Ice and snow slowly transition to liquid water in a small, shallow tarn high above the Innvikfjorden and the town of Loen, Norway.
The climb up a different fjord on the previous day was significant enough that some in our party balked at repeating the effort so soon on its heels, so on this day we elected to plonk down our kroners and enjoy an effortless ride to the top of the Innvikfjorden via the Loen Skylift. The Skylift is a large gondola supported by only two towers, one at the beginning and one at the end. On the ride up, the angle of the lines is such that one is essentially hauled straight up a good portion of the cliff, providing quite a sensation of the heights. The top of the Skylift has a restaurant with an extraordinary view, and a ledge frequented by people wearing squirrel wingsuits to launch into the void, for what must be the mother of all adrenaline rushes. We witnessed several people preparing to make the leap, and I cannot say I was inspired to attempt such foolishness myself.
Seeking adventures on a somewhat less exciting scale, I had it in mind to walk up one of the peaks that is several kilometers from the top of the Skylift. Not long after setting off, we encountered more or less continuous snow cover, and it was clear that the route to the peak I wanted to ascend was steep and snowy enough that it would be dangerous without axe and crampons. Lacking such helpful instruments, I noticed a rock band that looked possible to climb up and around the steepest of the snow, but my wife put her foot down firmly and informed me she was not at all interested in such things, but that I was welcome to head up myself if I wanted. My two boys also demurred. Feeling that common sense might be percolating through the rest of my family, I gave up the idea and we set our sights on a somewhat closer, and reasonably safer overlook in a different direction. Along the way I discovered this small tarn, and I was captivated by the abrupt phase transition from solid to liquid that divides the frame.
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