The grinding moments of the summer of 2018 on the rocks, water games and swimming and other warm weather excursions are now distant memories, and we are waiting for the snowy season with growing impatience. The transition to winter is a rite of its own - at least for a seasonal person who changes accommodation according to the changes of the seasons.
After last winter ended in the heat at the end of May, I packed my landing gear and other gear into my car, drove south from Tamok and stored my luggage to wait for the next winter. Summer went where it went - at least in Helsinki, Havu and Harmio, Ahvionkoski, Törnävä and Ruissalo, Lofoten, Suvilahti and Olhava, and when the lights went out in Lahti, autumn began, which doesn't just take time to turn into a new winter even if it should.
Where does the new snow stay?
Anchorage drilling at Harmio's Ecole de Escalad in early summer. Photo: Jarkko-Juhani
Whether it snows properly soon or later, the start of my winter has an exact deadline: I will start playing the role of musher on Thursday 29.11 at 09:00 when the first British Santa Claus searchers come to Pyhä-Luosto's Arctic Husky Farm. The sled dog runs, and so does the safari guide, snow or not.
As the H-moment approaches, I've dug my winter gear out of mothballs and gone through them. The task is pleasant in itself, but it is also a lot of work because there are all kinds of things and supplies, yes, that's what there is.
It took about a day just to go through the board storage. It would certainly have been faster, but it's nice to feel the board crank.
The monos were the first to be blamed. Footwear that has seen life for a few seasons is reaching the end of its life and I was seriously considering new ones. However, I gave the popos a chance and took them to the shoemaker. As a result, the shoes, which were badly torn from their seams, got an extension. I was very satisfied with the work, but it remains to be seen if these boots will see next spring.
My Boots are my boots. Photo: Jarkko-Juhani
At the moment, just under half of my quiver of over twenty boards was selected for the coming winter: seven solids and three splits.
A couple of my solids are more conventional general purpose boards. The rest have a slightly more special shape, various long and even longer gores that cut through both soft and hard snow like a sword.
Along with my old splits, a new, top domestic product has appeared, the Powder Flower .65, a directional that offers joy to the eyes as well, which master carpenter Samu Ampuja whipped up for me on the shores of Vanaja. I have counted various prototypes and production versions of the board over the past ten winters, and since I know what .65 is like with boards, I expect a lot from it.
In addition to snowboards, three snowboards are going on the trip.
Life is choices. Photo: Jarkko-Juhani
My old boards were, as I remembered, generally fit, what now a few have a scratch on the bottom that needs to be patched and some have a couple of scratches on the covers. The gears also need lubrication, but maintenance work will have to wait for a better time.
There were no complaints about the ties, but I noted that the spare parts stock had dwindled. I contacted the importer and ordered a pair of ankle and toe straps, a bunch of braces, screws and nuts and other tying rope just in case.
The old split skins had started playing tricks last spring, so the adhesives should be changed. Since it's a messy job and takes time, I postponed the glue sniffing session until later.
Instead of looking, I headed to Camu to check out the skins on offer - I decided that the new cool .65 deserves its own skins. On the recommendation of Joonas, the shop's snow kka specialist, my Säksmäki resident now adds fresh skins cut into the shapes of splits to the friction in the highlands.
Powder flower gets fresh skins. Photo: Jarkko-Juhani
While Joonas was adjusting the skins, I wandered between the shelves of the store. As a result of Pryylböögäily, a small set of necessities came along.
The first to land on the counter were the carbon fiber poles intended for trekking. These boots are not suitable for downhill, but after bending them for some time I was convinced that they are durable enough for uphill snowboarding. Since the length of the poles is very small, they require tuning before taking them to the snow, but I think the effort is worth it: the sticks are half lighter than my old telescopes.
I replaced my artificial fiber trousers that had outlived their time with merino ones. Wool is said to be wet even when it's warm - or something? - and a friendlier material than nylon, which smells like ammonia after one use. Two pairs of pants went on the trip: one with long legs for sledding and shorter ones for skiing.
Since there is only one moon cycle left until Christmas, I decided to treat myself with two products: I packed the Snow Avalanche that ends up on my nightstand prematurely in a box! -book, and a fingerboard that I screw over the entrance to my boudoir.
E. Mäkelä, docent of FINLAV's Snow Safety, performing the snow cover durability test with P. Nurminen, an avalanche technician. Photo: Jarkko-Juhani
The handy-sized snow safety book is an excellent presentation of the subject based on quick browsing. The book is written by the Swedish avalanche expert Mårten Johanson, and Eeva Mäkelä and Jussi Muittari, the heads of the Finnish avalanche training system FINLAV, acted as experts in its Finnish translation. I warmly recommend getting the book for everyone who moves in landslide areas.
Otelaudan päätin hankkia koska sitä puolestaan suositeltiin minulle lämpimästi: vuoristo-opas Sami “Kelso” Modenius kertoi riippuvansa omassa laudassaan päivät pitkät – Sami kuulema voisi roikkua siinä työkseen jos vain joku suostuisi maksamaan siitä palkkaa – ja greidit vaan paukkuvat.
I suspect that if I start on Kelso's lines, my tendons and pullies will explode, so I have to take it a little easier. In any case, I am 100% convinced that after the snows of the coming winter have evaporated, my forks will be stronger than ever.
I wanted to buy a lot more, but since I've been taught that less is more, I was satisfied with these this time.
How much there is that I don't need. - Socrates
Free Invoice, p.119
After the euphoria of consumption dissipated, I remembered that the Ortovox 3+ pager was recalled sometime in the summer and I would go to the importer to fix the software of my devices. The importer clarified that the matter could have been handled in Camus as well. In any case, the software for the bikes is now in good condition and I can navigate towards ATES classified terrains with confidence.
Data flows from the box to the device. Photo: Jarkko-Juhani
After the cam updates, the packing started. A vanful of stuff accumulated for the six-month tour.
In addition to the boards and their bindings (with and without straps, soft and hard) and board shoes, the trip includes a few pairs of snowshoes, three pairs of skis, a pile of poles, a haulbäg of climbing equipment, all kinds of clothing at the bag store, about a dozen different pairs of shoes, a small library of snow safety and route guides, and more entertaining reading .
Goods and supplies, that's all there is. But less won't do, right?
The feeling is in any case, it's absolutely amazing to spend the whole winter on the better side of the rush limit. In the back of my mind, the thought that there isn't much snow yet...