Just a few days back, I was gliding across glassy waters under brilliant sunshine on Lake Ånnsjön. Today offered the stark opposite. Yet far from a negative, it felt strangely fitting for this lake, framed by the immense Ottsjöberget and its untamed landscape. Pushing through the wind made for much harder paddling, but the magnificent scenery and moody atmosphere made it entirely worthwhile.

Every summer when I head up to Åre, I try to discover something new. It could be summiting a new peak, exploring new bike trails, or, like this year, bringing my kayak along to paddle the local lakes. I’ve been meaning to bring the kayak up for a long time, and this summer was the perfect opportunity.

With a sprained ankle, biking, hiking, and running were off the table — so once again, my kayak came to the rescue. What you can’t do with your legs, you can do with your arms! So I loaded the kayak onto the car and headed for the water.

After a wet and rainy day, I noticed the skies clearing up in the evening. So once I wrapped up work for the day, I loaded my kayak onto the roof of the car and drove out toward Björnö. And what an evening it turned out to be! The air was refreshingly crisp, and the water felt surprisingly warm. But it wasn’t long before I had an unexpected visitor on the water... or rather, on land.

Today I had a lovely trip in Säbyviken with Allan and Karin. The sun was out and the autumn leaves stood in all their glory along the coast.