Today didn’t go the way I had planned it, during the previous evening while in my tent. But it ended up turning out well. More on that towards the end of the article.

These past few days have been full of pleasant surprises with great chats with the people along the route. At the lake Immalanjärvi, Nadja came to say hello and offered water before crossing the lake. Then in the Pajarinkylä area, I was offered the opportunity to refill the water through an open car window, and to stay over night in a hunting club’s hut equipped with a moose fleece and fireplace – which I actually missed in the dark, due to the oral instructions!

This missed opportunity particularly stung the next morning when I saw the temperature gauge through a frozen doorway of the tent, and it showed -13 degrees. I now know to ask for specific locations on the map.

Jorma picked me up from Hiitolanjoki river from Kangaskoski, and took me to his cottage to have sauna. I was able to dry and wash the rigs. There I also received the new skis with tuned extended skins that had been mailed by Customski. And oh my goodness, do they work well! Oh not to forget, the new drawbars made by Pekka Pasanen to replace the broken ones were there waiting for me also.

In Kannas, Janne warmed up the sauna in the hunting lodge, where Mikko joined us. Maija, who had ”lost” her way to Eastern Finland, originally coming from Ostrobothnia, came to the route specifically to offer some coffee and pies to the lunatic. Soini came to open Timolahti’s summer cottage so that we didn’t have to drink coffee out in the cool wind. The North Karelian Border guard provided hot water into my thermos and border guard Katinka gave their chocolate snack to me to enjoy during the evening camp.

Many others have stopped to talk, advise and encourage the solo skier. Thank you all.
This all fits into today’s theme, albeit a little sad, somehow well. It was exactly a year ago when I lost my father unexpectedly. He was kind, fair, and always ready to help others, whether it was a stranger or a close acquaintance. I would have liked to have been more of a help to him before he passed away. He was a great man. Pasi Ilmari Saukko. I like to think of this as a trip to his memory, because he got things that looked difficult done.

Today, while skiing around Valkeavaara, the ”border cruisers” Topi and Marko welcomed me to dry the equipment soaked by the rainy night at the scout hut and take a shower! Jorma let me know that the spare parts for the toboggan had arrived and came to the scene to help install the sliding surfaces of the toboggan with his tools. During that, I replaced the stem of the broken drawbar connector with the parts sent by Pekka Somaspulkka. Jaana, with her shopping bags got out of the car, the bag containing items which were very, very chocolatey!

It’s great to find Finnish assistance and cooperation both among professionals from the Finnish Border Guard and between us ordinary citizens. In the end, I wonder if the circumstances really matter.

Thank you!

-Jukka