The HHS 2019 Tracking Service is now active where you can find information on the skiers progress including:
- GPS Tracking
- HHS on social media
- Locate participants on the map
- Elevation profile
- Route map
21.3.2019 Hossa - Soivio
Meistä hiihtäjistä varoitetaan merkein. Meitä hiihtäjiä varoitetaan myös ladun varteen vesurilla isketyillä merkeillä. Vaaran paikkoja ovat mm lumettomat sillat, äkkimutkat, autotiet, jyrkkä tai kuoppainen alamäki sekä Suomen luonnon villieläinten kohtaaminen kuten leijonan. Vielä ei ole julkaistu merkkiä suklaata "varastavasta" hiihtäjästä. Pidä eväistäsi kiinni!
--HIIHTOPAIVA 20 - FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2019
ROUTE: KALLIOLUOMA TO KUUSAMO (END OF SECTION 2)
LATITUDE: KUUSAMO - 65.59N
DISTANCE: 53K
ACCOMODATIONS: KUUSAMON TROPIKKI SPA HOTEL
TEMPERATURE: -1C OR SO, SUNNY
WINDS: NORTH AT 12-14 M/SEC
TOTAL OF SECTION 2 - 648K
TOTAL OF SECTION 1 AND 2 - 1069K
SKI SELECTION: SKINS
STARTING TIME: 9:00AM
FINISHING TIME: 3:10PM
SPA RATING: 10/10
SAUNA BEER: AURA BOCK
The ski to Kuusamo today should have been an "easy day" given the 50K distance. I even read the weather forecast incorrectly and was pretty sure of strong southerly winds making the day easier yet. However, I looked at the forecast for the wrong day! 6-7M/S winds from the north today made the 18K's of lake crossing somewhat challenging (read WINDY). Fortunately the morning's stronger winds subsided somewhat to the 5-6M/S by our afternoon's time on the lakes. Skiing in these winds on open areas such as lakes and swamps usually causes the track to blow in pretty quickly. This was especially true today given the fresh snow that fell last evening. But, as the Finns say, "it could always be worse". After all, the sun was out and it could have been windier, colder, or raining. Our skiers basically just stayed as close as possible behind the two groomers completing the lakes and skiing onto the Kuusamo municipal ski track a little before 2PM. Kuusamo has over 300K of groomed trails. I'm not sure how far the hotel was but it was probably 15K to the other side of Kuusamo and the hotel. The Spa Hotel features a pool, massages, nice bars and restaurants, and other amenities making it a popular local hangout.
Now that Section 2 is completed Section 3 starts tomorrow with 13 days of skiing left to the sea. At orientation this evening we said goodbye to six of our skiers and hello to around seven. I'll miss the people I've spent the last couple of weeks getting to know but look forward to the new skiers and their stories.
Tomorrow is a 57K (or 45K) day skiing to the Ruka ski center on a prepared trail. Our Ruka track features a big tunturri climb and great views. Tomorrow evening we'll be at a church camp in Kayla.
Jeff
Lanko mies olis halunnut katsoa Paavon uusia sukkia, mutta kuva katosi.........kesken kaiken !
19.3.2019 Arolan savusauna ja notkuvan ruokapöydän antimet palauttavat hiihtäjät jälleen hiihtokuntoon.
Cheering on Kaisa Makarainen in Oslo IBU World Cup
Jussi I about to send the drone up over us
Around 13K on Thursday with Upe
Jussi T and I take over snowmobile duties from Juusi I
--HIITOPAIVA 19 - THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2019
ROUTE: HOSSA TO SAVIO. 65.44N, 29.23E ELEVATION 910FT
DISTANCE: 51K (OR SO)
ACCOMODATIONS: FORMER CHURCH CAMP-SOIVION LEIREKESKUS (VERY NICE)
TEMPERATURE: -2C
WINDS: SOUTH WESTERLY 3m/SEC
SAUNA RATING: 9/10
APRE SKI SNACK: PANCAKES, QUICHE?, CHOCOLATE BAR, ETC
MY START TIME: 9:00AM
FINISH TIME: 2:10PM
SKI SELECTION: SKINS (OTHERS REPORTED WAX WORKED OK TOO)
Another 51K day on a snowmobile route turned out to be pretty perfect (except for the occasional snowmobile ruining our tracks). Southerly winds again with somewhat subzero temperatures and no sun to speak of meant a very nice track most of the day.
