Day 14 | To Shelter 9km before Saltalouokta | 19km
Our clothes had dried nicely by morning, and all four of us set out for the junction leading to the Skierfe trail. The weather forecast indicated a clear morning with rain expected in the afternoon, providing us with a good opportunity to make a side trip in the hopes of capturing stunning views into the valley and Sarek.
The trail started off quite muddy and boggy, with numerous waterlogged areas. It offered a glimpse of what the non-existent trails in Sarek might be like. About 1 kilometer in, there were already breathtaking views down the valley, with colorful streams of glacial water. I had initially considered not continuing all the way, but when a Belgian hiker descending mentioned that it was the most beautiful thing he had seen since Hemavan, I decided to push onward.
The ascent was long and increasingly rocky towards the end. Two Swedish hikers with large, heavy boots were camping about 30 minutes below the summit. Upon reaching the summit, it was somewhat disappointing, as clouds began moving up from the valley shortly after we finished our brief photo session. As we descended, it started to drizzle. I was relieved to have my jacket, but Zach, who was still in his T-shirt, didn't seem to mind the rain at all.
Upon our return to the junction with the Kungsleden trail, all our backpacks were still there, as we had only taken our water bottles with us. We paused for a quick lunch break, ravenous from the hike.
As we resumed our walk, the first raindrops fell. Despite the windy, rainy conditions on the plateau, it was absolutely breathtaking to witness a large herd of reindeer crossing the trail right in front of us. Truly amazing! I attempted to call the boat person from this high point, as there was a sign indicating that signal would be available here. I managed to reach a lady on the phone, but she couldn't hear me clearly. On the way down, I crossed paths with a trailrunner who informed me that the last boat would be leaving at 4 pm.
Feeling a sense of urgency, I quickened my pace, passing Paul, who was also soaking wet. When I reached the jetty, people were already boarding the boat, and the driver informed me that she would return in 30 minutes to pick us up. I headed to the shelter to change my wet clothes while chatting with a French-German couple who were hiking a section of the Kungsleden. Asha and Zach arrived, and the four of us enjoyed a speedy yet somewhat costly boat ride over to Sugorstugorna hut.
After conversing with the hut's warden, who was babysitting the boat driver's son while shuttling hikers, we decided to walk the 11 kilometers to the emergency shelter in the hopes that it would be unoccupied. It was an easy, flat walk, but halfway through, it started raining again, and the temperature dropped significantly. I got wet once more and pushed myself to walk as quickly as possible to avoid getting too cold.
After what felt like an eternity, the shelter came into view, and I raised my trekking poles to signal to Asha, who was behind me, that it wasn't far. Upon arrival at the shelter, we encountered two German hikers who were cooking after several incredible yet wet days in Sarek. Fortunately, they had already started the oven, so it was delightfully warm inside. I changed my clothes yet again, finding the windows fogged up from the humidity and wet hiker clothes of six people scattered about. We played some tunes on our phones with the little battery we had left and enjoyed our dinners.
Despite the narrow bench in the hut, Asha and I decided to sleep inside. It may have been snug, but at least it was warm.