Upplandsleden stage 14 Västland - Marma 19.7 km
From mysterious John Bauer-like old-growth forests to rocking northern bogs and dreary clear-cuts
We left the, nowadays, enormously oversized church in Västland and after a bit of trickery we found the path into the forest. This stage follows the old Rödfärgsstigen that the Marma people used for church visits in Västland before they got their own church. Periodically you can see remnants of the old path, but most of the time it has completely disappeared in the forest.
The hike is very varied and passes several different types of nature. You can experience everything from mysterious John Bauer-like old-growth forests to rocking northern bogs and dreary clearings.
About halfway through, you come to Honolulu Cabin, a well-maintained and well-equipped cabin near the accidentally submerged Trusk Lake. The story behind the name of the cabin is unknown, but the place gives a nice mood, which may have contributed to the choice of name. The last part of the route to Marma is easy on good paths and forest roads at the edge of a military training area and soon the glittering waters of the Dalälven river can be seen between the trees.
The stage is well marked in the terrain and is 19.7 kilometers long, if you include the detour to Honolulustugan. This is quite far from the 14 km shown on the signs and the 17.5 km shown on the map in the Upplandsstiftelsens brochure. The connection between start and finish is poor and a car at each point is probably the only workable solution.