Breakfast started at 7AM, the first group and groomer started at 8AM, and Upe and I were last to start at around 9AM. We road skied the first 3.5K to the Hossa hiking area nature center for a donut and coffee and to check out the area's history displayed at the center. This part of Finland has been inhabited for over 8000 years or sometime after the ice receded 10,000 years ago. There are cliff paintings dating back six thousand years ago which are represented on a wall at the nature center. I'd like to come back sometime and explore the trails and historical buildings that are all around us. Check it out at www.hossa-kylmaluoma.fi. A couple of us also sent postcards and at the cafeteria consumed what I considered a "Hall of Fame" munkki and coffee. Munkki is a sugar donut with jelly felling and this one was perfect!
The route took us across lakes, swamps, and some beautiful highland forest where snow covered all the trees. It was a very nice Hiitopaiva leading up to tomorrow's ski to Kuusamo. Jeff
PS. Jussi also had the opportunity for some nice drone photography which should be on the HHS Facebook page soon.
Jeff
hossa-kylmaluoma.fi
Leppoisa erämaan tunnelma odottaa sinua Hossassa ja Kylmäluomalla. Monipuoliset retkeilyreitistöt ja kalaisat vedet takaavat viihtymisen kauniissa harjumaisemissa. Hossan ...--HIIHTOPAIVA 18 - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2019
ROUTE: AROLA TO HOSSA
LATITUDE: HOSSA 65.13N, 29.27E, ELEVATION 720FT
DISTANCE: 46K
MY START TIME:9:50AM
FINISH TIME: 2:10PM
SKI: SKINS
ACCOMMODATIONS: JATKONSAUMEN KÄMPPÄKARTANO (FORMER FORESTRY WORKERS BUNKHOUSE NOW A GUESTHOUSE)
TEMPERATURE: -2C
WINDS: SOUTHERLY
SAUNA RATING: 9/10 (ONLY THING MISSING IS WOOD STOVE)
DINNER: REINDEER/MASHED POTATOES/LINGONBERRIES
Temperatures have finally fallen below 0C at night giving us a fast glazed trail for most of today's ski day. The entire day was on a snowmobile route (not quite since the last 4K was on an icy road leading to our accommodation) with the typical swamp and rolling forested terrain we ski through every day. A sort of highlight was seeing other skiers out on the trail. I think there were two or three groups doing various routes and composed of a variety of nationalities. It was nice chatting with other people out on the trail and they were all surprised when I told them about our journey.
Tomorrow is another 50K day followed by Friday's 56K ski to Kuusamo, a spa hotel, a massage, and hotel tap beer. Kuusamo ends Section 2 of HHS and a change in the skier line-up. After Kuusamo it's just another 13 days to the Arctic Ocean.
This morning we had a great Karelian breakfast cooked by our host Helena and her daughter-in-law before heading out the door around 9:40AM. The first group started at 8:00AM. Most of the first part of the day was spent skiing along the border zone through swamps and forests. Later on we climbed up and down some ridges and across a number of small lakes and swamp areas. Around 7K from here we had some BIG ups and downs on snowmobile trails and then the final 4K road ski to our accommodation.
JATKONSAUMEN KÄMPPÄKARTANO caters to dog sled teams, hiking, hunting and other outdoor activities and is adjacent to Finland's newest national park. It used to serve as a bunkhouse for forestry workers when this area was completely logged off to pay Soviet war reparations after WWII. At the orientation tonight we also learned that the former President of Finland, Urho Kekkonen, spent some time here. He was President for 30 years from 1956 - 1986.
Tomorrow will be 45 or 51K depending on where we want to start. The first 5 or 6 K does not count as we've already skied that part today in order to get to our hotel. Jeff
Lauri and Jeff at the half way point
Day 16's accomodation
Orientation on evening of Day 17 in Arola
Diane shoveling the entry to the Finnish Border Guard Museum
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