Last year the Finstad/Nygaard and Hognes family spent a week in Femundsmarka (trip report from young and old in Femundsmarka). This year it was a new adventure in a new place. This time it was a trip to the mountains around Kvikne that were explored. The faces were the same but the surroundings were different, with four adults and four children and a dog. As is normal when taking trips to the mountains, some of the meals were to be fresh caught fish. The trip started out at Litl-innsjøen in pouring rain. As soon as they reached the first destination the tarp was thrown up quickly to keep them from getting soaked to the bone, but the rain didn’t seem to dampen the spirit of this crew.

Rain or shine, you have to catch the trout if you want trout dinner, and here is Sindre fishing for mountain trout with a lure.

As the night wore on the weather turned for the better. Vetle had a fish on momentarily, but it managed to tange itslef up in the grass and dissapear.

On the second day the weather was even better. So good that the tents, clothes, and hikers all managed to dry out from the day before.

Vetle started the day out with a quick fishing trip.

Unfortunately the fish weren’t biting.

Later that day the group trudged onwards towards in the mountains.  In the background we see Litl-Innsjøen.

The first part of the hike was on a road, so we managed to keep a good pace.

Since there had been a good deal of rain the day before many of the otherwise small streams were flowing strong, butt his made crossing them all the more fun for bouth young and old.

On an outcrop along the way the younger part of the group decided to build a cairn to help guide those behind them. Here we see the building process underway.

Here we see the finished cairn in all of its’ glory, now to keep on hiking.

There was even more river crossing to be done, here we see the river Orkla.

Here the crew found a great spot to camp along the river bank.

Finally, success! Signe caught several nice trout from a small creek on a spinner.

Onward again towardes the mountains. Those with the shortest legs have the longest way to go…

But Sindre doesn’t have a problem with that.

When taking week long expeditions to the mountains, everyone has to carry their own weight… Even the dog.

There is nothing like taking a nap when you finally get there.

According to the meal plans the group had still not managed to catch enough fish, so there was much work to be done.

Both old and young helped out with the work, and nobody complained one bit.

And finally there were some positive results. Here we see Vetle with a pair of fine mountain trout.

And here is Christian with his catch. Finally there will be fish soup for dinner!

There is nothing quite like fresh baked bread, and this was prepared for the evenings meal.

Fresh mountain trout fish soup in the making.

Fresh fish soup, fresh baked bread, and a delicious beverage packed in for the occasion. In order to keep the peace the delicious beverages weren’t shared with the kids.

Most everyone thought the soup was delicious, but Sindre doubted that it was the best fish soup he had tasted.

After a delicious dinner dessert must follow, and for those not old enough for beer there were marshmallows to be roasted over the fire.

After dessert it was time for cards. In retrospect we probably could have packed smaller cards for the trip to save on some weight and volume.

The eventful day had come to an end, and it was finally time to slip inside of the sleeping bags.

The Hognes family: Ingebjørg, Christian, Signe (9) og Vårin (7).

The Finstad/Nygaard family:  Gudmund, Eli, Tina (the dog), Vetle (9) og Sindre (6).

Believe it or not, a week in the mountains goes way too quickly. Around the fire the group discussed plans for next years trip, and everyone agreed that it needed to last for at least a week.
Short sum up of the trip:
Like we said, a week in the mountains will go by very quickly. There is much planning and packing that must be done for these types of trips, especially with so many people. Food, clothing, fishing gear, camping gear, and everything else must be taken into account. In order for this type of trip to be a success everyone must carry their own backpack and gear. One of the things that carried over from the previous year was that each child carried their own rations of candy to last the week, and had to decide how long the candy would last. Doing it this way kept things equal and helped to teach planning skills and responsibility. This trip started with rain, and there was rain almost the entire trip, but with these conditions the tarp was a life saver. Under the tarp there wa room for everyone, and it helped to keep the mood positive. It also helped to keep the gear dry, and keeping the gear dry means you don’t need to drag wet gear into the tent with you.
When it comes to fishing for your meals, it can be very exciting. No fish means an empty stomach, and hunger will motivate you to fish harder. You never know how many fish you will catch or how large the fish weill be. Fishing is an extremely engaging activity for both young and old, and it is a great activity for parents to do with their children. For those wanting to take their children fishing, have a look at ”fishing for children” here on fishspot. Here you will find fishing spots that are geared towards taking your children with you.