Trollheimen – where the trolls roar

We all know that Norway is the land of the trolls. Well, this summer I experienced some real troll habitat. As summer neared, a group of friends from Trondheim and I decided to take a trip to Trollheimen (the Troll’s Home), a mountain reserve area about 2.5 hours south of Trondheim. The area is known for hiking, skiing, etc. We decided to go for the “Trekanten” which is the classic hut-to-hut route in Trollheimen. To make the trip even more fantastic then the group we already were, my AK friend Matt was also going to be in town. The trip was destined for epic history.

We started at Gjevilvasshytta. Driving from Trondheim early in the morning, we started the trip to Trollheimshytta around noon. We took the most difficult leg the first day. The weather was foggy yet muggy and warm. We didn’t see much of the views and when we finally arrived at the hut at around 7pm (ish?) we were pumped for a dinner in the cabin. (*Note for tourists: the cabin really appreciated us calling ahead of time to let them know we were coming!) So, one salmon three course meal plus coffee and cakes later we were very happy hikers!

The next day we had planned on doing a day hike to Snota, the largest mountain in the area. Iffy weather conditions told us not to, and we opted to leave Trollheimshytta (a mosquito infested swamp deep in a valley) and continue on to Jøldalshytta. We took the Gjeithetta route, one of three routes to the cabin. The trip was fantastic, especially the extra long sunny lunch with awesome views of Snota (gasp — why didn’t we go?) and the surrounding mountains. Trollheimen was beautiful!

The descent down to Jøldalshytta was longer than we expected. When we arrived we were happy to be there. Jøldalshytta was my favorite location of the three cabins. Located higher up in elevation and by a beautiful mountain lake, it had an alpine feeling that reminded me of home. The surrounding valleys and mountains were perfect. On the way to the hut we passed by a very Norwegian sheep farm with cute sheep milling about everywhere! My desperate attempt to hug them was not so well received. The first evening at Jøldalshytta was the perfect summer evening. We had a fire down by the lake, while Jo Kristian and Øistein fished. JK was lucky to catch some small trout throughout the evening which were later grilled on the small fire. The hut also had canoes which we could borrow. Some midnight fishing trips were had, with the most peaceful lighting on the lake one could imagine. Life in the midnight sun at its best!

The next day we decided to go for a day trip up Trollhetta. (Yet, another TROLL!) This was the second highest peak next to Snota. The fantastic weather from the day before seemed to continue and we were excited for a sunny day in shorts and tank tops. Matt ran off to do a long work out. The four girls and JK set off to hike at a more reasonable pace. We expected the whole trip to take 10 hours but decided to see what we felt like doing. A beautiful hike, filled with mountain lakes and stony fields ended on the (almost) summit of Trollhetta. Our high-endorphin excitement for the mountain hid the increasing clouds and gray weather….

As the first rain drops fell we decided to turn around and descend. The rain that came was of the sort I rarely have experienced. Sheets of rain. We donned our jackets and rain pants and quickly kept moving. Then, the first thunder and lightning hit.

DID I MENTION I AM EXTREMELY AFRAID OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. READ: TERRIFIED. 

I will avoid details here, because most of you will not think twice about this story. But, it ended up with us screaming and laying flat on our stomachs to avoid being the highest point in a  storm that was (no seconds in between) over our head. Oh, and in addition, we took cover with a man named Lars Martin who I quickly decided would save us from all danger. (Later, this turned out to be a rather silly assumption, but in desperate times one becomes.. well desperate for saving mechanisms.) As I was literally trying to keep myself from freaking out ENTIRELY by hanging on to dear life to Ragnhild and Line (and of course, Lars) we waited out the storm until we could count 10 seconds in between thunder-lightning. We ran to at least the next place where we were NOT the highest points. We had to stop once more on the way back to the cabin for another storm. It honestly felt as though the trolls themselves were roaring at us to get the F off their mountain. I have never felt more hostility from nature than I have that day. Bears, moose, ANY DAY over that shit. It was unbelievably scary.

