Today a group of BearsTrail and a group of Winterweek Plus started out to the Aittokoski-cabin - great sun and blue sky with them. Sadly for the 3rd group in this week, another BearsTrail with 4 Swiss, the weather was too crazy at the beginning of the week and the sledride to the cabin could not be provided. They enjoyed another longer day-trip today from/to the lodge. Yes, the weather... still going crazy. The beginning of the week was cold with again close to -30C degrees, 2 days later we had plus-degrees and even some rain. Thanks God most of the precipitations came in form of snow-rain. Those masses of wet, sticky snow first had to be pressed and prepared again by our trail-master Moritz. Impossible for the dogs to do all the trails without previous preparations - we tried it! And as since last night we have minus degrees again, all those trails are now icy, fast and partly rather bumpy. High demanding, technical driving - like taken from the schoolbook for experienced mushers!
As alternative for the missed cabin-overnight we planned to drive there by car and enjoy a relaxed evening. But then we had to accept, that the road to Aittokoski is still not snowplowed. Even a 4WD could not have passed there. And walking 3km through knee-deep wet snow was not our preferred option. So we drove back, made a group-cooking in the kitchen of the lodge and had a dinner around the fire in our BBQ-hut. At least a litlte bit of wilderness - thanks for your understanding!
The first ones from our yearlings (dogs born in summer 22) joined the trip to Aittokiski this morning. Curious to see how they handle the distance and how they behave on the overnight-chains. With Helena, Gabriel and Julian as caretaker, they sure will have the best possible first cabin-experience and are hopefully also tired enough to relax during the night.
Also caused by the weather-turbulences in the last days, we had to start shoveling snow from all roofs already now. In earlier years this job starts normally in March, but it was occupying us now a lot in the last days. And still we have not finished it, several roofs are still waiting to be freed from snow-weight. Never get bored at Eräkeskus :-)
Coming week we start the first GoWest-Trail - another challenge for Moritz to prepare all the long trail to Kuohatti. And hope is here, that the announced plusdegrees (again) will not come true... That would be really tough on the dogs, pulling the heavy loaded sleds. Another thing we are curious to see - and of course we will keep you up-to-date!