Gold Key Goals

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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Sæteren Gård was an easy weekend "hike" for us: 2 km over a somewhat uphill gravel road, and that was it! The path in was busier than any other hike we've been on because the area is very kid friendly and many young families visit on the weekends.


We prefer more private cabin areas with a little less foot traffic so I don't know that we'll be visiting here again in the future but it's very kid-friendly so I can see the appeal!

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As always, there were plenty of geese and seagulls around to welcome us to the island. The area around the ferry terminal was a bit boring. Mostly flat open areas. But once we walked a bit further we come to a playground, beach, and what is clearly a very popular camping area (note to potential campers: it didn't look like you'd have much privacy there).


The DNT cabin is just past the beach (if you look really closely you can see a few tents on the other side of the bay there). You need a special key to get in and the windows on the main floor were boarded shut so it was impossible for us to get a good look in. There's a waffle stand about 50 metres from the cabin but to my disappointment it was closed when we were there. Thankfully we brought our own snacks. It's a nice spot for a picnic and definitely less popular than Hovedøya, though there is also less to see on the island.

It's possible to rent kayaks from DNT and I think that'd make for an awesome weekend trip. But even though the cabin is a bit removed from the beach and the camping areas, I think I'd want a spot with a little more privacy for a weekend trip. A++ for ease of access from downtown though!

Myrseter was the last of three cabins visited for my birthday trip. The building is part of a farm built in the 1700's. The main farmhouse is no longer standing but what is now the DNT cabin used to be a working building on Østre Rud farm. The old building consisted of two rooms: a working room and a second cold and dark room to store the milk, butter, and cheese that was made. (More info here in Norwegian.)



The building itself is right beside Drømmen but we were so tired that we didn't get down to see it until our second day there. Some of the wood on the front patio behind the gate had rotted out but hopefully that has been fixed by now! All the beds are in an open area on the second floor and there is no way to get from the second floor to the first without going outside, which I imagine is not ideal in the winter.


We opted to take the gravel road on our way home because it had rained so much that 10km in the woods was not going to be fun. It poured rain for part of our walk out but eventually the sky cleared and the sun came out long enough for us to take a break to pick some wild strawberries.

All in all, we had a great weekend. We need to do two night trips more often!

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I've mentioned Olav Thon on this blog a few times before. I first heard of the Thon name from seeing Thon hotels around Oslo and during a visit to Tømtehytta, I happened to find a book about Olav Thon and his contributions to the trekking association. What I came to learn was that he is a very, very wealthy 93 year old man who loves hats, colour blocking, and DNT. Olav's contributions to DNT cabin life have taken a few of my cabin stays to the next level. And I too love cabin trips, hats, and power clashing, so it was only natural to dress up as him for Hallowe'en.

© EvenFoto.no (CC BY 3.0) - http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/thonproperty/images/olav-thon-453727

The costume itself was pretty simple to put together: blazer, baggy collared shirt, necktie, and toque. I also wore wool socks pulled up over my pants and opted for hiking boots when we went out. Props included an issue of Fjell og Vidde, DNT's member publication, and some play money.

Most people were able to guess who I was when given a hint, so I'd say the costume was a success! Happy Hallowe'en!