When we finally arrived back at the cabin. Me, scared shitless. The others, seemingly okay but equally happy to retell the adventure of the day. We had been worried about Matt who had done the entire trip in teeny tiny spandex and a t-shirt. When we had to take cover in the rain and rocks, we got VERY cold and were happy that we had brought extra layers. What about Matty-poo? Well, Matt made it fine. He took the approach that as long as he was RUNNING in mid air, he could not get struck by lightning. This apparently worked and he just ran as fast as he could away from the storms. We were stuck in our slower pace further up the mountain (the location of the storm) and couldn’t escape without ducking for cover. Matt (and JK, and Øistein who stayed back to fish) were waiting for us when we arrived. Some celebratory beers were had and happiness prevailed. I took a canoe trip with JK on the lake to regain some peace in nature. I needed that after such a horrifying adventure.

In the morning, we set off for our final leg back to Gjevilvasshytta. The trip was long for many. Our first hiking-boot trip of the summer had made sore feet and blisters for many. Øistein was sick. But, we all made it. In the end, the trip was a serious success. Not only was each leg beautiful, but the cabin life was great as well. I for one was beyond satisfied with the trip and happy to have such a gem of an experience with such good friends and great people.

Anna, are you alive up there?

I apologize to my (non-existent?) readers for the extremely long break in between blog posts. Although it may seem that I fell off the edge of the blogosphere after moving north to the Arctic, in fact I am alive an kicking. In the months since I last wrote, an enormous amount has happened. I finished my thesis, defended it, had an epic summer of adventures and working, road tripped 1,000km north, and moved to Northern Norway. In the coming days/weeks I will choose some of the adventures to share, if for no other reason than to offer tips on hiking, road trips, or camping spots for those visiting the same places we have been. This Autumn I will try and keep the blog more updated with “Life in Gratangen” stories. Stay tuned!

The view of the outermost end of Gratangen fjord, on a trip with the school where I am now working.

Happy Mother’s Day

It is Mother’s Day 2011 and I thought I would briefly write a thank you to my mom and my grandmothers. I am so lucky to have your constant positive support to help me along the way. Your love and compassion have made me who I am today. I try to live each day the way you have taught me to, by enjoying the moment and looking forward to the future. Thanks for always supporting me, mom and Nain.

Helen (Mom), Aunt Marcia, Nain, and Me (Halibut Cove, Alaska, summer 2010)

In loving memory of Audrey Barnwell.

Exciting Results! AYEA Program Evaluation 2010 – Published!

I received exciting news a few weeks ago that the AYEA Program Evaluation 2010 that I had worked so hard to complete last summer and into the fall was finally finished and in published form! Although my name proudly stands as the author, I must say that in the layout, graphics, and editing were not done by me – credit to Heather and Megan at AYEA/NWF in Anchorage. Nonetheless, the product is great! It is definitely worth a look if you are interested in learning about how a grassroots organization learns and operates. Or, if you are just interested in learning more about a program near and dear to my heart. Check it out! AYEA Program Evaluation 2010

Spring arrives (a.k.a post-Birkebeiner)

After the Birke was finished, several large changes occurred, just in time for SPRING and the long awaited daylight increase.

1) New home! The end of March I moved back to the apartment I lived in last Spring, only I switched places with the girl I lived with perviously and am now living with someone new. It is so nice switching to living closer to the city and being in such a nice apartment – I really love it.

2) Bike Commuter once more! A huge dumping of snow the last week of March threatened my plan to start bike commuting by April 1st. Fortunately, some beautiful days of sun melted enough so that I started April 4th. This also meant some great days skiing in the sun with Øistein who was visiting. It was “påske stemning” (easter atmosphere) at its best! (Which is good because Easter is so late this year there probably will not be any skiing left.)

3) NORTHBOUND. Øistein found out that he is going to have his residency-internship year way up north in the provinces of Troms (Gratangen) and Nordland (Gravdal in Lofoten). This is super exciting news, and although I am not sure about work opportunities, I am so excited for such a grand adventure. It is going to be REALLY cool up there.
View Larger Map

4) Balanced schedule. As of April I started working fewer hours at the International School, to only 2 afternoons a week. This is helping with overall balanced life, and focus on my thesis. Time is of the essence, says my advisor, so I needed to simplify. I also have reduced my training hours and am being more effective with the biking. There are some long and heavy days ahead, but, like in the Birke, have to bite my teeth together and stay focused.

