10-May-2018 -- This is the first out of six reports reaching confluence points during a 4-day cycling trip through Sweden (from Stockholm to Stockholm).
Due to Ascension Day I had an extended weekend to spend. The day before Ascension Day I flew in the evening from Zurich to Stockholm Arlanda airport, assembled my bicycle from the bike-box and cycled until nightfall came at 10 PM. I found a spot to camp in the forest (which is not difficult to find in Sweden) and spent a chilly night im my tiny tent.
On confluence day, I started cycling at 5:30 AM. After riding 40 km, I reached the confluence area. On forest tracks I got within 430 m of the confluence. At the nearest point from the road I parked my bicycle and continued on foot.
In May the forest just begins to get green and the ice of the frozen ground has just melted. As a result, the soil is wet with swamps all over the place. I tried to keep my feet dry by avoiding those water puddles as best as I could, but nevertheless stepped into the water, wetting one of my shoes.
The confluence point is located in typical fir forest. I noticed several fallen trees at the confluence. From the confluence-visit-history of this point, I can retrieve that a heavy storm must have taken place between 2008 and 2017, where a lot of trees went down with their roots in the air. Besides the fallen trees, there are huge moss-overgrown bolders on the confluence point.
After the visit I continued my cycle trip in western direction. Since I was hungry and running out of food, I made a little deviation to find a grocery store in the northern parts of Uppsala.
CP Visit Details:
- Distance from a road: 1000 m
- Distance from a track: 430 m
- Distance of bicycle parking: 430 m
- Time to reach the CP from the road: 15 minutes
- Time at the CP: 8:28 AM
- Measured height: 40 m
- Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
- Position accuracy: 4 m
- Topography: slightly hilly
- Vegetation: conifer (fir / pine) forest.
- Weather: sunny, 8° C (felt temperature)
- Given Name: The Fallen Trees Confluence
The story continues at 60°N 17°E.