one more round in Riisitunturi

The mouse has eaten the peanut in the night that I left for him/her in front of the oven.
It was warmer to sleep, maybe because I went to bed later and heated longer.
Sky is blue, firs stand still. Wood chopping routine. I clean the cabin and pack. Just as I take the camera to make some pictures around the house, arrive three skiers. Two Finnish (!) persons on tour with a French (!) guide. They make a story for some local paper or magazine. I get to give a short interview and it is recorded how I put on skis and leave over untouched snow. Again 10 times more famous.
In these circumstances is pure pleasure to ski. Calm, good visibility, trail. 20 km would not be a problem. A thought from Dahr Jamail would fit here: during a time with internet and fast transportation the world seems small and only by moving on your own legs the Earth gets back its correct size.
Numerous photo and lookaround stops slow me down. Yesterday there weren’t any of the first type. Many people with big cameras on the trail.
The parking lot is full of cars. All are clean except for one that has a big pile of snow on top of it. The tractor has carefully cleared away the snow around the car as close as possible. The car starts with no problem. A woman in the cabin asked if it was my Toyota standing there and said that it will start, Toyota is a good car. She also had one.
I put the backpack in the car and go for another circle. Too good weather for leaving. The shortest trail is Riisin Rääpäsy, 4,1 km. A sign next to the trail announces that the other trail, Riisin Rietas, has got its name after a man who died here and haunts in the area. Alright then, so it was him I saw a couple of times yesterday evening and every time after that I was way off the trail.
Now it’s day and Rietas rests somewhere. Sun is a bit hazy which makes the snowdrifts look like silk. Long shadows, incredible vastness all around. People with snowshoes or just walking are jealous of my effortless way of moving. Of course they catch up with me every time I stop to get my camera.
The trail goes over a hill called Riisitunturi after which the park has been named. It is the most photographed place around here. For untouched snow it is recommended to go to other places where I either already was or tried to go: Pikku Riisitunturi, Soilunvaara, Koljatinlaki. The firs have taken exactly those kind of unbelievable poses as I’ve seen on other people’s pictures. So I can now remake all of them. This has again been very well orgnized by Finnish people.
Feeling a bit sorry I pack the skis into the car and drive back to Posio. People in the cabin told that there’s good pizza. Not Koti Pizza but the other one, something with P. There’s the place and pizza. Accompanied with unlimited salad and coffee, as is the Finnish style. The photographer from the cabin also fell for the advertisment. The place is managed by a Turkish guy. He has been living 15 years already in Finland. Says that Turks adapt everywhere, one just has to work. His Finnish is about my level or better. Recommends hiking places, has been everywhere many times. A hiking Turk? Is interested in Estonian economy.
On to Anetjärvi. The accommodation is an orientation game. In the middle of nowhere GPS says that I’ve arrived. Some way back there was a ”loma” (vacation) sign. This is the right place but it looks strangely deserted. There’s a sign on the wall that starts with ”you are nowhere” and continues with a hand-drawn map with instructions where to come. In the new place is a farm house and it smells of animals. I’m a bit perplexed but right after me a car arrives. It contains Simo who gets the keys from the house. Mökki (cabin) is one kilometer away. I race after Simo is a cloud of snow into the forest to a few small houses. Since the cabin I booked is cold, I get a better one with the option to use sauna. Fully equipped kitchen, books, candy on the table. The view is towards the lake if you have good imagination, without it it’s just a big white field. I can stay longer if I wish. Indeed.
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roaming in Riisitunturi
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Iso-Syöte, part 1

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