My winter in pictures.

Winter is over. Snow melted fast, and we've been enjoying some warm days, completely different from the late May last year. I could say my winter was pretty much like the previous ones, guiding sled dog tours, and skiing and hunting in spare time. Well, here's a very random selection of pictures from the winter...

Pine marten hunting season is on for the whole winter, up to the end of March. Here we're tracking one in Kaamanen area. As a light dog Kumu can move quite decently even in very soft powder snow.

Having a break. Under a tree there's usually a bit less snow, so easier to dig a pit for the fire.

Travelling on the Lake Inari. It was a nice winter to work for the husky farm. We didn't have almost any slushy or rainy days. Trails were pretty good the whole winter, not very icy, and no heavy snow fall at one go.

Clients with their teams following the guide. A team for one person is 4-6 dogs.

Uphill work.

Taro and Leon are eagerly trying to take over the lead team, client on the brake to slow them down. Balancing the teams is sometimes a comlicated job. Some dogs pull the most right after the start, some work about the same the whole day, some get tired before the others, order of the teams might make difference....

Perfect weather on Lake Inari. Dogs enjoy running on a soft layer of fresh snow on well packed trail.

Untouched snow on a sunny and cold winter day is the back country skier's paradise.

Sometimes pine marten tracking ends this way. Satisfied dog after a succesful work in Hammastunturi wilderness area.

As the the temperature stayed pretty much the whole winter below zero, skiing conditions were rather soft.

Upper fell areas are always a bit better, and the wind keeps the snow more packed.

Another game I'm hunting in winter, in addition to pine marten, is a willow grouse. Here a few took off just in front of me.

Sometimes one ends up in the hunter's back pack.

You know trees are not just trees, right? They all have their own personalities. This one just can't stay in line, and is acting like a spruce should not to. Trying to reach it's neighbour.

Here a bigger and stronger one is showing domination to a seemingly smaller and weaker one. And the others around them do nothing. Same happens too often in human life as well.

Camping during a skiing trip in Kaldoaivi wilderness area.

Skiing up on a white fell. You can see my friend in front on the right side.

Open hut in Kaldoaivi wilderness. Birches in this area were destroyed by tunturimittari, Epirrita autumnata. Sometimes they can destroy a very large area, and part of it permanently.

Willow grouse sun bathing in Kaldoaivi.

Nice view from a fell top. You won't get claustrophobic here.

Common fellow in tall forests, a squirrel.

Early May brought some excellent skiing conditions with it. Warm days, but cold nights, plenty of snow left.

Easy to make a fire, as in the southern sides of slopes there's some ground exposed. Last days of the skiing season.

Well, by this age I should have learned that never say never. Earlier I wrote that I won't make knives for sale this summer, but the opposite happened.... Here's some puukkos in the making. I will post them up for sale in few days. So if you're interested in one, stay tuned.