Going toward the light in Northern Lapland

In January the spring gets started as the sun peeks over the horizon, and the polar night turns into the previous year's last memory. Despite the freezing temperatures and the scarcity of light in mid-winter, there have been many skiers and even hikers trudging through the snow.  

Varying amounts of snow  

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In Inari there is more than half a metre of snow on the ground in the Lemmenjoki area, and in the Inari-Ivalo area the blanket is less than half a metre thick. The Sevetti area already has more than 70 centimetres of snow and there is plenty of water on the ice. Road conditions are challenging. Utsjoki still has little snow and the snowbanks have not yet been packed down. The depth of the snow in the Urho Kekkonen National Park varies in its different locations. In central areas of the park it is about half a metre deep, and there is less in northern areas. 

The ice situation is good and snowmobile routes are being marked. The last ice-covered routes are expected to be marked in week 3 in the Utsjoki and Kaamanen areas, and on Lake Inari. The snowmobile route to Raja-Jooseppi ends about a kilometre before the customs building. Those using the route must turn back. Metsähallitus is doing the routing and clearing up of the snowmobile track, after which it will be marked in the terrain, and a gate will be built for the reindeer fence. When this is done, the snowmobile path will again be accessible with a snowmobile track permit all the way to Raja-Jooseppi. The predicted time of completion is late February.

Deliveries of firewood to cabins and rest areas are beginning

Wood has already been delivered to the most crucial locations, the most remote of which are the Kuivi hut in Kevo and the Vaskojoki hut in Lemmenjoki. The service routes will first be run using snowmobiles, to keep the later, heavier sleigh deliveries from getting stuck.

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At Saariselkä in the Urho Kekkonen National Park  

Ski track cafés are to open again for the spring season. Café entrepreneurs in Metsähallitus locations maintain the Luulampi ski track café and the Moitakuru day cabin ski track café. It is best to check the opening hours of the ski track cafés in advance. 

Coronavirus situation 

The number of beds in the reservable huts and wilderness huts has been reduced, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. In huts with space for more than ten people, bed space has been reduced to six people. It has also been necessary to reduce the number of customers served at the nature centres, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.   

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