Stensdalen (Valley of the Stones)


In this past weekend I went on a three-day tour over Stensdalen with a group of Scouts. Stensdalen is in that area of mountains around Åre, we set out from Våladalen, the same place I have set out to go to Lundörrstugorna, the Lundörr cabins, but a little different way. There were seven from the scout group here, all people I have met only through scouts (morgan the canadian exchange student didn't come) and seven scouts from Stockholm.
The first day we skiied up to the cabin in Stensdalen with just enough snow to ski on, 14 km (8-9miles). We spent the night there, much more beautiful than Lundörren because there is a large rocky mountain overlooking it, and much more stony landscape than most places in Sweden, so it was a change in environment a bit. That night, after the girls were done with the sauna ( 930 at night) I , Björn and Simon went in to the Bastu (sauna), then out and rolled in the hard, crispy snow, then back until 1045. Then everyone else was asleep. Björn and I then went out to watch the clear stars. Not clearer than in the Sierra nevada; there was still a bit of blue-purple sky in the west, you couldn't see that galaxy near the big W.
After we had got ready 11am the next day we did a day trip around some ridge, everyone but two went along. Up at the top of the ridge there were some 100 reindeer, and more down in the valley. They ran away from us, holding their heads high. It was overcast, but not dark, more like white all over. There was also a fair amount of Ripa, a small white bird kind of like grouse. They make weird noises.
Then once again, we went to the bastu that evening. Both nights we slept well in the cabin. Then, the slow tour back to Våladalen, where the Stockholmers later met their bus home.
A very nice conclusion to the ski season and cabin season (they closed until later in summer the day we left). I love it in those cabins,no electric lights, you have to get all the water from a nearby ice-covered stream, there is a really cozy feeling to it. We had just enough food for all the meals if you took a not too large portion of food, so there was a certain aprecciation for the food too.
It was enjoyable to go to the mountains. Now I am ready for no snow, to not ski anymore. I am all for bicycling and running now, dirt and ground.