Safe Return Doubtful

The van wound its way around the fjords a bit further north this morning, with the help of the Agskardet ferry to the small island of Furøy, linked to the mainland by a bridge. I camped here on my bikepacking journey south from Tromso in July 2016. I just looked back at my journal from that day, it seems the weather was every bit as good then as it was today. https://safe-return-doubtful.com/2016/07/21/day-6-saltsrummen-to-foroy/

Clouds have cleared for a few days now, and the temperature was in the early 20s most of the day.

That day in 2016 I had arrived late, after 8 pm, so no doubt it had been dinner and bed, but today I was keen to explore the peninsula in which there was a hiking trail.

Rather than follow the route I cycled, I wanted to stay on the coast, and was heading for the island of Melöy, which meant another ferry crossing, but one that went much less regularly, just three times a day. I parked up at the quay at Vassdalsvik and spent the afternoon with a long lunch and chatting to a group of cyclists also waiting for the ferry. They were from The Netherlands, a group of four teachers cycling with panniers from Mo I Rana to North Cape, but they have limited time, just three weeks for the journey, and were already a day behind.

The road became much quieter after Furøy. There has hardly been a motorhome on the road since then, but before that there were many. Highway 17 forks east at Furøy, and that is the route that almost every visiting vehicle takes. It’s known to be very scenic, and part of the route that heads out of Mo I Rana, to Bodø, across to the Lofoten islands, then up to North Cape, or the opposite, the return being on the E6. As I did last night, get clear of Highway 17, even by a kilometre, and the roads are empty. Though that might be more difficult on Lofoten.

We got to Melöy just after 4:30 pm, and headed to the north side of the island to a beach that Anders, the farmer from Gjerøya had recommended to me. That meeting with him on the mountain on Sunday has proved very useful.

Getting to the beach required a couple of kilometers in a rough road, but it was quite manageable. The place is magnificent for van. It has several good hiking options which I will investigate tomorrow, but for this afternoon the beach was enough for entertainment.