Summer vacation, day 14
Index
| Date | Peak | Height | PF | Location | WCP/FP | MAP |
| 26.07.25 | Kunna | 601m | 597m | Meløy, Norway | – | MAP |
Continued from summer vacation, day 13…
Goodbye to Karma, Jul 26 2025
Saturday: Karma’s bad condition from the day before worsened. She got terribly ill during the night, and I called the regional on-duty Veterinarian 3:45am – in the middle of the night. Thankfully, he answered and he told us to meet him at the office 8am in Ørnes.
On our way to Ørnes, we hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst. There was more than a good chance that we wouldn’t get the dog back home with us. She was really sick.
The Vet came on time and first we did an X-ray. No particular findings. Then followed blood samples. All samples were OK except one – the kidneys. It was way outside the expected range and there was no easy fix collapsing kidneys.
Whether it was a kidney failure, or intestinal bleeding (which I think it was), there were other complications too, and to make a long story short, we decided that she would no longer had to suffer. It felt as the right choice, right there and then. Besides, I strongly felt that she would not make it through the day anyway. We stayed with her until she was no longer with us.
I’ve done everything in my power to give her the best treatments for her struggles. But in the end, I felt I failed her. Her last look at me will haunt me forever. It was like – “daddy – please fix this”. And I couldn’t.
The plan was always to let her go when that would be the best option for her and us. Throughout 2025, I’ve mentally prepared for a life without Karma. But it wasn’t supposed to happen like this. I was gutted. After losing “Troll” in 2008, I knew exactly how this would be. I couldn’t speak. I just looked towards Anne and shook my head. She understood.
It’s a comfort that both of us could be with her, holding her, when she left us. It would have been different if I was alone with her back home, with Anne in Sogndal. Now, she had mommy and daddy by her side while she entered the eternal sleep…
We were both quite devastated, and it was tough to return to our rented house without her.
Kunna (601m), Jul 26 2025
Once we got a little distance to the shock, we agreed that we ought to do a hike in Karma’s memory. Besides, it would be good to think about something else for a little while.
The choice of mountain was quite easy.
The last time we were here, was back in 2014 and we hiked Skjeggen after a highly memorable vacation on the coastal islands (Træna, Lovund, Lurøy, Onøy, Rødøy). We were already then looking at Kunna, but we didn’t have the time. On the picture below, one can imagine that Karma had her eyes glued onto Kunna, already then.
Years went by and Karma’s back was no longer fit for the hard and long hikes. But when we decided to return to the Meløy/Gildeskål area in 2025, I really wanted to stand on top of Kunna together with Anne and Karma.
Sadly, that never happened. But Anne and I could do this hike in memory of our beloved dog.
The weather wasn’t the best and it started raining already when we left the trailhead at Kopparhaugen.
The first part of the route was boulder. Easy enough.
Then the route followed a sort of a couloir. It was steep all the way, but OK. We could have gotten Karma up here, with a friendly push here and there. But given her general condition lately, it would just have been torture for her.
Higher up, we entered fog, and the route conveniently traversed the mountain side, providing shelter from the wind.
Eventually, we reached the high ridge, which we followed to the cairn on top of the mountain.
We had brought “Tiger” – Karma’s favorite pillow in the car. It was just a symbolic gesture. We just wanted to pay tribute to a dear family member that was no longer with us.
Just when we reached the cairn, it stopped raining, and it cleared up. In that very moment it was hard not to think that some “good Karma” was in play here. We don’t really believe in such things, but we agreed that what was just what happened right there and then…
Apparently, the high point (6-7cm higher) is found 80m to the northwest. So, we had to go there too.
Now, we could officially tick Kunna off our to-do list…
It was time to get down while we were “ahead of the weather”
We took it nice and easy down the mountain. There would be no accidents today!
Just as we reached the car, it started to pour down. Anne decided to take a bath in the ocean, with pretty hefty waves.
Afterwards, we returned to our rented house at Finnes. It was tough. There was no Karma to meet us. It was just utterly sad, but at least we had each other.
I called my mom and Karma’s breeder (Ane). It was very difficult to utter any words at all. I think Ane understood the very second I said “Hi”. Her voice cracked too.
Later that evening, I posted the sad news on social media and got an overwhelming number of responses. It was clear that our mountain adventures hadn’t gone unnoticed.
Farewell, Karma. Thank you so much for the wonderful years and all the love you gave us! I have written a letter to you. Will post it soon!
Trip statistics: 3,8km, 615 vertical meters, 2h:08m
