The first skiing trip of winter to the fells

Winter has arrived and seems to be staying. The weather forecast promises more snow, and this morning the thermometer showed twenty degrees. The river is already half frozen, and the little birds are pecking at the window frames, asking for the winter feeding to begin.

How do I feel about the onset of winter?

Wonderful.

This weekend, I went on an excursion with my friend Laura to Kukastunturi in Äkäslompolo. There’s already enough snow that we had to bring skis from the back of the storage along with our winter clothing. They were just taken there less than four months ago. Putting on winter boots and an extra layer of wool felt comforting. I belong to this season.

Laura has some really great writings about living in the north on her blog, Kiertoreitti (meaning detour in Finnish). We share many similar thoughts about living here and adapting to it. The quiet life of the north, the peace, and the journey of finding oneself amidst it all are the reasons why we both moved here and continue to reside here.

It’s wonderful to find a hiking companion who shares the feeling of belonging and not belonging. That feeling of not being truly Laplander but no longer belonging to the south either. You feel like a local, yet you can’t compare yourself to those born here. Someone who understands a certain restlessness in life and at the same time the peace and tranquility that one finds in the north.

Someone who understands when I sigh at the summit, fragrant with the scent of winter, "this is so cleansing, it’s like being reborn!"

There is a well-marked and winter-maintained hiking trail to the summit of Kukastunturi. During this autumn break week, it was unfortunately dominated by too many cyclists, and with two dogs and my still somewhat wobbly skiing technique, it felt too challenging. So we chose the freedom that comes with the snow and selected our own route to the top through the snowy forest.

The forest floor hadn’t frozen before the snow arrived, and the autumn rains had caused flooding in many places. We had to lift our skis over swampy areas and muddy holes, dodging fallen trees and underbrush that the low snow didn’t cover. Our route choice ended up being longer and took more time than if we had followed the marked trail.

Sometimes it’s good to take detours.

As we approached the summit, the snow deepened, and skiing became significantly easier. The wind that often blows on the fells had hardened the surface of the snow, which now felt like spring's snow crust under the skis. We laughed at the oddity of the conditions. How often do you get to ski on a snow crust in October?

The winter sun peeked out with its cooling rays from behind the cloud cover. Its beams, along with the little breeze from the fell and the crunching of the snow under my skis, invigorated me after an otherwise rainy and dark start to October. October is often a heavy month. The darkening evenings, nature’s harsh bareness after the autumn colors, and the anticipation of snow and winter can tire you out and weigh on the mind.

The fell air cleanses.

At the summit, the fell landscape opens up in every direction. On one side, you can gaze at the grandeur of Ylläs, while just a few skiing steps away, the horizon is dominated by the Pallastunturi mountain range. Their silhouette is recognizable from afar. I know them well, having walked up and down them countless times and observed their shapes from every direction in different seasons. They feel like home.

We stopped for a snack in the snow at the base of a solitary larch tree, as is customary in Lapland. My own snacks were left unprepared in the rush to leave, but it is an unspoken hiking etiquette to share food, so I too got to warm up with herbal tea and the flavors of homemade elk sausage.

The fell wind picked up a little gust and quickly chilled my hands that had come out of their mittens. Our few belongings were quickly packed away, skis put back on with already cold fingers, and the dogs were commanded to head back.

Down we went briskly yet unhurriedly, and a few times, as always, I tumbled into the snow. Despite the cold, a warmth and cozy feeling filled my mind.

Winter is a feeling, a cozy one.

♥ Sanna