I’ll just tell you very briefly. Last week I drove over the forest to Fengersfors. It was a bit slippery on the way there. When I drove home a couple of hours later, it all started with my slipping on the stairs, which was a warning. It was 1° C minus. And it was raining. That’s not so common, but I’ve seen it before. This is the kind of sleet that creates a layer of ice on the ground and everywhere else like ice bark. The ground covered by a thin crust of totally slippery smooth ice. In addition, there are beautiful, pellucid layers of ice on trees and twigs, but I did not see that now. It was evening.
On the way, I immediately realized that the brakes had no effect. When I pushed the brake gently, there was no frictionor resistance whatsoever. I noticed that the brakes were alright, however, for the car moved straight ahead. Anyway, the situation felt a bit uncomfortable, so I slowed down to about 20 km/h and was glad I managed to get up the first hill. The engine sounded a little bit srained on gear five, but then on gear three the wheels started spinning.
The road across the forest is narrow and crooked, and with the sleet on the road I sometimes felt how I lost the grip even on straight parts of the road. I worried a little about the crooked downhill at Liane. When I got there I switched down to second gear not to get so much speed on the slope that I would get off the curve. Immediately there was a reaction to the engine’s braking effect. The car slipped sideways along the road and continued like that a good way down the hill before I got it straightened up. I was glad there was no car coming the opposite direction just then. Then there were some troublesome uphill parts, where I was not sure I could get up, and there was a thought through my head that I might as well stop the car here and wait for spring.
But I could not stop, because then I’d never get in motion again, so I did the only thing possible and continued and hopelessly hoped not to meet any traffic. Because then I would surely end up in the ditch.
As I drove up the last slope at Koppungen before the main road, I saw that the lights of a car approaching from the other side of the hill. I wished it should wait up there because there is a good meeting place. So I blinked with my lights and that driver probably understood for the car was waiting up at the top so I could wriggle my car past it. Then I came out on the way 164 – the big road. There was sleet too, but more manageable.
A few days later I made a new trip on narrow hilly winter roads. This was in the opposite direction – towards Nössemark near the Norwegian border. And this time there was a snow surface on the road. Packed snow. A somewhat rough surface. Good for horse and sled where it was not sanded. I drove quite slow this time as well, but in 50 km/h and with good grip on the road, it felt safer and I could also enjoy the view.
Out in the winter wilderness we arrived at a ferry. The ferry between Sund and Jaren across Lake Stora Le. This was an experience too.