Well, I can only relate my own group’s experience today as many of the girls took a tour down to
It was another beautiful morning, albeit windy, and the tracks we found leading from the start of the trail in Romasetten were perfectly pristine. We had decided to take the scenic route north, which led us first east, below Solefjellet where we rode a looooooooong gradual downhill rollercoaster of a trail, giggling all the way down. Then north, on an uphill trek through the spruce trees and crossing the Ljosheim and Birkebeiner trails. From there we topped Gjestbodsasen, snacking and taking in the scenery, and then continued on to Elgasen, where a cluster of cabins looked like a promising lunch stop. Alas, we did not find a restaurant, and after inquiry to the locals, found that the nearest places to get waffles and cocoa were Sjusjoen (7km south-west) and Hornsjo (9km north). So we found a piece of dry bench to sit on in the sun as we ate our sandwiches. Nattie and Ali headed back to Sjusjoen while Emily, Gabby, and I decided to take the adventure to Hornsjo.
Gabby, Nattie, Emily, Ali, Me, eating lunch on a snowed-in porch of a summer cabin in Elgasen.
So windy!!! But absolutely gorgeous. The next 9km wound us around several lakes and up into the hills, exposed areas where the wind hit us in the face and slowed us down, but the beauty of the landscape, the smiling people passing us in the opposite direction and the tantalizing thought of waffles and cocoa spurred us on.
Finally we reached Hornsjo. It was 2:30pm and we were cold and hungry! We were really psyched to find a restaurant in a very nice hotel, with decent prices to boot!
The tough part was going back outside, into the wind and now blizzard-like conditions. Fortunately, the wind was now at our backs, and the snow only lasted several minutes, so that soon we were being pushed by the wind quickly down tracks, into the sunshine. The wind blew the snow sideways with such force that it seemed we were in a desert storm, only ten times prettier!
Gabby and Emily: wind at our backs and into the setting sun.
It was a quick trip back toward Sjusjoen, even with wrong turns and tiring muscles. Then, trying to get to Sjusjoen, we got a bit lost and ended up backcountry skiing and then hiking several km down a road to the store. We made the mistake, there, of buying a bit more than we could carry home, and with groceries sticking out various parts of our weighed-down packs, we set out into the wind for the grueling 6km finishing trek home. 
Gabby and I with overflowing packs and snacks-in-hand after shopping in Sjusjoen.
We were in tour mode then, not really skiing, but shuffling on our skis. Aching muscles, hungry bellies, frozen hands and feet. Still, the beauty was astounding. To our right, the setting sun, casting an orange-tinged glow past the dark silhouettes of trees. To our left a near-full moon, glowing immense above the tree tops. And between the two the snow sparkled and the tracks led to infinity. A gorgeous, gorgeous evening. But boy were we glad to see our cabins, an hour later!!
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