Furry Campers #1

We made it!! Last week something weird happened; mom and her friend packed our car and drove us a loooong way to Kuusamo, Finland. In that time I could have chewed AT LEAST 15 bones but they didn´t let me. How boring! Luckily I got my step brother Rollo accompanying me on this journey.

At Kuusamo we went to this trail called Karhunkierros (means something like Bear´s Circle in English). I heard it is one of the most popular hiking routes in Finland because of it´s beautiful nature and well marked trails. I preferred to concentrate on something much more interesting like REINDEER! Everywhere you go you see these delicious looking reindeer running around wild and free. I would have LOVED to hunt some of them down just for a little taste but for some reason my hooman didn´t like the idea.

Karhunkierros is a 82km long route with wonderful high hills, wet swamps, rocky rapid sides and pine forest. Some parts of the trail are harder than others but still I would say that it is suitable for beginners. It was my first longer route and I did it so well too! If it would have been up to me we would have ran the whole way.

Our hooman packed our backpacks with kibbles, high meat content wet food and blankets. Normally we are mainly on a raw diet but mom said that this time the weather was too warm to carry fresh meat with us.

Anyway it was a pretty good idea to have our own blankets since we love to sleep on soft places. It didn´t beat MY couch but still it was nice to lay down on something else than sticks and stones...

We slept few nights in laavu (wicket/lean-to made out of wood), one night in our own hammocks and the rest couple of nights in autiotupa (log cabins in the wilderness which anyone can freely use if they play by the rules, kinda like free hostels in the woods for hikers and campers). It was a very good idea to leave the tent home, since we always found some places to sleep. AND because I made a new door and a window to our tent on our last camping trip. At first mom was mad that I had destroyed her tent but luckily soon she realized that it truly did need some more ventilating panes!

Karhunkierros was such a great experience that I´m sure we will make another hike soon with my pack. In the meanwhile I will go outside to see if I can find some squirrels to play with. Have an adventurous day!

Yours, Maija the Alaskan Malamute