Birkebeinerrennet 2011

Saturday, March 19, 2011 – BIRKEBEINER 2011. 6 months of goal setting and excitement culminated in an awesome 54 kilometer, 4 hour and 55 minute ski tour across the mountains from Rena to Lillehammer (Norway). What a day it was! Forecasts had shown that it would be nice on Saturday for the whole week so my energy was running high! Øistein and I arrived in Oslo on Thursday night. On Friday, a fine snow was falling as we made out way to Hamar, a town in between Lillehammer and Rena. We planned the day perfectly and had plenty of time to carbo load, rest, hydrate, wax (glide and kick), and have some laughs. We were impressed by our own organization and ability to be prepared for “the big day!” When it finally arrived, nerves were calm as we knew we were in for great conditions of sun and cold enough temperatures that kick would not be a problem. Hoarding along with 16,000 other racers getting to the race venue was exhilarating. So many people all so excited for the same reason!!!! Although I was getting nervous, I couldn’t help my excitement! When our wave finally set off, the endorphins were rushing! In the first 20 minutes it was so warm I started to get worried as we started the nearly endless climb. Given the huge numbers of people, I worked my skills darting in between people here and there and switching tracks. Quickly, a calming rhythm developed as we settled in for the long haul of kicking, striding, and poling for the next 54km.

From the 2010 race with Papa-Bear

After about 30 min the crowds start to die down and you start to settle in with the people around you. The thing about such a large race is that you are constantly moving with different folks. The energy level is never low as you build off those around you. And, on such a gorgeous day, the warmth of the sun was more than energizing. Numerous times I looked behind me to Øistein… smiling saying “Isn’t this awesome!??” The only thing missing was the company of my dad – Charlie. Last year was certainly a special experience and it was sad to not have him there. Although the temperatures were warmer last year, in many ways the conditions were faster and almost better. This year, the fine snow and colder temps made for relatively slow going but at least the kick was good! Given that at least 35k of that race is  uphill, I guess it doesn’t kill you to not be able to double pole all the time….

At some point in the race, I think at about 25-30k, things got tough. My legs started to cramp, and muscles were getting seriously tired. As energy wavered, I just kept repeating to myself “just bite your teeth together” and keep going!!!!!! A this point, the race becomes less about “this is so great” to “when are you going to eat and drink next”. Focus is narrowed in on one thing: your muscles and how you can make them keep going. You have to consciously be aware of the frequency of your poles and kicks, because otherwise you slow down fast. It is tough, but exhilarating.

When I reached Kvarstad, I knew the next 7.5km to Midtfjell was going to be hard. I remembered it from last year with my dad, that we were surprised at this section. It is steeper than the rest of the race, and comes at a point where you are already tired. When we reached the top, it seemed like Sjusjøen was close, but it was oh so far. Luckily, in this section, there are TONS of people cheering! The weather was so great, that people came out en force. It was such a fun!

In terms of physical conditions, though, there was no time to celebrate when we arrived to Sjusjøen. I looked at my watch and knew that if I wanted to make my “mark” I would have to HURRY. The “mark” is calculated by adding 20% of the time to the top 5 finishers in your age group.  As I started the descent for the last 8-10k, I could feel my legs getting weaker, which was problematic for the nasty drifts that had developed from 8,000 other people snowplowing. On top of that, the sun in my eyes through the trees was throwing me off. I took a bad fall but thankfully wasn’t plowed over by other racers! Øistein raced by yelling “are you okayyyyyy?” Yes, I was fine. But my speed and energy were degraded, and I struggled to find rhythm for the last 8k into the finish. Even my desperate attempts to double pole fast and frequent were pathetic. The snow was warmer at this point, and the lack of glide was noticeable. I also remembered this part from last year … it was painfully slow! Mostly flat, but when you have gone 48km already, 6k of double poling is not fun. When I finally sailed into the stadium, I was greeted by a “HEIA ANNA” from Ingrid, my host sister, and another friend from Røros. I was so happy to hear their voices! They carried me into to the finish, where I met an exhausted Øistein, who looked VERY happy to be done. My time was 4:55.31! Which was 5 minutes slower than my goal of 4.50 which was what was needed for the 2010 mark in my age class. I was bummed, although still happy because I had assumed my time would be somewhere between 4.30 and 5.30.

