Misty morning at Skjærsjøen

From Hammeren to Skjærsjøen

I've been bit by the nature adventure bug. Most of my free time is spent walking around the city or forests surrounding Oslo. By foot you can see so many places you otherwise would miss if you were riding in a car, bus, train, etc.

Skjærsjøen lake.

A couple of weekends ago, I braved the clouds, and cool, misty air, to take advantage of my day off from uni. Even though the weather wasn't ideal, it still made for a great daytime hike.

The shore of Skjærsjøen.

I took bus #51 to Hammeren, and then headed north along the forest paths. Eventually I ended up around Skjærsjødammen which is a dam from the 1890s. The dam carries water from Skjærsjøen lake via the Skjærsjøelva, down through the Hammeren hydroelectric power station, and out to Maridalsvannet.  

Looking north across Skjærsjøen.

The paths were so flooded, but I slowly made my way along the lakeside. Looking across the lake I fell in love with Norway all over again. If only I could just get a job hiking around this beautiful country. I feel so happy and at peace when I'm out in nature.

Trail marker.

Since it was a cold, damp day, there were very few hikers out and about. It was kind of nice having the trails to myself, although it was definitely slow going because most of the paths had literally become streams after days of constant rainfall.

Trail back down to Hammeren.

I wouldn't say I got lost, but I had never been in this part of Nordmarka before, so as time passed I began feeling anxious to see trail signs. Soon the sun would be setting and I was becoming slightly more desperate to get back to Hammeren and out of the dense, soggy forests before darkness fell.

A pathway of water.

After trekking through forests, fields, and some valleys where trees had been cut down, I felt relieved when I finally emerged near the Hammeren hydroelectric power station. Fortunately, the main paths in Nordmarka are clearly defined by blue or red markers to help guide through the forests.

Downed tree along the path with its roots growing through the rock.

I didn't take many photos since it was such a wet day and I didn't want to wreck my camera. Yet, despite having my shoes soaked on multiple occasions, I had a great hike and enjoyed getting to explore a new area. Tusen takk!