When surrounded by such vast amounts of forest you understand the elusiveness of the wildlife here in the Finnish Lapland. The forest and the winter combined create all kinds of mysteries here, yet all you need is some fresh snow and you start to understand that the wildlife surrounds you. Here are tracks from the Arctic Hare as it moves along the banks of the River Ounasjoki.

It is very rare to see animals in the wild here, one has to be very silent and patient if you wish to see animals in places other than on the road side or farms. Imagine you lived out in the silent woods, you’d be fully aware of a bunch of people wondering around taking pictures of everything and paying attention to nothing in particular. My advice is to go somewhere and really appreciate the beauty that surrounds you and to appreciate it entirely for yourself. Then in that moment, maybe, just maybe, something magical will happen. 

There are now a few tracks going all the way across the Ounasjoki but it hasn’t completely frozen over, as  you can see from the steamy patch in the distance.

By the end of the month I hope to be skiing along this river with some beautiful lights over head, some great company and a few bits of wood to make a nice warm fire at the other end to grill some sausages over.