After crawling out of the finish area, tired and sweaty, faces salty and sunburned, we changed into some clothes from our pack and went to find Ingrid. On the way, I saw the sign for the “mark” of each age class. Mine was 4:56.41! I had made it, with a minute to spare! This was a great bonus to the feeling of being done!  Øistein and I were elated, happy that a long winter of hard work had culminated in such an awesome day. The weather, the atmosphere, everything had clicked. The only thing missing was good glide, but we were not alone in that. That is the beauty of skiing – you cannot control the snow.

We took our time getting out of Lillehammer by cheering on Jan Arild, Ingrid’s boyfriend, chatting with fellow Alaskan Merrick (who had a rocking race, even if she says she didn’t) and shopping in the sports sale (a must). Finally, we grabbed some dinner, hopped on a bus to take us back to Rena where the car was. The bus was smelly and hurt my legs… we were tired. By the time we got to Rena (about 2 hours), Oslo seemed so far away (another 2 hours)… We finally arrived in Oslo at around 11.30pm. Way too late for our tired bodies and brains but we survived. In the morning we felt good  - but achy and tired – and spent the day relaxing, eating, and drinking with the family in Oslo.

On Monday, upon returning to Trondheim, it was clear an era was over. Suddenly, it hit me what a let-down it was to be done. The best part about the Birke is that you have an excuse to train. Now reality had hit: ski season had to be over because I have a TON of work to do on my thesis. I realized that I spent the last 3 months skiing and working and trying to do school on the side. After a conversation with my advisor, decided to limit my hours at work to 2 days a week instead of 5 in order to help with focus. The fun excitement of Birke-fever was over… until next time that is! …..Only 343 days until next year!!!!

Next time, training will be better and goals better set. I would like to make it in 4.30 next year, which I think is possible with some smarter training techniques. I am not 100% sure we can do it (due to location and logistics), but if possible we will make it happen. It is almost just too much fun to pass up! So, onwards and upwards to the next big thing… maybe a running race this summer? I will keep you posted!

To conclude: I recently heard an expert saying that you know you are in your element when 1 hour seems like 5 minutes….and you are not in your element when 5 minutes seems like 1 hour. Well, the almost 5 hours I spent in the race may have hurt, but flew by fast. I take this as evidence that I should keep on skiing…

The Sun Returns – and Skiing Prevails!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The past weeks since the last post can only be described by one thing: skiing. After the Røros adventure in the freeeezing temperatures, I sadly became sick – a cold which is still sitting in my lungs and nose much to my dismay. Fortunately, it was not enough to hinder training (for better or for worse) so things have not stopped up. While the school I work at had winter break, I headed to Voss to visit Øistein. During the week, I enjoyed gorgeous views of the mountains and tried to work on my thesis while Øistein was at his internship at the physical therapy section of the Voss hospital. In the afternoons we would go skiing, if possible (I was still recovering). It was beautiful and very relaxing! Eating good food and enjoying life.

The second weekend and last day I was in Voss we did a ski race called the Ørnarrennet which was a appx 40k race about 25min up in the mountains from Voss. Despite gorgeous weather most of the week, just when race weekend came, the weather turned nasty. Above freezing temps, with precipitation. On top of that, the race led into the mountains which meant that the climate in the middle of the race would be different from the ends. All of this, for a non skier, would seem irrelevant unless you understand how annoying it is to put on kick wax for this kind of temperature. We stupidly went with klister for a base, which was great for the bottom, but which after 5k iced up (meaning that snow and ice gather under your kick zone, making it impossible to glide). In Norwegian this is called KLABBER which adequately describes the irritating nature of the phenomenon. In any case, I wasn’t feeling good after 10 days of not training due to illness, but re-waxing several times during the race, the fog making it impossible to see, the wintery-mix in my eyes, and the HARD course made the race one of the worst in my life. Nonetheless, we managed to finish just in time to get placed in an earlier wave in the Birkebeiner, saving us some tracks before the last thousands of people go.

