Friday Theme, Magic

I know I know, one day late again. But I just don't have time to write on fridays, busy at work and then I want to do something fun when I get home instead of continuing sitting in front of the computer :) With a risk of making you tired of mountains I will show you some pictures that feels like magic to me I took this picture (below) just yesterday, it is the view from our friends house. Okey, I did zoom quite a bit, but still.

I love the landscape of rolling hills and farms, it is really beautiful. The picture (below) is from France, Vosges, really close to the Swiss border. Magic.

When I was in Abisko, we did one hike that ended at this lake (below). The lake is called "Trollsjön" or "Troll lake" as the name would be in English, but the real name is Rissajaure. The lake is the most purest and clearest lake in Sweden, you can see 34m down, now thats magical.

Mountains mean so much to me (As all of you probably know). Sometimes I get goosebumps by just looking at mountains. They are so incredible.

Situations can be magical, like this one here (below) hiking home after a long day in Lake District (England). It was such an awesome afternoon/evening.

This mist (below) is really characteristic of the landscape where my summerhouse is. My mom always used to say "the elves are dancing now" when we saw it, and that is really magical.

One thing that is absolutely 100% magical is northern lights, the Aurora of the north. It is incredible.

Well, in reality the whole world to me is magical

Have a nice Weekend!

Friday Theme, One picture is worth more than one thousand words

I have written about thermokarsts before here and I will do it again when this Friday theme seems very appropriate for this natural creation.

Thermokarsts are huge, and are the result of permafrost (soil that remains continuously frozen for at least two consecutive years) degradation. Permafrost degradation is connected to climate, since the term permafrost is connected to frozen ground. With increase in temperature these features may increase in numbers over large areas in the permafrost zone. But temperature itself is not the only driver and there are other factors that may trigger the degradation of permafrost.

One of the key parts in research about thermokarsts and permafrost right now is to figure out what effect this degradation has on the global carbon budget. The permafrost zone contains more than 50% of the estimated GLOBAL belowground carbon storage, even though it only accounts for about 16% of the global soil area.

Up on the north slope (and also in the boreal forest) there are not only thermokarst, there are also mosquitoes, many many mosquitoes.

This winter break me and W went to canyon lands in Utah, specifically island in the sky. An amazing place and if you haven't been there yet, I suggest you go. These canyons that have been shaped through time have so much history stored in them, and it's amazing that we can hike, and see such an undeveloped place that has been fairly untouched by humans, but completely modified by mother nature.

What will it look like in 100 years? or a thousand? Will those stone towers still be there?

I love hiking, and sometimes you just are and the right place at the right moment

He didn't even see us,

Anyway, hope you all will have a great weekend

Friday Theme, Water

The first thing that comes into my mind when I hear this theme is a Swedish song by a Swedish singer.  His name is Robert Broberg and he has a song called "water - the city is full of water" or "Vatten - stan är full av vatten" as the name is in Swedish. This theme makes me miss Stockholm and my summerhouse up in the north so much. Living in the interior of Alaska far away from the water is hard, but I must admit that it feels better now compared to when I just moved here.

Stockholm by night is so beautiful, and this is where I spent so many times running.

Being surrounded by water is something that I haven't really thought about before moving from Stockholm. I was so used to being by the water that I didn't even react to the fact that I always have been close to the water. Even at our summer house.

Our summer house is called "the summerhouse no rest" kind of bluntly translated. Which means, there is not really any rest, since there is always something that needs to be done. A lot of people in Sweden have summerhouses, and our summerhouse is in the north of Sweden where my dad grew up. I miss the pine, and the forest mixed with the water.

I love the water because it can make such beautiful reflections in the water, like this one below.

Hey guys, guess what, that picture above is upside down :) thought I would make something fun for you.

Before we leave Sweden I want to share one last picture with you, which is an old bathing house in a town called Varberg at the westcoast, where my dads brother live with his family.

But Alaska and the US have really nice water bodies too. Here is W in yellowstone trying to warm up:

San Fran makes beautiful reflections in the water:

Yellowstone is really beautiful, but I have only been there in the wintertime, which might be just good, since there are less people there at that point. The hot springs create really cool things:

Moving back into the west and Alaska, we do have an ocean touching Alaska. Down towards Anchorage,Homer and Juneau you have the mountains touching the water.

In Anchorage there is a brewery called Sleeping lady, just like the mountain that you can see from the porch of their brewery:

Juneau and the ocean:

Sunset in Homer is always beautiful, it is amazing what a difference water can make in a picture.

Is it so surprisingly that my research is about water too? Guess not. I had to keep myself connected to the water.

Water is such an essential part of life, we need water to survive. This picture on the right is showing my old cat Moje, who lived to be twenty something.

It is also a great way to transport yourself. Two years ago me and W went on a canoe/kayak trip in September, and it was so great, The colours were so nice.

Also, water has the great capability of forming stone through time:

By the end of September everything starts to freeze, even the berries, and you know, ice is just another form of water.

As weather gets colder you water falls are starting to turn into icefalls and before you know it you can climb them. This picture above is a picture I took of a friend of mine, the one I always go climbing with. She is contemplating the climb we have in front of us. The Ice is really thin and you can actually see the water flowing. It is more of a mixed climbing.Ice can form these beautiful natural patterns:

But us humans can also alter the ice and turn it into jus about anything. Like we see at the Ice Alaska Championship every year.

To finish up I will show you what happens when boiling water meets -40 degree air. [wpvideo L9dVTDzD]