Marstrand

After a nice Sunday we had an even better Monday. I had to go and have a meeting with my job on the small town Marstrand on the Swedish west coast. And as that meeting (and dinner) was in late afternoon I took the kayak with me and took a short trip from Tjuvkil to Älgön and back. About 15 km in three hours. I kept a good speed.

As you can see on the photos the weather was fantastic and just about 0°C.

Älgön in the sun

Åstol

Instöbron

Koster 2016

Now it's the third year in a row that I have visited Koster islands in september. (2015 and 2014) As last year my daughter Paula was with me but this year also a friend, Fredrik joined us.

We started Friday afternoon from Rossö and in the strong SW-ly wind headed out to the southern part of the archipelago. Here there are a lot of small uninhabited islands that's creating a maze to paddle through. Probably one of the best kayaking places in Sweden.
A nice swell and some 1 meter (3 feet) high seas made the crossing a bit over an hour. There was also a rather strong N-ly current which made us head more south to compensate. (I have a problem with my GPS where the USB port is not working anymore. So no tracks until I have a new one.)
Passing Ramsholmen and entering the passages north of Tjälleskär the sun set. And what a marvelous sunset! Magical!
When we arrived at our campsite at Tjälleskär it was already dark. So we got our tents up and a tarp to sit in for our meals. Nice to have to break the strong wind.

In the night we could hear the wind and some rain but I think we all slept OK. Next morning the skies cleared but the wind was still there, west about 11-12 m/s (22-24 knots). We headed into the wind towards Ursholmen that used to be the most westerly inhabited island in Sweden. It was people living there until 1965 when the lighthouse was electrified. Then the lighthouse keepers with families had been living on the island for 70 years.
We had i nice walk up to the lighthouse and then a fika. At the way back to our camp we had some good surf. In the afternoon we hiked to some of the highest "peaks" on Tjälleskär to have a look over the archipelago. Nice to walk and climb after spending hours in the kayak.
Then a short nap before going up to one of the highest places to watch a new nice sunset.

Next morning we took it easy to break camp and then headed with some nice detours to the northwest of the islands to start the crossing back to Rossö. On this Sunday the wind had changed to a N-ly wind and just 3-4 m/s (6-8 knots) and not a cloud on the sky. After taking some fika at St. Brattskär we crossed over the fjord. This day it took only 20 minutes! The wind slightly with us and almost no current.
Back at Rossö we had time to practice some rolls. Nice water at about 20°C.

A very nice kayaking weekend with Paula and Fredrik.

Just crossed over Kosterfjorden.

Fantastic sunset!

At Ursholmen

The old lighthouse

To the left the old lighthouse, then me and finally the new lighthouse

"I want to go there" Paula.

Fredrik

Nice place to take photos

Superman?

Rowan tree. When they have a lot of berries the winter will be cold, they say.

Soft evening light at our campsite.

Harbor seal 

A new golden sunset

On the last beach.

NOLS WSA 2016 Day 9 and 10

 After "Dual Head" camp we crossed the fjord over to Chenega Island. We made our first stop at an abandoned village the was hit hard at the earthquake 1964. 27 people died that day from the tsunami that hit the village and the survivors left the place. Now its a place for remembrance.

After that we proceeded to the east side of the island to a campsite opposite Squirrel Island in Knights Passage. Hard to find a good spot above the high water tide line. Me Tom and Toby did some calculations and thought we ad a foot to spare for the nights high tide. We were right! But both me and Tom went up in the night to be sure we didn't flood our tent. There was some waves hitting the beach and they came within inches of the tent. But we stayed dry and didn't have to move.
There was a full moon that night so I stayed up for an hour to film and take photos. Magical night!

A lot of bear tracks along the small river behind our camp. Also as it was maybe the hottest day most of us got int the water to have a swim after arriving. That was nice!

