Season 2014-2015 - rxrider -Norway

[rxrider]

Season 2014-2015 is about to start here in Norway.

September 24. We have snow in the Mountains.

October 10. Our cat is surfing the Internet.

A pic of a traditional Sami Turf House.

We have snow on the ground and temps have dropped Down in the low 20s F or -6 C.
It's time to start preparing the sleds. We've had snow on the ground since October 12.
These pics were shot outside Our house on November 4.

November 13.
We have got a few more inces and temps are still below freeze.
Winter started early this year
It's looking good. A bit colder for a few more weeks and most smaller lakes will freeze over, need another month for the larger lakes and rivers to freeze over.
Outside Our house.

No riding yet. I have a few Projects going in the Turbo Garage, when done it's time to service my own sleds.

The 08 Apex only need some oil and grease. The 03 turbo need some internal work done as it threw a rod at the end of last season.

More to come......

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 1 - First ride of the season, a weekend at Our cabin.

Date: January 9-11.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
Distance: 23 kms or 14 miles
End odo: 5001 kms or 3106 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5001 kms or 3106 miles
Mileage: 23 kms or 14 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 23 kms or 14 miles


Rist ride of the season.
We spent the weekend at Our cabin on Lake Gagga.
Temps were Down to -29 C or -20 F at the lowest.


Start odo.

At the cabin. Brother-in-law's 2015 SR Viper.

Our Apex with the Nila hooked up.

Saturday noon, weather is Nice but it's very Cold.

Girls are playing inside, nobody wanted to go outside brrrrrrrrrTO_COLD

We have Three Persian Cats, we take them With to the cabin, they are used to riding sleds

End trip.

End odo.

At 2 PM it was time to head back home.
I went out to start up the sled, it would not start before the battery went flat.
Luckily a friend came by With starter cables. We Connected his battery to mine, gave a little throttle on his 2015 SR Viper and my Apex came to life.

I rode Down to the parking lot to start Our car.
We have a Eberspecher diesel engine heater which is operated by a Remote Control.
The battery on the Remote had too little juice to operate, needless to say it was impossible to start the engine.
Temps at the parking lot was Down at -37 Cor -34 F.
We tried to jump start the engine connecting starter cables to the battery on another car to no avail.
In the end we had to tow-start the Toyota.
I have now bought starter cables and a Litium-Ion starter pack With enough juice to jump start 3 cars in a row. I now carry both in the Toyota. The diesel engines are hard to start in the bitter Cold temps.
I have no problems With my Suzuki, it runs on gasoline, it startes no matter the temps

With the Toyota started I let it idle for an hour before riding back home.

 

[rxrider]

I had my 50th birthday on January 15th.
My Girls made a few paintings for their old man.

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 2 - First solo ride of the season, rode past our cabin.

Date: February 21.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 5001 kms or 3107 miles
Distance: 114 kms or 70 miles
End odo: 5115 kms or 3177 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5115 kms or 3177 miles
Mileage: 137 kms or 85 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 137 kms or 85 miles


Sled is ready for the first solo ride of the season.

Start odo.

Up in the Rochi valley. Riding through the pines entering the lakes.

A view to the west.

A view to the east, Mount Gagga in the distance.

I rode past the lakes to Our cabin on Lake Gagga.
The Nila will have to be dug up NeXT time we're going to the cabin.

Outside the cabin.

I left the cabin, rode across Lake Gagga to the east up the Sarves Valley.
Up in the Sarves valley. The trails are i Perfect condition in this part of the valley.

The rear view Down the valley.

I rode up the valley, past the tree line and into the Mountains.
A view to the west, towards the Gaissa montain range.

Nice weather up on the mountain range Gagga Njunnis.

I returned and rode back and past Our cabin to Lake Øvrevann.
On the lake.

End trip.

End odo.

Great ride

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 3 - Riding around alone all day.

Date: February 22.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 5115 kms or 3177 miles
Distance: 122 kms or 75 miles
End odo: 5237 kms or 3252 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5237 kms or 3252 miles
Mileage: 259 kms or 160 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 259 kms or 160 miles


Riding around alone.... mostly up the valley from home.

