Day 36 – to Lemmenjoki (National Park)

The winter wardrobe was out this morning, and the day not forecast to get above 11C, and getting cooler as the week progresses.

There were far less people around at the hiking trailhead also, though just as I thought I was one of the few around, a rambling group of very heavy people arrived by bus.

My aim this morning though was the neighbouring fell to where I was yesterday, Palkaskero, on a circular trail just across the valley from yesterday.

There were a few people, all it seemed, walking clockwise.. don’t ask me why, but my habit is unless convinced otherwise, to go against the clock.

Sunny intervals, windy, the odd shower, conditions one might expect in the Lakes in about 6-8 weeks time.

Every few kilometres there’s an informative panel, translated into English and German, and certainly some of them are interesting.. for example..

There are quite a few white reindeer around. White calves, the board tells me, are particularly sleepy, so much so, that often you can quietly approach them and touch them without them noticing. Not much chance if you’ve a dog with you though.

The Golden Plover bird is common, with its nests in the boggy areas. Local legend says that it helps create an atmosphere in the fells, by bringing messages to hikers, making their mood sentimental with its melancholy whistle.

The Sámi used to believe that the raven was a magical bird. They thought that beneath its coal-black plumage was a white feather. Anyone who found this feather would gain magical powers. I’ve always time for the ravens. Through film and literature they have a bad name. In one of my favourite novels, O Caledonia, young Janet has a tamed raven, to which she tries to get it to say ‘Nevermore’, but all it says is ‘Nevermind’.. not quite the same effect to those she shows it off to.

Here’s one of those reindeer corrals that I mentioned yesterday, where they are gathered in mosquito season..

After lunch my original plan was to head to Hetta, at the far north of the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, but after some reading, I changed my mind. To hike anything decent at Hetta it’s is necessary to take the ferry across the lake, and as of this week, they are only running two times a day weekdays. Besides, it was quite a way off my route.

So I headed north, towards Inari on an unsealed road, the 955, and diverted by 10 kilometres or so, to Lemmenjoki, and it’s National Park.

Lemmenjoki National Park is on the far north border of Forest Lapland, just below the treeline. It’s a 2855 square kilometre natural wilderness ideal for reindeer farming, of which there are about 7500. The villages on the edge are inhabited by Sámi who make a living from farming and tourism.