reindeer games

I've ridden some of the best areas that the Midwest has to offer, butI was truly awestruck by the beauty and variety of the terrain in Finland.Whether riding in untouched powder just a few miles away from the Finnish-Russianborder or winding through a silvery forest of iced trees, snowmobiling in Scandinavia was an experience of a lifetime.

This past March, I had the opportunity to snowmobile in Finland's Lapland region with Audrey and Dick Decker of Decker's Sno-Venture Tours. The Wisconsin couple, with the help of two Finnish snowmobile tour companies, guided agroup of seven people on a six-day snowmobiling adventure.

Our first two days were spent in and near Rovaniemi. Located near the Arctic Circle, this is one of the hottest (pun intended) places to ride in Finland. Our Lynx snowmobiles were lined up and waiting for us when we landed. We were escorted through the airport by our tour guides. As soon as we had our luggage, our guides took us downstairs to a room where they stored their gear. With boots, bibs and helmets on, we were ready to begin our adventure.

The ride started near the runway, where we found a trail that led usto the Ounaskjoki River. We rode along the river to a reindeer park, witha photo stop along the way. The terrain is somewhat similar to riding in the midwest and eastern United States. There are a lot of snow-covered hills,open meadows and rivers to ride along.

Our first real break came at a reindeer park, where we learned a little about the importance of reindeer in Finnish culture. More than just a source of meat, these animals are also used as transportation. A few were suited in their traditional Finnish costumes, and pulled us through the woods. This one RP (reindeer power) sled was fun, but no match for the Bombardier-built Lynx snowmobiles that brought us to and from the park. We rode home to Rovaniemiand paid a visit to our tour guide's office, the Safari Shop.

The next day we had the chance to stop at a sled dog ranch, Santa's Village and the Lynx factory near Rovaniemi. At the dog farm we met the team's owner and trainer, who showed us around and let us try riding behind a very excited team. Since it was the first run for the dogs that day, the seven little guys packed quite a bit of CP (canine power). We met Mrs. Claus, and poked around for a while. I even saw the post office where all my Christmas letters were sent, asking for puppies and ponies.

The last stop of the day was Bombardier's Lynx factory, where we were given a personal tour of the plant's operations. It is a pretty high-tech facility that cranks out Europe's most popular snowmobiles; one third are utility machines, one third are recreational touring vehicles, and one third are sportier performance sleds.

A day later, we arrived in Salla, 100 miles north of Rovaniemi, and 15 miles west of the Russian border. Our new tour company, Arctic Circle Safaris, provides custom excursions year-round and organizes each safari on a full-service basis. They provided us with high quality gear: snowmobile suit, helmet, boots, gloves and new Lynx and Arctic Cat sleds.

This was our day to explore the terrain. We played "follow the leader" through trails in the woods, and up and down some steep, tree-covered hills to an untouched powder playland right on the Russian border. The snow conditions were ideal: two and a half feet of snow with not a sign of humanity anywhere on it! We shot across the fields and sprayed snow everywhere. When we encountered hills, the challenge was to keep up enough speed to stay afloat in the powder,but slow enough to navigate around the trees.

After our long day out on the snow, we were welcomed back with an invitation to relax and enjoy an original Finnish sauna.

As our trip came to an all-too-quick end, I couldn't help but think about where in the world I could possibly go next to top this experience. I hear Iceland is quite nice in March

For more information about exotic tours, like this trip to Finland, contact Decker Sno-Venture Tours at 715/479-2764. AS