Autumn is generous and giving, a crackling firework of colours and aromas. This is a time when everyone goes outside to enjoy the splendour of nature and to fill their pantries with all the natural gifts that have grown during the light summer days – and nights.
First, there is the forest’s gold, the sought-after cloudberries which only grow here in the arctic environment. Finding the gold and bringing it home with you is an adventure in itself; the warmth, the sweet smell and the buzzing of bumble bees vibrating in the air, over the mire. If you are patient, you will be richly rewarded and able to enjoy your bounty during the long winter ahead.
As the weeks pass, the rest of the berries in the forest ripen quickly: blueberries, bursting with the taste of summer and rich supplies of vitamins and antioxidants. Shortly thereafter, the lingonberries, red and shiny with a taste that marries nicely with wild game – reindeer and moose. Fill your baskets whilst you are here and make your own jam to use on pancakes or in breakfast yoghurt.
First, there is the forest’s gold, the sought-after cloudberries which only grow here in the arctic environment.
In early August, the eagerly anticipated crayfishing in the Råne River is an absolute must. Buy a fishing license and traps, bait them and submerge them by the banks. Then just wait and hope. Enjoy the excitement and the atmosphere around a crackling campfire with pot-boiled coffee and food made on the open fire. When it’s time to empty the traps, the river is filled with canoes and boats – and people calling out in excitement over their catches. What joy!
Simply enjoying nature and all that goes on in the forests is an adventure in itself. With all our senses engaged, we look and listen for wildlife. Suddenly, a bellowing can be heard, it might just be the most powerful sound in the forest as it echoes, waking everything in its path. It is the mating season for moose and time is of the essence, winter is coming.
Later in autumn, the forests provide rich, tasty mushrooms. Why not join a skilled guide and learn more about edible goodies such as porcini, birch boletes and chanterelles? When you’ve found a spot of your own, remember to keep the secret for next autumn, when you return.
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