Day 9: Gavle to Vallvik shelter

July 10, 2024

Lots of trees, fewer houses

“There’s a moose,” Patrick says as we cycle by and then quickly the moose trots off into the forest. We got quickly away this morning soon after Carlos and Camilla left for work. We had a great stay with them even staying up late after the football game ended at 2330.

We cycle out of Gavle on bike paths. Through the main part of town there is a wide path for cycles and pedestrians in the middle of the street with the road and store fronts on each side of the path. There are special lights for cyclists and for pedestrians.

There are still plenty of bus stops, it seems every house gets one. After realizing there are no cafes and even if there were they would not be open until 1100, we stop at one of the bus stalls for a snack. The next stop after shopping in Bergby is at a gas station. Our hope for coffee is dashed when we see the gas station only sells gasoline.

Markers like this appear very frequently. We are not quite sure what they are for.

Patrick checked on the map for today where we will resupply in Bergby in about 30km. Other names appear on the map, but as we cycle through there really is no town, just a collection of houses. The road doesn’t change much throughout the morning, long stretches with forests of pine and birch on either side. And some areas where the trees have been cut down.

Gradually over the kilometers the road becomes more rolling, the last 15km much more so. Patrick checks the GPS frequently looking for the road to turnoff to the hiking hut. It’s around noon, we had about three drops of sprinkles and hoping to make camp before the forecasted rain.

The road to the hut again has sections of chunky gravel but we make it to the hut.

Making sure we found the right side road. About a kilometer in the woods should be lean-to shelter.

It’s smaller than we thought it to be from the pictures so we decide to put the bikes and gear in the hut and pitch the tent nearby. That way if it’s raining in the morning our gear will be dry. The hut comes with 4 plastic chairs and a rug.

We start the mosquito device and spent the afternoon sitting in the hut. We have plenty of food and decide not to cook. This site does not have water nearby so we carried the bladder with an extra 6 liters, over the regular supply in our waterbottles. Plenty for drinking.

We found the Vallvik shelter. It appears to be a resting place for nordic skying

We made ourselves at home. The shelter is too small for the tent, but with the thermacel we are protected from mosquitoes, there are chairs and our bikes will stay dry tonight.

The shelter and bikes turned out great, Patrick shrunk a little.

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Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 369 km (229 miles)

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