Walk into national park Paanajarvi.
It had
gone last day of
my stay in national park and I wanted to spend it alone and looked at the wild
nature of park. Also I hoped to meet something interesting during that walk. My
friends decided to boat along the Paanajarvi lake on the motorboat. They planed
their start at noon and we woke up late. I told about my route and we said
goodbye to each other near our cabin.
I planed to have a walk along Olanga river to former village
Vartiolampy and returned to cabin along the road, which runs parallel and not so
far from Olanga river. I looked forward to nature beauties and, probably, some
interesting meetings. And they had place during that walk!
So, I started my trip and had seen many fallen firs and pines
during my way from cabin to Olanga bank. Trees were brought down by hurricane,
which flashed through park in May. Each fallen pine showed stones under it
roots. Sometimes fallen trees stood above big boulders, which hsd diameter about
one meter. What is a will to life have trees near Polar Circle!
I came to Olanga bank and went along good path which run up
and down near river. It was not passed too much time and path ended just after
stand said about end of fishing zone. And I went just along river bank without
path. There were the same along all my way there. Paths disappeared and appeared
again due to people who visited or not visited that part of river bank. I
remembered paths I saw in Archangel region twelve years ago. People who went to
the forest to pick mushrooms made those paths. Firstly it is one path which is
very good. It starts near motor road or at the forest edge and goes to the deep
forest. Then path become narrow and sometimes likes dotted line. And when you
reaches some place you sees with amazement that it... disappears. Each
mushrooms' picker has his own place and goes here alone. But some part of the
way pickers go together.
I went along the edge of abrupt bank of Olanga and went down
to water when had seen some thing I suppose interesting for me. I went slowly
and came to the place where Olanga created big river bay. If I could to fly I
should spend only a little time to continue my way along river. But I had to go
along bay bank and my way had become very long. Somewhere I went through the
dense forest underbrush, somewhere my way laid through sunny pine forest where
ground was covered by white moss, somewhere I went up and down. Firstly road was
not so hard but soon sun had raised higher and it became too moist in the
forest. I became to soaked with moist from outside and within. Therefore, I had
to stop and take off part of my wear. That act demanded to stop and have a rest.
But I didn't sorry about that because I admired ember-gooses on the surface of
the bay, white clouds on the bright blue sky and their reflection into deep-blue
water. Careful ember-gooses didn't came close to me but they stayed on water
surface in contrast to ducks, who flied from water immediately they had seen me.
And ember-gooses floated and kept sunny golden line on the water surface.
I started again after short rest but chose wrong
way and reached only narrow cape and opposite side where I want to be was in ten
meters from me. But those ten meters was place with deep water and I had to go
back. Then I was going along low swampy bank and had seen the same cape from
another side. Bank was more higher since I reached that place and I went now
through the pine forest with dry white moss and grass. Many cowberry bushes grew
here and there and red berries were in abundance there. Near cowberry grew
another North berry - shicksha with shaggy branches sown with black watery
berries. I thought about birds who eats those berries and they were there! Flock
of hazel-hens flied up in thirty meters from me and sat on the branches of the
pines. I chose one bird who was seen better and began to steal to it with camera
made shots after each couple of steps. When I came closely bird flied away into
forest. Another birds did the same later. I said goodbye to hazel-hens and
continues my trip. Soon I stumbled over moss-covered log and had fallen onto
cowberries. I had a rest there and drank some tea from thermos and ate large red
ripe berries which was a little bitter. After rest I oriented by sun and went
through the hill towards river. I found nice mushroom on the way to river.
Path appeared again here and I had walked along it. That pass
came to the ruins of hunters' cabin on the high bank of Olanga river. There was
heap of bricks into cabin. Sometimes that heap was a stove. Forest road for cars
started from ruins and went to the forest obliquely the bank. I think that cabin
was used before National park was founded in the begin of 90th. But that place
is popular till now because I found some plastic bottles near not so old
campfire.
Another good path began just from cabin and run along high
and abrupt bank through the thin pines. I went along that pass and soon was at
the one of rapids of Olanga river. I had to cross above water along logs which
were laid over and reached stony ridge where riverbed becomes narrow and flows
fast. I made some photos there - berries and leaves of mountain-ash which grows
through the rock, rapid and big stone laid at the middle of river. River divided
on two parts after rapid. Right one was main riverbed and water flows fast there
and left one with slowly flowing water.
The weather became changed and white clouds closed sun from
time to time. Olanga river was becoming wider and was retarding flow. Firstly I
heard swans and then had seen them. There was a couple of beautiful white birds
who gracefully floated along wide stretch. They kept far from me as ember-gooses
not long ago. I tried to take a photographs of them but they were too far from
me and even my telephoto lens couldn't help me. Then I finished made photos and
just was sitting on the bank and admiring those majestic birds.
Time went and my way was not ended yet. I left swans and went
further. I thought that target of my trip is nearly. But I was wrong about that.
I went and picked up the best mushrooms in the grass which became to appear
here. I discovered another swampy bay when I seemed I was near village. I
started around about way and came to the place where I found another bay of
Olanga. I thought here that it was time to return but village seemed so close by
here. And I decided to go straight. Of course, lose the way here impossible
because river and road make large plot like letter D. But I lose my way! Firstly
I came to the swamp where I decided to go to the road. It was not sun on the sky
- grey heavy clouds masked it from me. I have a look where was river situated,
leaves it on my back and went to the road. Soon I had to climb on the hill and I
slipped on the wet moss. Then I went up along hill instead going across it.
Suddenly someone run away from me with noise from group of trees. I thought that
was wood-grouse but soon had seen big hare who run away. I cried to it: "Stop,
please! I want to make a photo". But hare only run faster and disappeared into
pile of trees. And I understood then that I had lost my way. I went on the left
and soon found good rut. I went along it and soon came to the place where I was
recently. Well, I couldn't find way to the road - I should go along river. Of
course, it would spend more time but I knew that way.
I was near river soon and calmed – now I shouldn’t lose my
way. However, it was late and my friends could worry about me. Therefore I went
as quickly as I could. I was near the ruins of cabin soon and turned to the old
forest road. I went along it about one kilometre and reached road that run from
Vartiolampy towards our cabin. Forest road along that I came there was closed
for cars with a dozen logs fallen across rut.
Then I went along
road. I was enough tired. It was becoming cold and it was going rain. Of course,
I could clothe in warm sweater but I decided to warm myself with hiking. I
remembered old song like military march and sang it. It was enough far to go to
cabin but my friends met me on the road. When they returned from the lake they
had started to seek me and drove to the Vartiolampy. When they didn’t find me
there they was returning to cabin. I sat into their car and told them about my
adventures. We was at the cabin soon and rain had just fallen immediately.
Rain fell all night and I started in my way to home under
rain. Rain glued orange aspen leaves on my car and they kept there about three
hundred kilometres when I drive no more than 60 km/h.