After the deluge of rain yesterday, we welcomed today's forecast of just some rain, mostly clouds and the possibility of seeing the sun. Our plan was to maximize the weather by kayaking right after breakfast and then going for a hike before driving to Alesund.
Once again, breakfast was included with our stay, so I chowed down. If I was so inclined, I could have eaten smoked salmon until my heart was content (but I showed restraint). After breakfast, I put on my long underwear, snow pants, ski jacket and winter hat - kayaking in the fjord would not be warm. The spray skirt had holes in it, so my bottom half got soaked.
Breakfast - so fancy pants!
Brunost: Norwegian brown cheese. It looks and feels kind of like American cheese (except it is brown), but the taste is totally different. It is made from boiling down milk, cream and whey to caramelize the milk sugars. The taste is kind of sweet and caramel-y.
The wind and currents leaving the Saebo cove were kind of strong. However, when we got into the main fjord, it was weirdly calm. We checked out some waterfalls and admired the view, but did not cross the fjord because we were told that it was a bad idea. Paddling back into the cove was the toughest part of the paddle as there was a strong wind coming out of the glacially formed valley.
Kayaking right next to waterfalls
It was so cool to kayak in a fjord - the steep mountains, waterfalls and calm water were a sweet experience. After kayaking, we changed into dry clothes, checked out of our hotel and promptly went to a bakery to stock up on snackies for our hike.
This is called the Winnie the Pooh - it is a combination of two pastries because Pooh wanted it both ways
Sign post pointing to different mountains
Heading up to the trailhead for our hike
The hike we had planned was Skarasalen (notice that my name in in the name of the mountain 😊). It is one of the higher summits in the area and has an outstanding view of fjords and Sunnmore Alps. However, we cannot confirm anything about the view as it looked like the inside of a golf ball from the summit. We were greeted by cows blocking the trailhead, some of which were boisterously mooing. In hindsight, they might have be warning us not to bother hiking to the summit. We did manage to snag some sweet views when we were below the clouds. All was not lost though as any day in the mountains is a good day.
Happily enjoying the views on the way up
Much of this hike was through a massive scree field
Some hardy alpine flowers
At the summit maker
We contemplated waiting for the clouds to burn off, but it might have taken a long time. And it has snowed the night before, so it was not warm.
Snackie time on the summit
Soaking in the views while being careful to not make a misstep on the slippery rock as it was sheer cliffs all around me.
This is what the views could have looked like 🤣
We passed several snow fields along the way
When it is super cloudy, it is important to pay attention as you could tumble off a cliff
❤️❤️❤️
Checking out the scenic vista
Hooray for a view
Sheep grazing in a mountain pasture with the cows
The mountain on the left is Saksa which is one we hiked a few days before
After hiking Skarasalen, we drove to our guesthouse kind of near the Alesund. This wrapped up our time in the Sunnmore Alps as tomorrow we fly to Tromso.
This pizza was sooooo yummy
Our room at the guesthouse for the night. It was kind of near the Alesund airport
It was our host's birthday, so she brought us some of her birthday "cake"
Our transportation to Alesund, Norway from home could not have gone smoother if we had tried. From the Woburn Express to our short layover in Copenhagen to getting our rental car in Alesund - everything was perfect. A Norwegian diving board These seats were incredible but...they were too far apart and had giant armrests between us The flights were easy. In the long line to get through customs in Copenhagen, we ended up standing in front of a couple who told us that they live in a small town called Plainfield, NH! We ended up figuring out that they even have Angela (my sister) as her doctor. Go figure. In the Oslo airport Our first view of Alesund as we flew in SAS plane from Oslo to Alesund. When we landed in Alesund, we were surprised that it wasn't raining. The plan was just to get adjusted to the time zone, maybe do a short via Ferrara and then head to bed. But we found out about a cool hike on the island of Godoya. It was a loop hike around a mountain lake that sum...
It was a slow morning because heavy rain was kept us from hitting the trail early. Our plan was to do a ridge hike called Romsdalseggen, but there are exposed sections that sounded like they would be challenging in the rain. So, we ultimately decided to do a via ferrata in the rain - maybe our logic was a little wonky. To start the day, we found a yummy bakery called Walderhung Bakeri and stocked up on baked goods for the day. I have a weakness for bakeries and all of their treats. Once I enter and get a whiff of bread baking, I lose all sense of reason and buy way more than I can eat. I held back at this bakery and we only purchased what we needed. Maybe I'm learning some self control or maybe it's because everything is very expensive here. The pastery on the far right skilpadde - it is a traditional local treat. We were surprised at how light and airy it was (and not too sweet). It was still raining when we arrived in Andalsnes. We chatted with some people at the Nordsk Tind...
In Norway, it is quite difficult to narrow down what hike you are going to do because there are SO MANY options. Today the forecast was for clouds with only some rain, which is actually a good forecast, so we decided to go for a hike near Oye. Dan originally picked out a hike for the highest mountain in the region (Slogen), but we changed that to a slightly milder hike because it was described as an expert trail (rated Black) by Norwegian standards with many exposed and scary sections (needing "a good head for heights") with a fair amount of vert and we were starting late. So, Mount Saksa (rated Red: demanding by Norwegian standards) turned into the destination for the day's adventure. First off, I would like to welcome back some long dormant muscles who had to wake up yesterday to help out with the via ferrata. Today they are complaining a little bit about having to rise from their slumber. The morning began with a drinkable yogurt and banana in the car as we settled in ...
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