Start odo.

Rode up the valley to a lake in the Woods where I met my good friend Mikkel.

People are out ice Fishing, nobody caught any Trout.

I got bored looking at People Fishing, catching nothing at all, so I went on my way up into the mountain Silba Cohkka. A view to the North Down the valley. Lake Nedrevann in the distance.

Mount Silba Cohkka, it was quite windy up there.

A view to the west. Mount Stuorra Cohkka, part of the mountain massive called the Gaissa mountain range.

I rode over the mountain, past lake Øvrevann and lake Gagga, up the Sarves valley.
Stopped at Gagganjunnis on the edge of the eastern Plains.
A view to the east, into the Plains.

My 08 Apex RTX

A view to the west, the Gaissa Mountain Range in the far distance covered in clouds.

I rode back the same way I came from.
Stopped up at Mount Silba Cohkka.
A view to the west, Lake Vuollajavri Down in the valley, hardly seen in the pic.

A view to the North, rugged terrain, but fun to ride in. The trail goes up and Down hills and Ridges, tight and twisty as well, fun to ride.

Further North Down the valley. I stopped at Lake Nedrevann.

I rode Down the valley for a few more miles, then I took the trail to the west heading into the Mountains.
Climbing up from Heimdal up to Mount Merddavarre. It's a pretty steep Climb, a mistake can be fatal.

At the bottom of the mountain.

Here's the mountain side I have to Climb up.

Here's a pic of where I plan to come Down, it's actually a trail Down that mountain side.

On top of the mountain, looking at the Gaissa Mountain Range and Mount Divvgagaissa With the huge mountain wall which noone has climbed yet. It's a 750 meter or 2250 feet wall almost vertical in places.

I rode across Lake Vuoddejavrit to a Place we Call Kaffekroken or the Coffee shop.
It's a popular Place where People go to lit a Campfire and Cook coffee over the open fire, the best coffee there is. It's a small gorge With a ice fall at the end of the gorge. Nice Place.

To be continued........

 

[rxrider]

Continued.......

A view to the South from the Coffee Shop.

Riding Down the mountain.
There is two trails up to this part of the Mountains.
I came up the Southern route and are now riding Down the Northern route.
Riding Down into a narrow gorge

Rode Down the gorge and ended up on the edge of the mountain side, I'm going Down here.
The Lakselva river in the bottom of the valley.

Lake Nedrevann in the far distance to the right in the Picture.
It's a pretty steep ride Down the mountain side.

End trip.

End odo.

Great ride, even riding alone

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 4 - Family vacation at our cabin on Lake Gagga.

Date: February 28 to March 3.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 5237 kms or 3252 miles
Distance: 133 kms or 83 miles
End odo: 5370 kms or 3335 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5370 kms or 3335 miles
Mileage: 392 kms or 243 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 392 kms or 243 miles


This time of the year I do not have to trailer the sled around.
I rode the sled from Our house up to Our cabin on lake Gagga.
My wife and kids loaded up the car With Food and fuel and drove up the valley to the parking lot Close to the cabin where I piced them up.

The Apex outside Our home.

My trailer... I didn't have to trailer as long as we have snow Down at sealevel.
Usually I will have to start to trailer the sled around mid April when snow leaves around town.

Start odo.

Riding over the mountain Ridge called Lemmivarre. It's super rugged terrain With narrow Valleys, gorges and small lakes. Super fun to ride up there. It's where I learned to ride a snowmobile way back when we were kids. We rode this area all over the Place and as a cause of the we became very good at riding snowmobiles as it take some skilles to navigate this sort of terrain.

In the rear view.

At the cabin. I picked up the Nila sleigh and went Down to the parking lot to pick up wifey, the kids, the cats (we have Three Persians) and other stuff.

My oldest daughter wanted to be towed around on the lake on her sleigh.
I hooked up a 6 meter or 20 feet rope to the sled and her sleigh and on we went.

