Stay in Kalvträsk and experience the nature around White Mountain Lodge
Not least the children have longed. A handful of kids between 5 and 10 years old who have longed for a jacuzzi, sauna, cottage life and paddle boards. Even the adults have longed. Longing for hiking, fishing and free time, while the kids keep themselves busy. Longed for the famous wilderness buffet.
It's Thursday afternoon and mid-July has passed. When the gang rolls up towards White Mountain Lodge, the clock has just passed two and the owner Björn meets them wearing work trousers, a t-shirt and with a big smile on his face. He does it very often Björn. Smiles. Almost with his whole body. It's also not uncommon for him to wear work clothes. In Kalvträsk there is very little surface but very much heat.
Matthew Youngman, who is driving the first car, cranks down the window and greets Björn and asks where they should park.
- Cabins two and three are ready, Björn says and points to the three timbered cabins that belong to the facility and which are in a row with the balconies facing down to the water.
- Pack your stuff and come to the Lodge and you will get an introduction. I have made a fire and put on a pot of coffee.
The whole place to themselves
The children are first out of the cars. They don't need an introduction but have already identified lots of things to explore. The slackline, the arrow board, the blueberries. The slope down to the sauna. The boys have found a frog. The cold spring where the water never drains. You just grab a cuddle inside the lodge or shape your hands like a scoop and drink directly from the source.
When the adults sit down at the massive wooden table outside the Lodge, made of thick sawn logs, Björn begins to talk:
- A warm welcome to Kalvträsk. You will be completely alone here tonight. The third cottage is not rented so you have the place to yourself.
Although it can of course be an obstacle during the high season that there are only three cottages that are quickly booked, it's also one of the charms for those who live here. There are always very few people at the facility. Except when Björn, together with ‘the Wild Chef’, invites you to the Wilderness Buffet, of course on Fridays and Saturdays. Then the place comes to life and the fact is that the families have booked a table at the buffet the following day as a conclusion to their stay. Tonight, however, they cook dinner themselves over an open fire.
A place full of opportunities
Björn talks about the jacuzzi and the sauna. Where they can find firewood. Where the Muurikan and the coffee pans are and where the best trout are waiting.
Charlotta has been looking forward to exploring the trails with the kids on a bike. They have packed the children's bikes, but have chosen to rent Mountainbikes on site.
- Our mountain bikes are locked and parked here behind the Lodge and the bike and hiking trails start just below your cabins, says Björn and points down to a bunch of wooden signs among the pines. If you cycle upstream along the water, the path is really wide and nice. Suitable for children. If you cycle downstream, you will come to a small beach. The canoes and SUP boards are down by the sauna if you want to start there instead.
The possibilities are many. Adjacent to Kalvträsk is also Vitbergens nature reserve, which attracts many hikers and the most common excursion destination is the top of Vitberget where there is an old fire tower at the top. From the top of the tower there are miles of views in all directions. But the plan for Matthew, Emma, John and Charlotta is not to walk long distances. The plan is actually not to plan at all, but to just take those two days as they come. Enjoy the local area. Let the children paddle SUP boards and swim in the calm harness. Enjoy the evening sun, cycle a turn and maybe even eat a sandwich with freshly grilled perch or trout. Who knows.
Hoping for fish for dinner
- Where do we buy fishing licenses? asks John, who probably longs most of all to put a couple of fish in a foil package over the fire.
- You can easily do it yourself down by the mill, Björn explains and points. A tip is to take your rods and cycle one kilometer upstream until you reach a small pond. There you can definitely fix the fish for dinner.
Björn packs his things and leaves the families alone with the still half-full coffee pot. With the peace and freedom to do what comes to them. After a while, the children come running and break the silence. No silence lasts forever. The kids want to go down and test the SUP boards, and since nothing else is popping up at the moment, the gang starts there. Everyone except John and Matthew who trudge down, the 300 meters down to the mill to buy fishing licenses. This is just the beginning of two days to remember for the rest of your life.
