June in Tromsø - start of hiking season

Spring started late this year in northern Norway and in the first weeks of June it was still possible to go skiing without having to carry your skis far. But when the nights don't get dark anymore, it feels like it should be summer and I get more interested in hiking. The snow disappears first along the west coast and on the coastal mountains, so these early trips were on mountains along the west coast of Kvaløya and Senja. Even now at the end of June there is still a lot of snow higher up, but the snow is melting fast and the greening is spreading up and inland. The photos are in chronological order, so you can see the changes in snow cover and greenness during the last couple of weeks.

Map of Kvaløya, Tromsø and northern Senja with locations of the photos below.

View to the village Tromvik and Grøtfjorden from Tromtinden, 3. June.

Ptarmigan changing into summer plumage, Tromtinden 3. June.

Tony on Vasstinden, view to the northwest, 8. June.

View from Vasstinden towards Sommarøya, with Senja in the background, 8. June.

The village Skulsfjord, start of walk to Nordtinden, 11. June. It is starting to get green along the coast.

View from Nordtinden to Kaldfjorden. The mountain Store Blåmann on the right, 11. June.

Late evening light over Tromsøya, from Fjellheisen, 14. June.

Alpine flowers are coming out on Smørstabben, 17. June.

Alpine flowers are coming out on Smørstabben, 17. June.

Late evening light near the top of Segla on Senja, 23. June.

View from Gryttetippen with Segla and the township Fjordgård in the centre, Senja 24. June.

View from Gryttetippen to Breidtinden, Senja 24. June.

Tony reaching the top of Keipen, Senja 24. June. You can see Tromsdalstinden in the far distance on the left, Tromsø itself is hidden the mountains of Kvaløya.

Husøy, Senja.