Dinnertime.
We packed up Food and Wood in the Nila and vent Down Trouth Creek valley to Cook Food outside on the open fire. We brought steak, mushrooms, vegetables and beverages.

Monday, we heading down to Trout lake for some ice fishing.

We found holes already drilled, Lucky me I did not have to drill New holes.
I have a traditional manually operated Mora Ice drill, it's a lot of work drilling thru 1 meter or 3 ft of compact ice

The Girls are trying to Catch some Trout.

Our oldest daughter Amanda

Our youngest daughter Linnea

My wife Heidi. Linnea is Fishing.

The Apex and Nila on the Trout Lake.

A view to the west Down the valley.

The Fishing was not a success, the Girls gave up and told me to continue Fishing while they made snow figures. The snow was soft because of the above freeze temps the last week.

I caught one Fish.... it was a Bass. From this moment on I have renamed the Trout Lake to Bass Lake HAHAHAHAHA

We made a snow man... more like a snow Mickey Mouse

Next weekend the worlds second longest Dog Sled Race, NeXT after the Iditarot in Alaska, will pass the Trout Lake. The Finnmarksløpet Dog Sled Race has two classes, the short race is 500 kilometers or 310 miles, the long Professional class goes on for 1000 kilometers or 620 miles.

As of now the race is on. The weather is horrible With snow falling, strong Winds and snow drifting. The race take great survival skills and the racers have to prove themselves in order to get a licence for the race.
Luckily we have not had any fatalities so far in the history of the race.
This year the weather is not good for crossing the open Plains and the Mountains.
I hope all racers and their dogs will get past the Mountains unharmed.

Back in time again...
Inspired by the coming Dog Sled Races the Girls decided to make a snow dog.

This have to be a polar dog, the similarity is stunning.

To be continued ..............

 

[rxrider]

Continued ...........

The snow dog is looking to the west where the race dogs are coming from.

I hope he survived the warm weather and froze over solid when colder temps arrived a few days later.


Next day, tuesday we went back home.
I rode the sled back home alone, wife and kids drove the car.


End trip.

End odo.

Weather was not the best last weekend. Nor is it any good now either.
That's why I'm inside posting on TY, I don't care to ride in low visibility conditions With strong Winds.
Maybe I go out tomorrow? I hope the weather will improve

 

[Ahogan]

Hi Jan,
Are you coming to Maine this season?

 

[rxrider]

No I'm swamped With Projects at work, no way to get two weeks time off.
When the Projects are done it will be too late in the season to go to Maine.
I have withdrawals, the Maine trails in 2014 was the best I've ever seen.
Even the worst trails in Maine are better than Our best trails here in Norway.
I hope to be back in Maine in Feb-Mar 2016.

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 5 - Towing home firewood, with help from my family.

Date: March 20-21.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 5370 kms or 3335 miles
Distance: 34 kms or 21 miles
End odo: 5408 kms or 3359 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5408 kms or 3359 miles
Mileage: 430 kms or 267 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 430 kms or 267 miles


Start odo.

Warming up my sled outside Our house.
I have to trailer some 60+ kilometers or 40+ miles to my parents house.
The firewood is in the forest Close by their home.

Out in the Woods. Our kids are playing on the slopes, riding on some sort of snow Board.

My mother Jenny is helping me loading the Rekka Timber Sleigh.
She's a tough woman for a 75 year old, still going strong.

My parents house Close by, a short way to tow the firewood

My father Ove is helping me unloading the Rekka Timber Sleigh.
He's 77 years old, still going strong

We have enough firewood for the Winter two years from now.
We already have the NeXT years supply in house.
We burn the Wood two 1.5-2 years from the date we cut Down the Wood.
That way the Wood is completely dry and burns With little soot collecting in the chimney and inside the stove.

End trip.

End odo.

My Girls did also help loading the Rekka.
Easy working With the Family helping out

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 6 - Easter holiday With Family and friends.

