack at a mountain hut about three miles up the trail. The hut is about 8 feet by 8 feet and has two bunks and a stove. We stayed for 15 minutes or so and then start the climb again. The trail has been paralleling a large snow run-off stream and the rocks are strangely white. When the trail finally crosses the stream we can see that the rocks are coated with a white material. We speculate that it is either lime or gypsum but we are not sure. We reach the station around 2PM after an enjoyable hike and without having any knee problems.

The station was built in 1938 and has been in continuous operation since then. It’s a large three floored building, including the basement which holds the showers, toilets and sauna. The ground floor has the reception, dining room and den while the upper floor has the bedrooms. There are pictures and books in the den about the construction and operation which makes it more interesting. This is the highest altitude hotel in Sweden at just over 4000 feet and is one of the hot spots for viewing the Northern Lights. Unfortunately the lights will not be making their appearance for a few months. I’m trying to talk Holly into coming back in the winter for a viewing.

We made our way into the station and find that you are asked to take off your shoes as you come in but they provide slippers to wear inside. We are met by a young man named Jay. Jay is an American that was hiking through this area five years ago stopped at the station and was immediately taken with a young lady that worked in here. The rest as they say is history. Jenny and Jay work at the station for eight months of the year and travel the rest of the time.

We settled in quickly and went down stairs to address our real reason for coming here. The station is known for its waffles with cloudberries (more later) and whipped cream. Holly and I each had one and they were quite good. We then took a shower and visited with Jay and Jenny, swapping travel stories and getting advice on where we should go in Norway. There are eight guest total tonight and the station will hold eighteen. Jay tells us that it is much busier in the winter with people snowmobiling, skiing and coming up to look at the Northern Lights. We do meet some of the other guests and enjoy hearing how everyone has come to this out of the way spot.

Dinner, which was served at 7, is Jay’s lasagna and is delicious. Dessert was a small chocolate walnut brownie with an excellent vanilla ice cream and warm spiced apple slices. (They may have to force me out of here tomorrow.) We sit in the den after dinner and talk some more before retiring for the evening.