The next day we crossed over Knights Passage and to "Herring Point" where our next camp would be. Again a very beautiful place! All our campsites are beautiful but some just a bit more so.
I had the chance to go with Josh that day during the moving to paddle along the shore and in between small reefs and islands. Very, very nice day in the kayak.
In the evening i did some rolls in the Chilko kayak, but it is a kayak with a too high back for me to do nice rolls. But I still managed to do a few. I went to bed early that evening.

More posts from my Alaska trip:
Anchorage
Day 1 and 2
Day 3 to 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8

This beach was hit hard by the earthquake 1964

New buildings on the site of the village

A shrine 

Lägg till bildtext

A class? This was after all a course.

"In the midnight hour"

Sun on the way upp over Knights Island

A hot day a I needed a swim. God temperature in the water, about 20° C.

The tents are very close to he high tide line.

We tried to have a big logg on our tarp to use as a bench

Crossing over to Knights Island

Curious sea otter

Me and Josh was exploring along the shore

Toby and Tom are cooking dinner

Long and hot day!

Bald Eagle

Sunset

Millesvik archipelago

The last day of May and first day of June were the first real summer days this year, maybe 25°C in the air, a fresh breeze but cold water still.
Me and two friends went to a place south of Säffle (a small town 100 km from my home) where the north end of a fantastic archipelago starts. (Here is the Google Map adress for Hjälleskate ) Perfect place to start a trip in Millesvik skärgård and to kayak south to Lurö, Ekenäs or just to go around all the small islands and reefs in this almost uninhabited archipelago. We did't see any other kayakers and only one sailing boat (a bit out on the lake) and one small motor boat during the two days we were there.

We started on Tuesday noon and paddled south to Sjötungsholmarna where we stayed the night. And the sunset that evening! Marvelous! Just watch the photos below.

After a warm night we then proceeded to Ekenäs, where I was just a couple of days before coming from Lurö, and had a coffee and an ice cream. Then we had a long trip in the afternoon sun back to Hjälleskate.

An amazing place to kayak in. We saw only one person (and a few at Ekenäs) the whole trip but a lot of birds. Sea eagles, ospreys, a heron, storlomm (gavia artica) and heard the great bittern (Botaurus stellaris) and the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Besides those all the normal birds in the area.

The trip:

• Distance traveled 49,2 km (30 miles)
• Time traveled 9h 40 min.
• Average speed 5,1 km/h (3,3 mi/h)
• Maximum speed 9 km/h (5,1 mi/h)

My friends Helene and Björn

Fika! (Coffee break)

Dinner

Sunset

Björn

Helene

Finally May

At last we are into May and warmer weather. The last few days we had had temperatures at about 15-16°C in the afternoon. Lovely! The nights has been a bit cold still but at least not freezing temperatures.
Also the water temperatur in the Lake Vänern has now risen somewhat. Two weeks ago we had 4.6°C and yesterday we had as much as 13°C at a point. But mostly it was around 10°C. Rather pleasant after a long winter.

On the 1st of May I took a short afternoon trip in Vänersborg. I had been working the night and slept some during the day and needed to do some exercise. Paddling at a high speed I did a two-hour tour outside Vänersborg. Felt nice.

At the 4th of May I went to Snickartorpet that belongs to Friluftsfrämjandet in Lidköping. I started by myself and an hour later two friends met up and we made some dinner. Or rather Magnus made some dinner. Thanks mate!
After we had eaten we went back to Snickartorpet and greeted a lot of other kayakers that were going out on the first "Onsdagspaddling" (Wednesday paddling) for the season. For a lot of those folks it was the first trip of the season. We had a fantastic evening with an amazing sunset and perfect wind. Calm at first but with a nice SW-ly breeze at the end.
I did my first roll this year bareheaded and without long johns under my drysuit. My friend Martin also made a perfectly nice roll.

Entrance to the marina in Vänersborg

Dalbo bridge at Vänersborg. The pilot station is just inside the bridge.

Vänersborgsviken (Bay of Vänerborg) 

Vänersborgsviken

Magnus is making dinner while Nils is watching.

Magnus is lecturing about geocaching

It was nice to try to make some photos against the light

More siluettes

An old classic kayak, a baidarka from 1996.