Meanwhile, while we were worrying about our own silly races, the World Championships were going in Oslo. This was a 2 week event, through which I think my concentration on school decreased by at least 1.5 hours a day. WHAT EXCITEMENT! I am already cross-country skiing nerd, but this was something else. The champs were in Oslo and the Norwegians were WINNING everything! So, of course, Norway – being the ultimate ski nation – was going WILD. Including me. I have thought about writing an entire post about my reflections on the amazing character of elite xc ski athletes, and maybe I will do this soon, but in the mean time I should focus on writing my master thesis. In short, I will say I am so inspired by Marit Bjørgen, Therese Johaug, yes… Petter Northug, but mostly Anchorages own Kikkan Randall. I think that these athletes teach us something about determination, discipline, and never giving up. I am so impressed by the ability to be mentally and physically ready at the exact moment – and in Kikkans case, when it doesn’t go as planned, to try to stay positive. In any case, it was an exciting time: cheering with friends from the online-tv viewing of the races, yelling, discussing Petter Northug’s antics, crying, laughing…. just all around awesome.

When the world champs ended, it was an empty hole that could only be filled by getting prepped for the Birkebeiner! That was now 10 days ago, and in those last 10 days I have tried to train relatively focused, but trying to not push it as my illness still really hasn’t gone away. This past week has been GORGEOUSLY sunny here in Trondheim, reminding me of spring skiing at home. Unforunately, I don’t quite have the Chugach access here… but life is still good. I have had some beautiful skis that make me appreciate the sun, snow, and health every minute. At work, it is particularly nice to let the kids out and play in the sun and be semi-warm… visions of January playtimes where it was dark when we went outside at 3.30 and freezing temps make us all shiver and WORSHIP the sun. Ah, spring.

While I write this, though, I knock on wood as the Birkebeiner, the big ski race, is coming up this Saturday the 19th and my fingers hurt from crossing them so much for nice weather. I can deal with above freezing temps and klister, as long as there isn’t any rain and snow coming down! So far, the forecast looks good (do I dare say it?) and I am preparing to head down to the race on Thursday evening. I hope my coughing and runny nose doesn’t keep me from having FUN! I think it will be a great time regardless of my result, so I am hoping for the best. More to come after the race!

Røros Trip with Øistein

Øistein arrived in Trondheim on Friday, Feb 11. Our plan was to race a ski race on Saturday called “Berserennet” that goes 40k from Røros to Os, a near by town. We arrived on Friday evening, with cold temps of -22 C (-8F). The forecast was hopeful, the race would happen as long as it was not below -25. Well, Saturday morning the temp was -32C, so the race was sadly cancelled. We ventured out anyways, in temps ranging from -30 to -13C. It wasn’t so bad- after awhile the temperatures warmed up. But, 20k later sure felt cold and was very exhausting. Regardless, it was a gorgeous day. We returned to Trondheim Saturday evening. Sunday took a quick ski, and Øistein was off again early Sunday afternoon. A whirlwind and busy trip! I hope next time is slightly more relaxing (and doesn’t leave me with a sore throat!)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Østersund: Reunion with Matt!

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit my old friend Matt Johnson in Østersund, Sweden while he was there as head coach of the US cross country ski J1 team from. I took the train early Saturday (3 hours) and dropped off my things at the hostel near the station. There was more snow there than in Trondheim so I was happy! Matt came and picked me up with my ski stuff, and we headed to the awesome Camp Sodergren where he was staying with the team. During a quick ski with Matt I got some great classic technique tips (apparently my double pole is “old school”). Matt is a great coach and great skier, it was so nice to be around that again! In the evening, we took a team adventure to the city and it was fun getting to know the kiddies. I went home to my (sketchy) hostel and Sunday morning was again picked up just in time for a pancake breakfast (delicious) and another ski with Matt and the other coaches, Kate and Pete. It was great! The conditions were funky, but company made up for it. Afterwards, we returned to the city for a coffee and then it was time to bid farewell! A short reunion, but totally worth it. I wish I could see more of Matt, but it was so great to see him “in action” in his new life as an awesome coach. I hope we meet again soon, Matty!

An African Meal

One of the benefits of being in this program is the friendships we can forge with people from around the world. A few weeks ago, a classmate from Rwanda and Ghana made food for those of us able to come to a party at Vedaste’s (Rwanda) place. The food was absolutely delicious! Vedaste was a phenomenal cook, we were all genuinely impressed. Enjoy the pics from the meal.