The mountains up here are sharp. I’m still learning about the geology, and everything I learn is fascinating. Many of the mountains are named with the suffix -tinden or -tindan meaning “tall, sharp mountaintop” in Norwegian. The tops are indeed sharp. Typical lower slopes are tumble-down rocks where moss, grass, shrub, and tree find homes. It’s my playground, and the playground changes with each season.
Today I charged up the north slope of Kvarven, our backyard mountain. In winter and spring this is an avalanche zone. The upper slopes of the mountain are in the lee of storms that sweep in from the ocean. Snow drops on the cliff side, making it ripe for avalanche. The running water of the melting snow saturates the thin soil, making it ripe for landslide. Today was my first adventure underneath these cliffs. The snow is long gone. It’s been dry, too, so little worry of landslide.
I climbed higher than I had predicted in sketing my route, searching for a crossing under the cliffs. I thank the reindeer and sheep for making a runnable trail that took me back to the main trail.
My mind wandered far away on the boggy flats and the steep climb. I let it go where it wished. Some days I pull myself back, but today in power-hiking mode I let the thoughts drift. The technical, on-trail descent from Kvarven and into Os worked wonders for making my world small so that I was reminded to pay attention to the here and now.
Photos and details on Strava events.
https://www.strava.com/activities/3717945315
Soldrevet 