Picture: Meg and Liam ready to ski
As a kid, I remember my dad asserting that every time he washed the car or even put on sunglasses, the heavens would open and there would be rain. It was if the gods were watching and waiting to pull a prank. In Finland, right now I kind of feel that the same thing is happening since I bought us all cross country skis. Literally, the next day after the last set was purchased, the temperatures rose 20 degrees and the snow (on the pavements at least) turned to 6 inches of non-skiable slush. I’ve heard that the weather in Jyväskylä this past month or so has been the highest and lowest people have seen in decades. Our family is checking the weather daily as you’re never really sure if it will be just above freezing which now feels relatively sweltering, or double digits below zero which is, well, you can imagine…
Cross country skiing is hugely popular here in Jyväskylä-a town where one in three adults consistently participates in sport or exercise 4-6 times per week. There are even 240 km of hiking, biking, and ski trails within city limits. We all decided that this would be a good low-impact form of outdoor exercise everyone could enjoy as the snow is still a few feet deep off the paths. With that in mind I took the kids to Laajis, the local ski and outdoor park on Tuesday so that they could begin to learn how it’s done. The first thing that was startling for us when we arrived was how many school kids were there. The slopes were busy with young people of all ages snowboarding or downhill skiing, while the trails and flat areas had kids as small as first and second graders tooling around on their cross country skis. Teachers had their students either in groups or doing their own thing for hours. Some of the elementary school-aged kids even left the park by themselves and returned without adult supervision. I’d learned that students spend a good couple of hours at a time each day playing some kind of sport or enjoying an outdoor activity during school hours, and here it was being demonstrated. For a teacher from the U.S. it’s all very confusing at times. Still, my guys did well and we only had a few run-away situations on some short downhills. We will spend more time honing our skills for sure.
After another cold snap, Robyn and I decided to enjoy the flat snow on Jyväskylä’s main lake on skis. There are some long groomed trails for skiers as well as a smoother snow-free ice skating loop that is still about a mile in length. The warm weather had brought some doubts to our minds as to the integrity of the ice strength, and it was with a little trepidation that we took to the nearest trail to the shore. Robyn and I both ventured out only after watching other skiers, skaters and walkers enjoy the ice without disappearing suddenly into a patch of cold water. It was great, and for a beginner nice to have miles of smooth open snow to practice technique (by technique I mean staying upright and moving faster than a shuffle). I’ve gotten used to septuagenarians zooming past effortlessly, but I’m getting incrementally faster and smoother. I also had the opportunity to explore how deep the ice actually was when I found a recently abandoned ice fishing hole from that morning. I rolled up my sleeves and reached down as far as I could, but could not feel the end of the ice. In fact, it was already beginning to freeze up even though the air temperature was above freezing. Another clue regarding ice safety was that the snow plough had been out smoothing the ice the day before, and even with all the starchy and wintry foods I’ve been consuming, the thing still had to be heavier than I am. All good fun, yet the warmer weather has increased the number of times I’ve heard this particular phrase that seems laden with promise: You should see it here in the Spring…
Still, don’t take my word for it. Here’s a link to the official tourist website that shares some great background information, photos and events here in town and the surrounding area:
Laajis Urban Ski Center (photo taken from their website)
Lake Jyväsjärvi, photo: Kalevi Korhonen
