During the night it
rains a couple of times and in the morning drops are still falling from the
trees.
The sun hides behind
the mountain for a while and only slowly peeks over the edge. I hear a willow
tit calling somewhere and another bird whose voice I can’t identify.
Because it’s damp and
slightly chilly, it takes me a while to get going. Strangely, there are still
no mosquitoes. I wonder what happened to them. In the distance, I can see the
pass I climbed over yesterday. Somewhere beyond it lies Vaimok, and further on,
Pieskehaure. In my mind, I trace the route backwards through all my stops, all
the way to Kautokeino where, this morning, other hikers are waking up. Or maybe
no one is waking there today and instead it’s quiet, waiting for new hikers to
arrive while the sandpipers or plovers go about their business undisturbed.
The trail begins like
yesterday — rocky, muddy, and wet — but there are occasional stretches of
boardwalk. Some are partially submerged under water. A large brown bird takes
off almost from under my feet; another step and I’d have stepped on it.
Before the Njunjes
hut the trail briefly climbs out of the forest, opening up views of the lake
and river below. From here on the trail is much better.
I meet Silja, a guide
who usually takes German tourists on short multi-day treks along the Kungsleden.
Now she’s finally taking the chance to do a longer hike herself.
The hut warden in
Nunjes tells me that from here the trail becomes easier and rain is expected
around 3 PM. Soon, spruce trees start appearing, the first time I’ve seen them
since the Reisa valley.
I meet Kalle on a
bridge at exactly 12:11. We have a picnic above the foaming river and drink
coffee to celebrate our reunion. A short walk, chatting nonstop, through lush
green forest. When we reach the landing point, the boat arrives almost
instantly. It carries us across the wide river, fringed with dense, vibrant
vegetation, into Kvikkjokk.
The lodging is a
charming old house, cozy, warm, filled with books and inviting corners to sit
in. I take a shower first, then coffee and pancakes. It doesn’t even start
raining, despite the forecast.
In the evening, we
sit in a sunny lounge overlooking a picturesque rapids while waiting for
dinner. I finish all three courses in no-time.
Distance today:
hiking until the boat 16.4 km and after the boat 1.4 km, boat ride 2.5 km.
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