Nyttårsaften på Lia
Det er nyttårsaften. Norge er rimelig nedstengt på grunn av Corona, og alle bidrar så godt de kan med å ikke spre elendigheten mer enn høyst nødvendig. Ingeborg og Terje er i Dyrøy og feirer en stille og rolig overgang til det nye året.
Etter hyggelig kalkunmiddag hos naboene tar vi på oss sekkene og går opp på lia. I sekken har vi fjellduker, soveposer, underlag og tarp. Alt ligger til rette for en fin overgang til det nye året.
Fin tur, til dels på sti, fra feriehuset og opp på lia.. Et par kilometer og 200 høydemeter.
Tarpen er satt opp, og vi nyter stillheten og en og annen nyttårsrakett i det fjerne. Om en stund venter soveposen. (Resten av teksten er engelsk, siden jeg skrev om det på et forum før jeg laget historien her).
Waking up at nine o clock, January 1. Listening. The wind has stopped. Was a lot of wind during the night, but the shelter is nailed to the frozen ground with 4-inch nails, and placed leeward of a hilltop. I'm not cold, and the air in my face feels like zero celcius. Feeling the Nalgene hot water bottle in my sleeping bag. It's still a bit warm.
Listening for a while. It's a good morning, and a good 2021. I loosen the sleeping bag's draft collar and opening, zap the first image (phone kept warm in the sleeping bag), and reach for the head lamp in the dry bag on my left side.
On my right side my wife is sleeping. On my left, I have my dry bag, my knife, axe, boots. I feel the chill on my arms. Just one night outdoors this time, and every layer of clothing were dry when I went to bed. Pure luxury. Putting on a sweater, and jacket, before I open my sleeping bag all the way and put on trousers and boots. I close the sleeping bag and bivvy, and put on the knife and gloves.
It's dark, and I feel a bit cold, but I'll get warm when I start collecting wood to make a campfire. A lot of dead standing birch with dry bark here. No trouble at all.
Lighting the fire with a match, and let the bark and kindling do what it's supposed to. In the meantime I collect the sitting pad, cooking kit, and food bag from my backpack, and my Nalgene bottle with water from my sleeping bag. Ready to sit down by the fire and let the day arrive.
Waiting for coffee. Looking at, and listening to the kettle in the fire.
Blue hour now. The moon is still up, and my coffee is ready. Blessed moment.
Half an hour later my wife wakes up. Ready for breakfast?
Bacon and eggs makes the start of the day perfect.
After a lazy morning it's time to go back home at noon. It's been a fantastic start of 2021. In the present, close to the real world.