There is something special with the woods. The air, the colors, the non exiting sound or the sound of silence. The sound of the birds, of the woodpecker that nagg us on with its constant and loud peck our the squirrel with its fluffy read tail, running over the road when walking the small pats deep in the forest. Some just think them to be rats, but I adore them.
photo shot by Helena Gunnare with the blog ohdarling.org
It is easier to find peace in the forest, I think you might agree. Or else why does we humans tend to try to move out into to wild whenever we get the chance? It is not for the fantastic hamburgers and possibility to head to the cinemas at least. But maybe or most likely it is the romantic feeling of living close to nature.
The creation of the national parks
For me the forest bring me peace. Especially when moving to Stockholm a day or two in a deep forest like Tiveden is cleansing for the sould. But isn´t this also why the national parks where build? To find peace in the stressed and industrial world?
When creating te national parks in the early 20th century in Sweden the main reason was preservation due to the need of recreational areas. 9 areas was protected to begin with, Abisko, Garphyttan, Hamra, Pieljekaise, Sarek, Stora sjöfallet, Sånfjället, Ängsö and a part of Gotska Sandön. Today we have 29 national parks in Sweden, Tiveden being one and Norra Kvill close to where I grew up is one.
”The greenest home is the one you don’t build. If you really want to save the Earth, move in with another family and share a house that’s already built. Better yet, live in the forest and eat whatever the squirrels don’t want.” Scott Adams
Tivedens nationalpark and the path to Stenkälla
The forest grow thicker around us on the forest tracks when our car pass the sign for Tivedens national park. The air is more clear and definitively more noticeably colder than before. The trees are dark green and higher than normal, left here to grow in peace.
When me and Helena went for a weekend tour along Vättern the reason was to explore Tivedens national park. To begin with not my favorite photos from the trip. Why is rocks and Christmas trees interesting? Are they any interesting at all? Looking back the color and the darker day light that are inbetweeen all this trees soothe me and my photographic eye. It is peaceful and not so stressful for the eye with less backlight and more cold, dark and grey light.
Helena and me decided for a small 2km track to Stenkälla that was described as a bit rough and partly difficult to walk, but cocky and experienced walkers as we though ourself to be we just headed out not thinking about this at all. We never knew what we were heading into. We took the path towards something called Stenkälla, that showed itself to be a little puddle of water below a big rock. But oh so beautiful in itself. The path there were more than difficult, and I think that both me and Helena agreed that getting out of bed the next day wasn´t as easy that we though it would be.
Walking over ”logs and stone” to get there we saw more than one beautiful place as the little mountain after a few hundred metres in or the little forest lake in the middle of nowhere. Helena also brought some travel props and shot more than one photo of her little Herbie.
For whom to take on?
I think the path is suitable for everyone anyway. Pack lightly and bring great shoes. It is slippery and though, but so worth it. The little tour in a deep deep forest brings many surprises but also much joy and fresh air.
Katarina
”But I’ll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re connected with everything.” Alan Watts
Location: Tivedens Nationalpark, Sweden. West side of Vättern. ”Inbetween Stockholm and Gothenburg”. Take road 49 from Askersund in north and drive south or Karlsborg in south and drive north. From here you will find your way and signs are put alongside the road.
The photos
The photos of me is shot and edited by Helena. The rest is shot by me, as always with my Canon 5D Mark iii and edited in lightroom.
This photos was shot during a weekend trip and for this I brought two lenses, Canon 24-105 mm f.4 and Sigma 50 mm Art f1.4.
Helena shot her photos with Canon 5D Mark ii and Sigma 24mm Art, Tamron 70-200 f2.8, Canon 50 mm f1.4 as well as Canon 85mm f1.8.
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