Another beautiful day was inviting us to bike up to the Pyhäkero open wilderness hut, from where we continued our journey to the summit of the Pyhäkero fell. After reaching the summit just in time for the sun set, we enjoyed the scenery while eating some delicious cloudberries that we picked on the way.
After preparing and eating yesterday’s catch for lunch, Heidi and me took our bikes to take advantage of another beautiful day and to go up to the summit of the Pyhäkero fell. I have wanted to do this short trip all summer long, since last year’s swimming under the midnight sun in the lake up there remains still – as fresh as the water – in my memories. However, I have not been able to find the time during this year’s polar day, to once again be there for a midnight sun swim; however, the dark period of the days is still rather short and seeing a sun set is a welcomed change after the slightly more than two month lasting polar day.
We decided to first take our bikes to go to the Pyhäkero autiotupa (open wilderness hut), where the Northern border of the Pallas-Yllästunturi national park is located. On the way to the Pyhäkero open wilderness hut, we were forced to stop for a few times: In deeply saturated orange, some delicious cloudberries where highlighted through the grass by the sun light, almost signalizing stop!, like a red light at a crossroads, preventing us from simply continuing our way. Since so far we haven’t been very lucky with getting cloudberries this season, we happily took advantage of nature’s fruits, and strengthened ourselves before continuing our journey.
After we finally have reached the Pyhäkero open wilderness hut in the evening, we parked our bikes and exchanged our cycling shoes with hiking boots. From the autiotupa, it is not very far to the summit, maybe approximately 40 minutes, during which the overview over the landscape becomes more and more clear. When we arrived on the top, we realized that we would still have some time until sun set, so we went for a short walk around the lake Pyhäjärvi on the top of the fell. While we did not take any cloudberries when we stopped with the bikes, we also found some later when we were on foot, which we took with us. After having circled around the lake and enjoyed the scenery up there, we finally continued to the highest peak, just in time before the sun was setting. Since we didn’t take much food with us from home, the cloudberries we picked offered us a delicious supper, while watching the sun setting just behind the Hetta village.
Considering the arrival of darkness that had to be expected soon, we now decided to quickly go back down to our bikes, to be able to leave the narrow and rocky forest trail as long as there was still enough light. On the way back, the ponds and lakes along the road where beautifully covered with evaporating steam from the relatively warm water, as the air became quite chilly. So for the next trip I should remember, to bring gloves with me. Well yeah, summer really seems to be over…
