Zach Paley, an undaunted year-round skier, once again signs on to the Norwegian ski touring trawler Vulkana. Just the right weather, just the right snow, just the right people. Life in the mountains and by the sea can be just perfect...Life at Camp Kviteberg was everything I needed: relaxing, therapeutic, simple, with lots of skiing. I'd gotten along well with Gottfried from the first time on the Vulkana, and he invited me for one more trip that would be the last one of the season. It's tough to say "no" to skiing from a boat with a sauna and hot tub. I bummed a ride to Tromso with plans to return to Lyngen when I was back on land.This was one of those trips that simply clicked. Group, guide, crew, captain, weather, and snow all came together and worked in harmony for the next several days. I'll remember staring down at the reflection of the mountain opposite us in the fjord. Amidst it, the anchored Vulkana is just a small dot amongst the sea ice that mottled the water.
I'll remember the moonrise over Lyngen as the Captain Carl steers us out to sea after a hectic evening of lost bags and stolen phones in Tromso.
I'll remember hiking all morning, immersed in wisps of fog that magically part as we reach the top, revealing the shimmering sea.
I'll remember ski boots in new settings, the greatest après meal ever, fish heads, smiles, and everything in between.