Norway

I'm back in Slussfors, recovered from my first time in Norway. The trip started out with a hopeful weather forecast, but quickly descended into a dull mood matching the low gray clouds, fog and rain that greeted my entrance into Norway. The border could easily be missed by the unobservant, for it consisted of a small sign in a language I don't really know and a change in the paint job on the houses. The entry into Mo i Rana marked my return to something resembling civilization and the quick stop at the market/hardwear store/mall was more than enough for me. With less than ideal weather, Dave and I spent some time in the car exploring the roadways around the Rana fjord before heading into Nesna. Docked in the harbor is Dave's new sailboat and it would serve as our home away from home for the next few days. We quickly shuttled our gear below deck and dug in as the weather worsened into chaos. Periodically braving the weather to relieve ourselves horizontal rain drenched us and made dry clothes a rare thing. We began getting things ready between downpours and during the worst of it made dents in our books and a bottle of Laphroaig, a single malt from Islay. Friday provided enough sunshine to climb a nearby mountain and gain some perspective on the surrounding landscape. The client for the trip, David, arrived on Saturday and we finished all our packing. Sunday morning found us on the ferry to the island of Tomma, where we launched our kayaks with sunny and calm weather. Paddling around Tomma, in and amongst many small islands with crystal clear water, it sometimes felt like we were somewhere tropical. Selecting a small island west of Tomma, we camped for the night and caught a beautiful sunset with Lurøy and Træna in the distance. Monday had overcast skies and gusts of wind coming off the coastal mountains. We made some progress north, spending some time in rough seas, before finding shelter on another island. The poor weather continued into Tuesday, so we took the day off from paddling and explored the island. Well rested, we awoke on Wednesday at 4 am for a wonderful sunrise and paddled over perfectly calm water to the small village of Sleneset. Making a quick resupply, we then hopped on the ferry and returned to Stokkvågen on the mainland, from which we paddled into the fjord and camped along the shore in Sila bay. On Thursday we crossed the Rana fjord and made our way back to Nesna. The weather went sour again on Friday, but by then we were on our way back to Slussfors. That pretty much sums up the last week or so.