Orvossfossen Hike & Camp

After our morning hike we headed up in the mountains to the end of the paved road to hike to Orvossfossen. When we got to the parking area it was so sunny and gorgeous! Almost no clouds in the sky! But the sun was not my friend on the hike…I forgot to bring my baseball hat and we were walking straight towards the sun! The sun doesn’t get very high in the sky and even though it was only 1pm it was very low and blinding me! I couldn’t see where to go very well…luckily it was an easier trail, but by the time we got up to the waterfall I was like me and the sun are no longer friends!! At last not at the moment…but once we sat in the shade for a bit and I started to freeze I decided we could be friends again. It’s not suns fault I forgot my hat.

The waterfall was much nicer than I was expecting! We sat on the rocks and watched some white throated dippers flying around it in the water and the rocks (no photos though they were too quick! But on the way up we did see a Siberian Jay! That’s the bird photo). But boy it was cold in the shade! I put on all my layers I had brought and then finally was like okay, time to head for the sun before I turn into a popsicle.

On the way back we saw a giant nest made of sticks up in the trees. No bird what lives there! But most of the trail was a nice walk through the forest (with a ton of tree roots on the path!). I also realized today, even though we parked in a pine forest last night, that we are back south enough for pine trees again! We had been too north for them for a while so it was nice to see again.

After our hike it was on down the dirt road to where we are camped up high in the mountains! I expect the road to be full of potholes, but it was actually pretty nice! We are just above the trees so we can see everything! It is beautiful!! Though I had to laugh when we got up here as where we were going to park for the night was not at all level, just a pretty steep slope, so we obviously needed another place. On the way up we kept track of other places we could stop for the night if the parking area didn’t work and we saw at least 3 close by. Well there was another camper that followed us up and so Raymond was all worried we weren’t going to be about to get a spot to camp and we had to go quickly to get one!! I was going to get out and spy for a bit, but he was so worried I was like alright let’s go find a spot! But I laughed because we have camped by ourselves almost every night of the trip. I think twice we had other people camped where we were so I wasn’t very worried. That and besides the hike to the rock bridge by the northernmost point the hike to the waterfall today was the only other time we have seen anyone else on our hikes (today we passed 3 families going to/from the waterfall). So I was not worried at all and we got a spot just below where we were going to (and an easy walk to the start of the hike we will do tomorrow!). And we are parked up here by ourselves again (the other camper left after a while). I think he was just worried because Alta is a much bigger town with more people than we have seen so far so there is a chance more people would be camping. But the views from the van are gorgeous and I loved sitting and enjoying them.

Oh and our afternoon treat today - a cardamom bun and a sweet bread with raisins (I only cut off a small piece to try, but it is very soft!) and both are very tasty! They are from the bakery we went to this morning which had a sign with all the ingredients and the allergens on each item which was very handy! I could quickly see what definitely is not vegan and then check the ones that might be.

All in all it was a great day! Sunny and gorgeous, though it is a tad windy and lightly raining now. Oh and we are definitely through fall up here - and the leaves are on the ground and brown now. But we will have second fall on the way home/when we get home!Read more