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| The trailhead |
How can I not hike in a forest in a country where 65% of it's land mass is covered with woods? I am so glad I did Ounasvaara Winter trail, just 10 mins walk from Rovaniemi city center.
And with this article, I conclude my Finland Diaries. Of course, if you are looking for my Finland itinerary, you can get a bird's eye view of it here.
It is truly blissful to have a forest just 10 minutes from the city center. Ounasvaara, a ski resort, has multiple hiking trails in summer, but only one of them is maintained in winter, called, not surprisingly, The Winter Trail. This trail is maintained using snowmobiles by the employees/volunteers of the ski resort. Even a well-maintained trail can sometimes be difficult to follow after a fresh pounding of snow. Blue navigation markers come to the rescue. Follow these persons-in-blue and you should have no problems in traversing through the forest.
The forest is a true winter wonderland. The snow covered conifers stand tall amidst the expansive white blanket. The specks of green remind me of beaming life beneath the undisturbed and smooth milky cover. Unadulterated deciduous trees wait, in hiding, to be reborn. Take a pause, and you will hear gentle winds conversing with the forest. My winged companions surveils the landscape keeping an eye on this intruder.
I climb the watch tower, and compete with the flying creatures to observe the landscape. The beautiful frozen river Kemijoki mesmerizes me. The twinkling city lights bring rhythmic dash of color dazzling the horizon. I wish it were a clear day, blue sky would have dramatized the landscape to no bounds.
Going further, I come across a resting hut, a shelter, not only to catch some breadth, but also for cozy campfires and hearty conversations. I wish I could call some of my closest friends, light a bon-fire and chat endlessly. Although I was exposed to the elements of nature, the place suddenly feels so much more inviting. I miss my wife and sense an urge to have hot tea with her in that shelter.
Well, not today. Some day... hopefully.
As always, I am an early riser and I start my hikes early in the morning. So, usually I have the entire place to myself. Ounasvaara was no different. On my way down, I met a Finnish couple and had a conversation about their weather. They were the only two persons I saw during my entire hike.
I did not track the length or the elevation profile for this hike, the latter being negligible. The out-n-back hike should be under 3 miles.
That's it from Finland. New year, new adventures await!
The forest is a true winter wonderland. The snow covered conifers stand tall amidst the expansive white blanket. The specks of green remind me of beaming life beneath the undisturbed and smooth milky cover. Unadulterated deciduous trees wait, in hiding, to be reborn. Take a pause, and you will hear gentle winds conversing with the forest. My winged companions surveils the landscape keeping an eye on this intruder.
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| Some contrast here... |
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| After shedding all the leaves, trees will be ready to regrow, soon. |
I climb the watch tower, and compete with the flying creatures to observe the landscape. The beautiful frozen river Kemijoki mesmerizes me. The twinkling city lights bring rhythmic dash of color dazzling the horizon. I wish it were a clear day, blue sky would have dramatized the landscape to no bounds.
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| Observation Tower |
Going further, I come across a resting hut, a shelter, not only to catch some breadth, but also for cozy campfires and hearty conversations. I wish I could call some of my closest friends, light a bon-fire and chat endlessly. Although I was exposed to the elements of nature, the place suddenly feels so much more inviting. I miss my wife and sense an urge to have hot tea with her in that shelter.
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| Cuddles, coffee & conversations! |
Well, not today. Some day... hopefully.
As always, I am an early riser and I start my hikes early in the morning. So, usually I have the entire place to myself. Ounasvaara was no different. On my way down, I met a Finnish couple and had a conversation about their weather. They were the only two persons I saw during my entire hike.
I did not track the length or the elevation profile for this hike, the latter being negligible. The out-n-back hike should be under 3 miles.
That's it from Finland. New year, new adventures await!
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