Date: April 2.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 5408 kms or 3359 miles
Distance: 70 kms or 43 miles
End odo: 5478 kms or 3402 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5478 kms or 3402 miles
Mileage: 500 kms or 310 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 500 kms or 310 miles


Start odo.

Easter holiday. At my parents house in Russenes.
We're loading up to go to a Fishing contest on Hellandervann pond Close by.

Up at the Hellandervann pond we dug a sofa Group some 22 reindeer hydes large toghether With Family and friends.

People are showing up in numbers as this is the happening of the year

The Fishing contest is on. First man/woman/girl/boy first to get the best spot on the pond.
There are prices for the larges Fish, the smallest Fish, for the most Fish caught, and for the highest total weight caught.

More People are piling up on the shores of the pond.

My cousin Fred and his son Sander, dressed in blue to the left.
My friend Jan Halvard to the right.

The gathering seen from across the pond.

The old faithful, my 08 Apex RTX.

We dug Our own sofa Group, my wife Heidi to the left, Our Girls Linnea and Amanda to the right.

Everybody is having a great time on the pond.
I have no idea who won the Fishing contest, but who cares when the weather is great, Food is good and a Cold beverage to go With it.

Later in the afternoon my brother-in-Law and I went riding in the Mountains.
Here's a few pics from Mount Gardervarri.
The pics are shot in a 360 degree pattern to show the view from the summit.

The trail are seen Down below the mountain.

To be continued...

 

[rxrider]

Continued...

The last pic completed the circle.


The sleds on the summit.

End trip.

End odo.

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 7 - Easter holiday With Family and friends.

Date: April 3.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 5478 kms or 3402 miles
Distance: 34 kms or 21 miles
End odo: 5512 kms or 3402 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5478 kms or 3423 miles
Mileage: 534 kms or 331 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 534 kms or 331 miles


Start odo.

Weather is not the best but we decided to go out anyway.
We rode up to Kattholla Close to Lake Fransvann.
We brought Food and beverages.
At last we got the Campfire going
It's Nice Cooking outside in the great ourdoors.

The Girls and my wife.

We're roasting slices of pork in the pan.

Somebody's coming??? Who is it??
Family and friends are arriving

Later we rode up to Lake Øvre Fransvann for some ice Fishing.

Our sled on the lake.

Amanda cought a Troat, nothing big...

Two of Heidi's cousins With kids + a few friends, having a great time on the lake.

The kids made snowmen on the lake.

My wife Heidi relaxing on the Apex.

Back home at my parents Place.

End trip.

End odo.

 

[rxrider]

Ride: 8 - Easter holiday With Family and friends.

Date: April 5.

Sled: '08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 5512 kms or 3423 miles
Distance: 56 kms or 35 miles
End odo: 5568 kms or 3458 miles

Statistics:

'08 Apex RTX
Start odo: 4978 kms or 3092 miles
End odo: 5568 kms or 3458 miles
Mileage: 590 kms or 366 miles

'06 Apex Turbo
Start odo: kms or miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

'03 RX-1 Turbo
Start odo: 15753 kms or 9784 miles
End odo: kms or miles
Mileage: kms or miles

Total mileage 2014-2015: 590 kms or 366 miles


Start odo.

We rode up to Lake Sappas to meet up With my cousin Fred, his wife Synnøve and their son Sander.
They started out earlier in the morning to go Fishing on the lake.

We drilled a few more holes and went on Fishing.
The Girls are seen in the background playing on the ice.

Zooming in on the Girls, looks like they're building a snowman.
We have Close to white-out conditions.

There were a few other People up on the lake, some of them had set up camp, probably staying on the lake for the easter holidays.

Fishing were slow. Some Fish were caught. Mostly Troat.

Synnøve caught a Nice Troat.

Linnea caught one as well.

Later in the day we rode further into the Mountains to Lake Suolojavri.
Weather got a lot better and the sun finally broke though the clouds.

Fred and his wife Synnøve and my wife Heidi.

Our sleds.

The Girls are playing on the hill.

End trip.

End odo.