Norway High Point /Fishing

Climbed Galdhopiggen
Camping at Bovre River
Caught small trout on Gpa's Spinner

In Norway Near High Point Galdhopiggen

I am a couple of days behind due to being in PA visiting. Eric called on Saturday and talked with Grandma Wright. She had seen a few photos of the bikers and pronouned them in great shape. "They don't look like they are worse for the wear. They look like they are doing great and in great shape when they raise their arms. Grandma asked about food and Eric told her they eat a bunch of granola for breakfast and eat about three times their normal amount of food each day. On Saturday they had re entered Norway. Grandpa Gilbertson said, "Oh Ya, Now they will be all right . Sweden can't help that they aren't Norwegians." On Tuesday the text said, "Camping near Dovre on Langen River, No fish yet.Plan to get to base of high point tmrw.
Here is a map. It looks like about 60 miles. Cousin Arnie Nokleby will alert the relatives in Jevnaker that the bikers are getting close.


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July 22 Sunny Day!!!

I am a couple of text messages behind with posting and this is the most current. If the bikers travel the route I see on the map it would be 250km to Norge border.

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Latest Text message from Gallivare, Sweden

New Text message: Camping south of Gallivare, Sweden,feeling better more rested,found Estonia license plate, Trying to sleep but too sunny.

I guess this was sent about 11:00 p.m. Sweden time. July 19th

Look at posts below this for recent photos. Birthday Greeting for Mom

On Friday I talked with both bikers as they were taking a well deserved rest in a Kiruna, Sweden hotel. After a 35 mile hike up the highest peak and an 80 mile in two days they felt it was time for nice hot showers and a softer bed. I remember a text about eating pizza. I will look for that. I have been busy going to baseball games, shopping and the roller coaster park with my Korean students and have gotten behind on this report. We are glad the bikers keep us informed.

Map of Kiruna to Gallivare. You can find photos by searching the google map.Clic view larger map. Thanks for reading

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Happy Birthday Mom from Sweden Mountain

Photos from The Adventure

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Another High Point in Sweden

On the Road and Camping Spots/ Sweden

Text from Eric Tuesday afternoon :

"Camping by a river in Sweden. Looks like we'll climb the highest mtn tmrw and next day."

Eric said things are going well, despite having their share of flat tires. He described Halti as being in an incredibly remote area. He said safety wise they've had no problems at all, they just need to watch out for the semi trucks. All the safety gear is working pretty well. They bike from around 10 am in the morning to 8-9 at night. Finding campgrounds is really easy, they just decide when they want to stop and start looking for a campground, and there are lots of side roads they can take to find one easily.

Next Country / Sweden

In a northern Norway town of Kaavna the bikers stopped to rest. They will be riding away from the ocean and curving into Sweden where they will bike toward the High Point in Sweden .Thenthey will head back to Norway where they will enter at Hell, Norway. Matthew said they will take a zero day very soon so they can get cleaned up and dry. It has been raining, very cold and their clothes won't dry. The temps have dropped into the low 40's. I guess that is to be expected when they are still far north of the Artic Circle. View maps and video. Click Kiruna, Sweden

Fishing in Sweden

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Norway Near Bjerkvik July 12

Good weather and Lutefisk Lament

Camping on the beach near Nordkjostn, Nice and sunny climbed highest point in Finland yesterday.

We also got a call in the morning when the bikers were near Skibotn. They said the scenery was very pretty and there were many waterfalls. As usual the people were very friendly. There was a quite a bit of traffic on the road. I guess people were traveling up north on the weekend. it sounds like Minnesota where everyone goes up North on the weekends. They also met some more bikers

As for food Mary Kay asked what they have been eating. It sounds like they are truly in Norway because the only spices they have found are salt. According to Matthew the food is somewhat bland. I did not hear what they were eating but they have mentioned reindeer sausage and dried fish. Sounds like good Norwegian food to me.

Here is an excerpt from email Eric sent yesterday.

We are at a little
convenience store with an internet cafe for a few minutes now.
Today might actually be the first day without rain in norway! ill be climbing up
the high point in finland tomorrow so that should be a fun break from biking.

I can't find any lutefisk in the stores, dang it. Maybe I'll have to ask the
managers and theyll pull some from out back. There are plenty of wooden racks
for drying fish by the ocean and its funny that the Norwegians hang dead
seagulls next to the racks, kind of like the dead pirates in Pirates of the
Caribbean with the 'Ye be warned" sign.

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Recent news from Norway

Friday July 9th,
We're in a little hamlet about 80 miles south of Alta called Sørstraumen,
population probably about 74.
Eric

Text Messages.

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Text Messages July 8, 9 News from Norway

Made it to Norway

News from Norway, We got a couple of text messages and a nice phone call from Matthew today on Monday. They plan to reach Nordkapp tomorrow. This is the far north point of Norway and the northernmost road in Europe. Many miles north of the Arctic Circle in the "Land of the Midnight Sun." According to Matthew the past few days it has been midnight clouds and rain and a little frustrating. While Matthew was on the phone Eric was climbing a snow patch a couple of hundred yards away. The terrain is tundra and beautiful with plenty of reindeer. The bikers have been eating plenty of reindeer sausage and it keeps very well in their packs while tasting very delicious. It is the texture of summer sausage. Again Matthew said the people are very friendly and helpful. So far they have seen fish drying racks but have not yet dared to bring up the subject of Lutefisk. I told them Grandpa will want to know so I am sure they will ask soon. I did not have my notepad so I missed some details about miles but I know the bikers are hoping for dry weather. The stay in a cabin was well worth the minor cost because the weather is cold and rainy. Skoganvarre

Fishing in Finland

The biggest news of the trip so far is that each of the bikers caught a fish in Finland and they cooked fish for supper. They had a big ol campfire even though there was a thunder storm going on. I am not sure how the fish was cooked but Matthew was excited to tell about it. He also almost had a bigger fish story when the lunker (who was the size of the dogfish the guys netted in Gendalough Lake) came almost to shore but escaped at the last. It was a phone message so I did not get to ask the inevitable questions Grandpa Gilbertson wanted to know. Were the fish trout and what type of lure caught them. He guessed a spinner and I concurred. But then they fisherman may have found a local bug to bait the hook. The reports are that the local people are very friendly and the bikers do not feel like foreigners. The report was from 30 miles north of Rovanimi.