Tysfjorden, Norway
Tusen Takk. A thousand thanks. As our expedition aboard National Geographic Explorer comes to a close we indeed have many things to be thankful for. We have journeyed far north into the Arctic ice, bearing witness to the majesty of polar bears, reindeer, and walrus. We have reveled in the snow, basked in the sunshine, and lived under the midnight sun for almost our entire journey. We have left the ice of the high Arctic and shared stories with newfound friends, explored coastal Norway and the small towns and summer residences here.
This morning found the National Geographic Explorer deep in Tysfjorden, a fjord so deep that it almost cuts Norway in half as it reaches towards the Swedish border to the east. Stretching our legs allowed us to get even closer to that border, though in the end it was Norwegian streams and rivers that we crossed. Hellmebotyn lies tucked away in a small meadow surrounded by towering cliffs of the ice-carved fjord itself. How wonderful to be amongst trees and forest again, as in the high Arctic tundra the tallest plant life was rarely over 12cm in height. Greens and the brilliant colors of wild flowers in bloom surrounded us on our trek upstream.
And the water! Lightly falling from the skies, under our feet absorbed in the moss, and of course thundering down the mountainside as crashing cascades was the reward for the effort. Summer is short here in coastal Norway, and everything in the forest responds to the extended light and energy. The crisp, clear air and verdant surroundings inspired us to create many images to take home with us, whether in our minds or in our cameras.
Our afternoon was spent in further exploration of this dramatic waterway, deftly navigated by Captain Leif Skog, along with our Norwegian coastal pilots. The scenic view provided us time to each individually reflect on the distances we have covered on this expedition, both geographically and ecologically. There is privilege in sharing time and place on such an extraordinary expedition, and in our own way, we each give tusen takk.
