In mid June, me, Joel and Johan had planned to lead a Friluftsfrämjandet canoe trip in Asasjön, north of Växjö. We had quite a few participants who had signed up for the trip. But when the date was closing in the weather report looked grip. It would rain and be pretty hard winds, with gusts up to 15 m/s. We considered canceling the event, but decided to mail out info about the weather instead. This, unfortunately made a lot of the participants canceling, and in the end only two showed up. We did have a very nice time anyways.
We met at the canoe storage and packed three canoes. On of the participants was an experienced paddler and a youth leader for Frilufsfrämjandet in another area. He offered to paddle solo. Joel and I took one canoe, and Johan took the other participant in his canoe.
Despite the forecast the weather was good. There weren't any strong winds, and it looked like it would be an ok paddling. We drove in my car to the beach on the northern end of Asasjön, carried the canoes down to the lake and started to paddle south. We had planned to start in the southern end, but we wanted to have the wind in our backs on the way home.
Our first goal was Långanäs rest area, where we would have lunch and then do a short hike to Skogstemplet, which is a church in the middle of the forest, where someone put up benches and a pulpit, nailed a large cross to a tree and hung up a bell in another tree.
The paddling was nice, and when we came to Långanäs we started packing up our stoves to prepare our lunch. But before we really got started a couple of cars came by, and some well groomed dudes in suits showed up. They asked us politely if we could have our lunch on another spot, since they were going to have a photoshoot of a wedding couple, with the lake in the background. No worries, we can go to the forest temple before lunch instead of after. But they told us that was where the couple was getting married, so it had already been set up for their weeding.
We moved a 100 meters to another rock by the lake and decided to hike to the forest temple on our way back instead. The weeding couple arrived and had their photoshoot while we had lunch. They left for the ceremony, while we stayed and chatted.
After a while we headed back to the canoes to continue our paddle south. Our goal was two islands on the southern end of the lake. When we came close to the islands the winds picked up, and we had heavy headwinds. We eventually reached the islands, and went ashore on the southern one, which was easier to access. I had been on the island one time before, a couple of years earlier with C and her mother. We hiked around the island, but didn't make a longer stop, before heading back to the canoes to start our paddle back north.
We paddled back to Långanäs with the wind in our backs. By the time we got there the wedding ceremony was over, and we hiked the ~1 km from the rest area up to the temple. The last car was packing up and leaving as we came hiking. It is a special place, and beautiful in its own way. I can see the charm of getting married there, despite the unpredictable weather we got here.
We walked around the temple, took photos and then hiked back to the canoes. When we got there we only had two canoes left. Johan and Joels canoe had drifted off into the lake. Me and my co-paddler hopped into our canoe and rescued it. Johan and Joel hopped into the other canoe and came paddling out, and got over to their canoe out on the lake. We paddled back towards the beach and the car after that. We were almost there when the rain started falling, and we packed everything up in the rain before heading back to the canoe storage.
It had been a really nice trip. Despite the ominous weather report we had pretty good weather most of the times. If we hadn't sent out the mail the day before the others probably wouldn't have canceled, and missed out on the trip. But we already have the next one prepared. Come join us!
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