Along the Frozen Lake

Snow, Ice and a Winter Wonderland

The winter bridge in Brekkedammen park.

Today the sun was shining and it was just a chilly -1˚C (30˚F), so no better time to get outside and take in the sunshine and beautiful snowy landscape.

View of Maridalsvannet.

I walked up along the Akerselva to Kjelsås, through Brekkedammen park, and around Maridalsvannet.

Maridalsvannet frozen lake.

The view of Maridalsvannet was absolutely stunning. Finally, the lake has frozen over, making it the perfect place to go ice skating.

View of the lake.

I had a nice walk through the forests, where now there are a couple of cross country ski paths too. Fortunately for me, there hasn't been much snow lately, so apart from being quite slippery in places, it was easy to walk the paths. Maybe later on in the season if there is a lot of snow, the trails will only be for cross country skiing.

Winter hiking adventure.

The nice thing about this time of year is that it is slowly starting to get lighter and lighter each day. By now the sun sets at 15:20pm which may still seem very early, but with the snow it doesn't feel too dark when you're outside.

Winter trails through Sander farmland.

Sundays are always so crowded in the city, so I enjoy trying to get out in nature away from the busy paths of the city center. The further I walked, the more trrails I had completely to myself which was nice.

Frozen plants.

The plants were lovely with the little spiky bits of ice and frost glinting in the sunlight.

Winter wonderland.

With the snow covered foliage, the land looked so beautiful and peaceful. 

Frozen landscape of Sander Gård.

The land was quiet apart from my boots hitting the frozen earth. In Norway they don't use salt on the roads, but rather have rocks, or nothing at all once you are out on the trails. It can be quite slippery at times, so it takes a bit to get used to the rhythm of having to walk on the ice.

Frozen river to Maridalsvannet.

Through one snowy farms and across the bridge to another. At this time of year even some of the rivers have frozen over, allowing people to ice skate up and down them.

Nes Gård.

All was quiet on the farm, as the hard work has been done until springtime. As I passed Sander Gård, I noticed two horses outside in the snow. They weren't moving at all, so I wondered if they were frozen. As I passed by, they moved slightly but remained mostly still just bathing in the sunlight. 

View of the lake from Nes Gård.

I had walked around Maridalsvannet once before back in November, but it was nice to get to see how everything now looked with the snow rather than the autumn leaves.

Sunset over the snowy countryside.

Besides taking in the fresh air and getting to explore new areas, one of the reasons I enjoy getting to go outside and walk around is that it gives me the chance to clear my mind, think things over, and get aware from the stresses of school and so forth. I absolutely love nature, so being outdoors is by far where I feel the happiest.

Sunset from the frozen lake.

I got so excited when I was up above hiking around the lake and noticed all of the ice skaters dancing down below. Because Maridalsvannet is the main drinking source for Oslo, there aren't many access points to that lakeside, so it took me quite awhile to actually get down to the ice.

Looking southwards over the frozen lake towards Kjelsås.

If you want easy access to the lakeside but don't feel like walking from Kjelsås through the forests, you can take bus #51 in the direction of Maridalen, and get off at the stop, Kirkeby, which is right after the ruins of St.Margaret's Church.

Footprints over the frozen lake.

Despite not having any ice skates, I didn't want to miss out on getting to experience the frozen lake so I braved the lake in my shoes. I just didn't have too much trouble walking, but just kind of shuffled along exploring the northern shore.

Sunset over Maridalsvannet.

The sunset over the lake was absolutely stunning and I just wanted to stay out all evening taking it in.

The thick ice near the lake shore.

In a couple of places the lake had some thick cracks in the ice where you could see the ice's thickness (at least a few inches in some sections). Even with these cracks, the ice was completely solid, minus some small areas along different sections of shoreline which were still liquid.

Sunset behind Margaretakirkeruinen.

As the sky was painted with rainbow colors, I basked in the beauty of Norway, of earth's natural wonders, and of life itself. With the last day of 2018 arriving tomorrow, I am reminded of how precious each and every day is. As this year comes to a close, I am grateful of all of the opportunities I have been granted this year, and I look for forward to exploring more and continuing to grow as a person come 2019.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and healthy new year full of many adventures! 

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!

Sunshine & Lakes: Trekking in Nordmarka

A Sunny Sunday Adventure 

Øyungsdammen.

It feels like ages since I've seen blue skies. Yet, today the sun was out and shining; making it the perfect day to be out hiking.

Water flowing from Øyungsdammen.

This morning after breakfast I caught bus #51 in the direction of Maridalen and rode up to Skar, which is the last stop on the line.

Øyungen.

