Day 15

Nälden to Alden
Distance: 11.4 miles / 18.3 km
Cumulative: 183.1 miles / 278.5 km

“A moose once bit my sister.” Opening credits, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975 (thanks to Helen for the prompt.)

I mentioned that our host last night, Allen, works at the moose museum. It turns out the museum is right on the path so we were obligated to stop. It also turns out that the museum is not, strictly speaking, a moose museum. Although there is a strong moose component. 

Moose hooves. A little creepy. 

It is a Stone Age museum centered around some nearby rock carvings, which may or may not include moose, depending on your imagination.

The carvings are 6000 years old. 

Allen even makes a gluten free Stone Age cake to serve to visitors. 

This is Allen in his Stone Age garb with Stone Age Crocs. 

We listened intently to Allen’s explanation of how the topography of the area developed during the last ice age and how humans migrated to the area (yes humans are migratory [Holy Grail reference]) when the ice melted about 9000 years ago. Then we ate our sandwiches. 

Allen and Helene’s place is a mile or so off the official path. When we started this morning we decided to take a slightly different (read shorter) route, suggested by Allen, back to the path. This took us about three miles on a gravel road thru the forest with no signage. I had some doubts but it worked out perfectly. 

When we emerged on to the local main road, we found ourselves in the middle of the 2024 edition of St. Olavsloppet—a 210 mile, three day, running relay race from Östersund to Trondheim.  For the next five miles we were hiking along with runners periodically passing us, and a constant stream of team cars going by. 

It took me back to 2010 when I organized a team for the Ragnar Relay in the DC area (202 miles and we won the masters category). 

My Ragnar team, The Fleet Footed Fossils. 

The last part of the day was split between a wooded section and then asphalt into our destination. Tonight we are staying at a riding academy/hotel. It is, we agree, the nicest place so far. The shower has a real door.