Day 40: Pyhäjärvi to Ruka

MAY 13 - Rained at night but today bright and sunny. It actually feels too warm after having been adjusted to cold for weeks. The landscape is showing it as well, with large pools of water collecting everywhere, and the rivers starting to run high. Dense taiga (boreal) forests are the norm now, with spruce, pines, and larches. Stop at Käylä to eat lunch by a river. Before we get to Ruka and the location of our next cabin, we deviate to the east and walk a portion of the Pieni Karhunkierros trail.

Pieni Karhunkierros (little bear) trail entrance. The rock ouctops shown are a part of the Fennoscandia Shield, Archean in age, so well over 2 billion years old.

The main attraction of the trail are the deep incisions into the terrain by the Kitkajoki River. This river flows east into Russia, which is only about 13 km away.

Rope bridges are always a favorite. This trail had two of them.

There were stops along the trail with pits for cooking. Wood was stacked in a log cabin, along with an axe for splitting kindling. All very organized and hiker-friendly.

The melting snow makes everything so wet this time of year.

Down to Ruka, a ski resort town that is largely empty this month. The ski runs are visible from our cabin. Eat at the only place open in town.

Finland II