At the end of August, I visited Øyungen lake with some classmates. However, we just had a short hike to the lake and rested by the shore. So, this time I wanted to walk around the lake and explore the forest paths.

Photo-op by the lake.

It was pretty chilly this morning, only 37F or about 3C. Despite the cold, lots of people were out taking advantage of the nice weather. It was actually a bit strange to see so many people, because I had been in the area last Sunday when it was misty, yet slightly warmer, and it was just about deserted on the paths, minus several bikers.

Øyungen.

Fortunately, it's easy to get away from crowds and far enough away from the noises of the city. In the summertime, I think it would be nice to camp along the lake. Many still camp around it now, but at this time of year it's important to be strategic with packing since the nights are cold, and I don't have the camping gear for that.

Eastern side of Øyungen.

The hike along the lake was absolutely beautiful. Sometimes it's a bit slow going because the paths tend to be a bit flooded, but the views are definitely worth the time and occasional soggy shoe.

View of the lake. 

I hiked north along the eastern side of Øyungen following the trail along the side of lake. There are lots of trails heading in the same direction, but I prefer to take the narrow paths with the water views rather than taking the wider, main trails which zigzag through the forests.

Wetland area near the eastern edge of the lake.

As I hiked on, the pathway drew away from the main part of the lake, and went along a smaller channel. Here the lake became smaller and wetlands started to emerge.

Ice and wetlands.

This small portion of the lake was more closed off, making it shadier and colder. Already some of the water near the shoreline had turned frozen over.

The fields of Liggeren gård.

After hiking around the eastern half of Øyungen, the path led up through the forests and past the fields of Liggeren gård.

Trail sign outside Liggeren gård.

When I got to the top of the farm I took a look at the trail sign and decided to head towards Gåslungen gård (1,5km away).

My shadow waving to the camera.

When I go hiking I usually have no plan where I'm going. I just like to walk and see new places. However, on these short days there is one thing I keep in mind; which direction I'm heading.

Frozen pond.

I always try to make sure I make a loop of some sort so that I can head back to Skar or Hammeren, where I know there are bus stops.

Frost around the leaves.

With the sun now setting by 15:40, it's important to have an idea where I am so I can leave enough time to get out to safety. There are no lights along the paths, so when the sun sets, it gets very dark very fast.

Dam made of logs near Gåslungen.

With tree roots and flooded paths, poor lighting definitely doesn't make for safe travel. Plus, as the day went on, it got visibly colder. The more north I hiked the more frost there was on the plants and ground.

River flowing from Gåslungen.

Near Gåslungen gård there was an old wooden dam made of logs, along with a bridge to cross the water flowing down from Gåslungen lake.

Trail sign by Gåslungen gård.

Upon arriving at the farm I took a look at the trail sign to see where I was, and headed in the direction of Hammeren (7.5km away).

Looking out over Gåslungen.

There are several types of paths in the forests of Nordmarka. Paths going along the water, through the forests, and also wide roads for bicyclists and the occasional farmer's car.

Looking north across Gåslungen.

Normally every time I come to the forests things are mostly silent. Just a few birds, but nothing more. 

Gåslungen.

Today, I actually saw a couple of horseback riders, and glimpsed a woodpecker before it flew away. Still no moose, no deer, no fish, and very few birds.

Little island in Gåslungen.

Rain or shine, the lakes are so peaceful and flawless. Oslo is a nice city, but being out in the nature is where I am most happy.

Small island in Rottungen.

Following the trail from Gåslungen, I joined with the main path and headed towards Rottungen. I wish I had time to walk further along Rottungen, but it was about an hour away from sunset and I still had quite a trek down to Hammeren.

Sun setting over Skjærsjøen.

Heading south along the wider bike road to save time, I finally arrived at place I knew. A spot I had ended up in last week when I was exploring Nordmarka. I felt a bit relieved to know where I was since night was coming.

View of Skjærsjøen from the dam.

I passed Skjærsjøen just as it was coming up on 15:30 and took some quick photos before continuing my journey down to Hammeren.

The river flowing from Skjærsjøen down to Maridalvannet.

The walk was getting colder, and it was quickly getting darker, yet lots of bikers and hikers were still out and about.

The moon rising over the forests.

Through the soft pink glow of sunset, the moon arrived high in the sky over the eastern forests of Oslo. At last I made it down to Hammeren right across from Maridalvannet, and waited to catch the bus back home.

Looking towards the southeast side of Maridalsvannet.

It was such a lovely day, and I had a great hike enjoying many new places in Nordmarka!

Map of the hiking route I made.

Tusen takk for a nice Sunday adventure!