Today I’m writing to y’all another year old. I’ve decided that 30 is pretty awesome so far. But today I’m not writing about being 30, I’m writing about hiking in Norway. Hiking in Lillehammer to be exact.
Our Hiking Adventures in Lillehammer
After our adventures in Lilleputthammer on our first day in Norway, we spent the next two days hiking. Our first hike was with the whole gang. I can’t exactly tell you where Anne Lise took us, but it up in the highlands area. When we left Lillehammer, it was about 17 degrees Celcius. At the base of our hike, it was about 14*C or roughly 60 degrees Farenheit. It didn’t seem that bad until we got back later…
Our First Group Hike
When I say we brought the whole gang, I mean the whole gang! Chloe came along on her first hike. I don’t live anywhere near beautiful hiking, so I don’t have a hike baby backpack. Luckily for this hike, the Tula worked just fine. I also promise that Chloe had fun despite the grumpy faces she’s giving the camera. Her favorite part of the hike was picking wild blueberries! They were everywhere and so sweet and delicious.
On The Way Up
We stopped a few time on our way to the top for pictures and took take it all in, but once we got to the “top”, we decided to turn back and head down quickly. We definitely had the energy to continue up to the true top, but storms were rolling in. You can see it in the color of the clouds!
Running Back Down
We snapped a few pictures and called it a day. JP, Ole, Chloe and I practically ran back down the mountain. Okay not really, but we were moving pretty quickly. The temperature was dropping rapidly and raindrops were starting to fall. We made it down and in the car without getting too wet. When we turned on the car, the thermostat said 9*C which is about 48*F. Since we were kind of wet, it felt even colder. We warmed up in the car for about 15 minutes until the rest of the gang made it down. Then we went to Siri’s grandparents’ mountain cabin for coffee and sweets!
Hike number one was a great success! The very next day everyone kind of did their own thing. Emily, Matt, Meena and Siri went to Oslo. Charlotte and Ole had lots of wedding prep to do. Mom offered to watch Chloe so that JP and I could go on a hike along! Alone time? On vacation with a toddler? Score!
Hiking Without the Kid
This time we were able to walk to our hiking location in Lillehammer! We started in Olympic park and hiked up along the river. This is a super common hiking area with beautiful trails through the forest and along the waterfalls!
It was pretty much a perfect day. The sun was shining, it was about 60*F with a slight breeze. I was in love! We ended up hiking about 6 miles. We decided to up up a little bit further beyond the trail to get some “real” hiking in as well. Instead of me just talking about how beautiful it was, I’ll show you.
It’s no secret that I love Norway. It helps that I have been there before and have a lot of people I know there that help immerse me into their culture, but it’s so much more than that. These views and experiences are just amazing. I can’t wait to go back {since I know I’ll go back eventually!} to explore even more!
Happy Monday y’all! I hope these gorgeous views give you something to daydream about to get you through!
