As we’re back to work, school and preschool, we look back at some amazing summer hikes. We already shared a few images from our hike to Kredevatnet. In this post I’ll bring you along on a summer hike to Heimerhaugane.
Hikes change with kids
I remember how we used to plan our hikes before kids. We laid the map out on the floor to plan a route that would take us a day or more to finish. Now we search for a hike that is considered easy, that usually takes about an hour or less to finish. Then we plan to spend about 2,5 hours.
We pack our backpacks with treats and diapers and hand sanitizer, and instead of bringing a tripod and heavy camera gear I often end up bringing only a light setup with a camera and one lens.
Hikes change with kids. We became more present, and less eager to reach a goal (summit). And I think having to adjust has been good for us.
Heimerhaugane
Hiking to Heimerhaugane feels like hiking in my backyard. However it’s been years since I last visited this location, so I was very eager to make this particular summer hike happen this year.
Big Brother has grown a lot, and can take on bigger challenges. Even if the hike to Heimerhaugane is a very easy one, it’s a challenge for a kid that lives in the planes to hike uphill the way you have to in the mountains where I grew up.
From Heimerhaugane I knew that we would get a great view of the majestic landscape it’s surrounded by. Steep mountains, peaks, ridges, all crashing into the fjord below. If you’re ever visit Stranda and fancy an easy hike, I recommend this one. And if you’d like to hike a bit further, continue to Dregetua.
Not quite like I remembered
Since I had in fact not been to Heimerhaugane the last few years, I didn’t know just how much the start of the hike had changed. Forestry and clear-cutting has made a huge impact in the area. I’m not a fan of clear-cutting, but enough about that.
The changes however made for some interesting and different images. And the stumps made great chairs and benches for the boys to rest. Someone had done a great job of sprinkling interesting objects for the kids to look at here and there, making the hike uphill a lot smoother than we had feared.
Warm summer hike
It was a really hot summers day, and in the parts that were clear-cut we weren’t shaded by the threes. I think that contributed to our pace being slow and steady on our way up. And sometimes slow and steady is just right.
The boys are always eager to stop for a treat and something to drink. It really doesn’t matter if we’re walking five minutes, if it resembles a hike they want to have a proper break with treats. Not that we always do, but it’s really a part of the experience for them. So we stopped a few times on our way up to Heimerhaugane.
Knowing when to turn
We had an appointment after the hike. So I had decided on a turn around time that we had to keep even if we hadn’t reached our goal by then. The warm weather and our slow and steady pace contributed to us turning around right before we reached Heimerhaugane. We had seen a hammock on our way up and decided to go back there to have lunch before we headed back down to the car.
A few years ago I would have been really disappointed with having to turn around before I reached the goal of a hike. But who can be disappointed when the boys lay down in the hammock and takes in the view that I love so much with a great amount of awe.
I hope you enjoyed to come along with us for this summer hike to Heimerhaugane (or almost at least). If you did, please consider subscribing to my blog! I’d also really appreciate it if you followed me on Instagram. I’ll be back next week with new images and tips for the outdoor photographer, so make sure you check back in! And remember; there’s always more to explore locally!
