My Northern Home

Here is some of discoveries from Kiimalaki, Kaarestunturi. Same as with Sattasvaara, I wanted to separate them in to their own blog writing. As I have been trying not to make these writings too long! I manage again find some Palleroporonjäkälä ( Cladonia stellaris ), which like wikipedia says is an important lichen for reindeers to eat in wintertime. Now days though when there is too many reindeers, you can't find this lichen anywhere else, but the places which are so rocky and deep, that reindeers can't go there. I'm always so happy to see this little guy. Back in Eastern-Finland we had this a lot everywhere, but there is no reindeers so no wander why. I found also from the top of the hill a place where a lightning had struck. And then this guy. For me it little bit looks like a dragon's head with big mustaches, like with the Chinese dragon. The most interesting thing I found though, was this weird piece of bone. It was super light, s...

Kaarestunturi is a wide mountain with many peaks. Both times when i have been sitting on top of Sattasvaara, I have been looking over here and promised to myself to explore this mountain also. Now it came time to keep this promise. Like said, it's a wide mountain with many peaks, so i decided to cut this adventure in smaller pieces. From the map, I realized that I actually live now super close to Kaarestunturi on it's southern side. My plan was just to drive on bumpy little dirt roads and see, where would be good place to ditch the car and start hiking. When I found the road that was leading to the foot of the most southern peak of the mountain, I parked the car and thought, I will take just a little look while I'm here. Well, we all know what "just a little look" means. I spend nearly three hours (of course without water or any other supplies) on the field and actually climbed on top of the first peak called Kiimalak...

Our adventure to Sattasvaara hill was full of little wonders. It is wonderful to keep up crouching by interesting plants and weird mushrooms and rocks. Touch different kind of things you found. We are never too old for that! The terrain was super rocky, like most of the places here in Lapland. But I like it. And that also means here is a lot of different kind of rocks. Like in pic below! Magnetiitti or magnetite ( Fe3O4 ) is a rock-mineral and one of the main iron ores. Like the name refers, it is magnetic and I actually made a little experiment at home with a magnet from my fridge and a little piece of rock I took home. I could feel little pull between the magnet and the rock. I showed this to my geologist friend and he told me, that the blue and violet color comes from erosion by oxygen and water. So this one here is actually a rusty magnetite. How cool is this! Kalliokynsimö or Norwegian whitlow grass ( Draba norwegica ). Whitlow grasses (which are a...

Sattasvaara or Sattas-hill The name translates to sand-hill, as "satta" comes from sami-language and means "a place where is a lot of sand". Highest point 515 meters from the sea level, according to my tracker. I visited here first time last winter, when it was cold and shiny day and there was a lot of snow everywhere. And have to say, that it was definitely easier to climb up there in winter time, when all the rocks where under a snow. Now the paths were really tricky and we had to look where we step instead admiring the view.  The northern wind was same as last time, a bit cold. But the sun was shining from the south, as in the last time. So we dicided to eat our sandwiches and drink tea on the door step of the old fire watchman's hut. Hut covered us from the wind and the sun warmed our bodies and souls. And of course the view is better to the south, as there is a big and not so beautiful mine on the northern side of the hill.  ...