Last weekend I decided to head into the wilderness by bike instead of walking. I do prefer walking in these forests because of its calmer tempo and because that way it´s easier to observe nature and have animal contacts but variation creates refreshment!

Cycling about 25 kilometers through varying terrain turned out to be very enjoyable, all I can say that I felt exhausted but thrilled at the same time. I ran out of water but fortunately I could fill my bottle from a stream on the way. Riding on a narrow trail surrounded by beautiful landscapes and bypassing crystal clear lakes bring forward the combination of the thrill of speed and the calming effect of natural environment. Riding a mountain bike on this terrain is very technical because of all the curves, ups and downs, fallen trees and the roots of pine trees sticking out from the ground. You have to stay focused or you´ll end up off the trail and might hurt yourself. And yet again, the weather couldn´t have been better as you can see! I feel amazed about the stunning Indian summer that we have had the privilege to enjoy this year.

What made the experience even more spectacular was the fact that I had more contacts with animals than people! Not hearing any man-made sounds for hours really tones up the natural world of sound and sharpens your senses. I saw about a dozen reindeers but seeing the Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) from a quite close distance for the first time was really nice. After witnessing the bird´s flight for a few minutes I understood why this beautiful bird of prey is considered as one of the most skillful fliers in the world, it is known to catch even swallows straight from the air. It is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa and Asia and nesting here in the North-Eastern Finland too.

I found some interesting tracks on the sandy beach also, wolves have been moving in this area but it´s really hard to tell the difference between the tracks of a wolf and a large dog. My suggestion is that these were dog tracks but I´m not 100 percent sure because of the size. Three red-breasted mergansers were diving and fishing in the lake while I was having a picnic, it was nice to observe their daily routines. My target was to find some boletuses on the way too but I didn´t find a single one, I hope they will be forthcoming…

I hope this post conveys you with the feelings of the space, physical exercise, nice weather and the tranquility of nature that I experienced during the day!