Our first hike of the season in 2017 was to Småvannsbu, where we spent Easter weekend. It was a perfect little weekend getaway: easy to get to with public transport and far enough out of the way that we didn't run into many people on the trail. Småvannsbu seems to be a popular spot for day hikers and a number of groups stopped by for lunch. There's an awesome fire pit outside and plenty of picnic tables so it never felt crowded.

The best thing about Småvannsbu was the cabin itself. It was super cute inside and the bedroom (4 beds), kitchen, and living room are all separate rooms. When the sun is up it shines right onto the couch, making it a prime spot to bask or take a nap. This time of the year the ground can be a bit frozen and you can still find snow in the forest, but thanks to the sun (and the fireplace inside) we were nice and toasty.


We walked on the wrong path back but apparently if you follow the blue blazes to the west of the cabin you will pass a number of old charcoal piles used for making coal over 200 years ago. This coal would have been transported to the nearby Dikemark iron works. Apparently the ground is still black from all the coal production and you can still find small pieces of coal if you dig a bit. I guess we'll have to go back someday to check that out!

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