Ride: 60 - 2008 Apex RTX
Date: April 28.
Distance: 189 kms or 117 miles
Start odo: 1732 kms or 1076 miles
End odo: 1921 kms or 1193 miles
Start odo Apex RTX: 0 kms or 0 miles
Mileage so far: 1921 kms or 1193 miles
Start odo Turbo RX-1: 10162 kms or 6315 miles
Mileage so far: 3333 kms or 2071 miles
Start odo Stock RX-1: 3694 kms or 2300 miles
Mileage so far: 620 kms or 385 miles - SOLD
Total mileage 2007-2008: 5874 kms or 3650 miles
Monday I went out to ride with two of my friends. We had not decided where to go, only where to start from. We planned to take our time, shoot pics here and there, and ride at a moderate pace. We had all day to ride so we were in no hurry
. Spring arrived two days ago at sealevel and snow are leaving fast. Up in the mountains the winter is still on, but temps have climbed above freeze even at altitude so we were riding on spring snow all day long. We can only hope for cold nights and slightly colder midday temps for the days to come or else sledding season will end earlier than expected only a few days back.
Weather forecast is not looking to promising when it comes to sledding. Midday temps tomorrow will rise up to +14C to +16C or 57F to 60F, I guess riding season will come to a hault even before May 5. if temps does not cool down soon.
Well enough of that ... on to the ride review.
Start odo.
I'm riding out of my garage for the last time this season. Monday I still had snow in my driveway, now it's all gone.
Out in the street I had some snow on the street and a lot on the sides, it's all gone, only slush left on the sides and no snow on the trails nearby.
On the trail nearby my house, spring have arrived and snow are leaving fast in the swamplands at lower altitude.
There are not much snow left at lower altitude. I rode over to a friend of mine, we had decided to trailer our sleds from where he lives. We were heading up to mount Caskil, seen in the far distance.
To show you how fast snow is leaving I took a pic before we took off and a pic when we arrived in the evening.
Pic taken before noon.
Pic taken in the evening.
At the slopes of mount Caskil where we unloaded our sleds. Ready to take off.
I rode in front up the mountain, while waiting for my friends to catch up I shot this pic of the Porsanger fjord.
My friends did not show up so I thought they might have taken another trail up the mountain as there were a few alternative routes to choose from. I continued up over the plains but could not see them up there either. I decided to stop and wait for them, and shot a few pics while at it.
Looking back down the valley, overviewing the plains, the Porsanger fjord in the far distance.
Nice sled.
The trail ahead, behind the sled that is.
My friends finally caught up with me. They got stuck down in the soft snow in the valley where the trail goes up a steep incline and got a little delayed
Finally a few pics of myself and my sled
Me on my '08 Apex RTX, I love that sled, it runs so smooth
A few kilometers or miles and at a few hundred meters or 500-700 ft higher altitude I shot this pic. The slopes have lots of snow.
My friend with the SRX approaching.
Finally up at the mountain plain, altitude 400+ meters or 1200+ ft.
A view in the back course.
A view to the south, down the Luostejohka valley. Mount Luostegaissa to the left and mount Halkkavarri to the right in the pic.
Time for lunch at lake Vansjavri.
After lunch we headed to the north and started climbing a mountain, while on top I shot a few more pics.
A view to the south, looking down the Luostejohka valley once more.
A view to the north west.
A view to the west, the western Gaissa mountain range in the far distance.
Zooming in on the western gaissa mountain range.
We decided to take the trail north to the village Børselv.
The fences seen in pics shot thruout the winter are set up by Sami reindeer shepherds to keep the reindeers from different herds and districts separated when the reindeers return from the costal area in late autumn. When winter are closing in on us, the reindeer herds start their journey from the costal region towards the large plains in the southern parts of Finnmark. The southern part of the plains are covered with birch forest and offers good supply of food for the reindeers throughout winter. Actually the reindeer does not eat birch trees, but these forests provide very a good habibtat for the most important food for the reindeer, reinlav. Reinlav is a primitive kind of moss that is highly nutricious.
This pic is shot at lake Holmevann.
Closing in on Børselv village. The Porsanger fjord ahead.
My friend with the VT700 Venture had to fuel up. The SRX700 and the Apex RTX did not need to fuel up to make it back home so we left the sleds on the snow and walked over to the Gas station.
After refueling the Venture we had something to bite on and some beverage before we hit the trails again. We rode up the Børselva river where ice was in starting to break up we managed to ride past a few difficult spots without getting wet. Up in the valley I stopped to shoot a pic of a sacred mountain according to old Sami legends and religion. Mount Silfar is a mountain of dolomit, this kind of rock are only found two places in the world, here in Porsanger and in the Dolomites in the Alps in Italy.
We continued up the valley. Not too much snow, and the snow on the trail was wet and soft, by now this trail is no longer rideable.
Next stop was up at Aiterottu close to the Børselv river. Last time I were up here it was summer and I were on a fishing trip together with my father. I have been fishing for salmon in the Børselva river since I was a kid. My father took me out fishing and thought me all about how, when and where and with what to fish when conditions are like this and that... well last time up here with my dad I caught a salmon weighing in at 4.2 kilos or 9.2 pounds, nice catch
This is my first time up here in the winter.
The part of the river where I caught my salmon.
After having a break outside the cabin of Aiterottu we continued riding up the Børselv valley.
We finally arrived up at the falls of Batnesat. Hard to tell from the pic, but there are a small cabin on the right banks of the river.
We continued our journey and found a small traditional cabin called a "gamme". It's made of wood and a material called "torv" in norwegian. Torv is cut out of the swamplands in bricks (don't know what "torv" is called in english), and much like a mason is piling bricks on top of each other, pieces of "torv" is piled on top of each other to make the walls and roof of the "gamme" or cabin.
The sleds outside the "gamme".
After having a few sandwishes and soft drinks at the "gamme" down in the valley, we again headed up into the mountains where riding conditions were much better than down at lower altitude.
A view to the south, mount Suonjirgaissa in the far distance.
Once again we crossed lake Holmevann. Pic shot at towards the north, this time from the southern shore of the lake. My friend with the Venture seen down close to the lake.
On our way back home. Riding towards the south.
My friends are catching up on me. Notice the SRX??? Inside ski lift with a SRX, is it even possible, guess my friend was pushing it to catch up with me
As we were closing in on the intersection where the trail takes to the west, I stopped to shoot a few pics as the sun broke thru the clouds and made nature look....lost for words.
Then we turned towards the west heading down to the parking lot. My friends tracks, they rode ahead of me. Now I had to put up some speed to catch up with them
I just had to stop and shoot this pic. I kinda felt like a lonesome cowboy riding into the sunset. What a view
Sorry the pic cannot communicate what it was riding up there that evening.
On our way down the mountain towards the parking lot. Snow was leaving fast and water pools were starting to form all over the place.
Last bit of trail.... spring is climbing up the mountain. I hope it will take a few weeks before it goes over the mountain ruining the great conditons we had up there
Loading up the trailer.
End trip.
End odo.
Thank you guys for a great day out riding
It's always nice riding together with good friends.
I have a few more rides planned for. I can only pray we still have enough snow at lower altitude to be able to climb into the moutains this coming weekend.
