Day 1, adventure 849, start. After having woken up a little bit, despite the darkness chasing the energy out of my body, it was time to meet the squad: the wolfpack. I was about to meet my friends for the upcoming 3 weeks, 20 furry balls of happiness. Snow was softly drizzling down from the sky, carefully finding its way into the crowd and becoming one with the enormous snow mass that already gathered on the ground. Today was a cold day forcing the thermometer towards -30. Like an excited penguin I found my way towards my team, the 20 dogs waiting (im)patiently to get running again. The 5 layers of clothing made it a funny trip, and the fact that I was so excited to go made it even funnier. Some slipping and tripping but I loyally kept following my favourite sound, the barkers. The sky was pitchblack still and it looked like daylight would never return, but at the same time the glowing carpet of snow lit up the forest around me. Arriving at the dogs, I got the warmest possible welcome as all 20 snouts turned my way, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Having arrived at the office, it was now time to start working. December was the busier month for Levi, a very much beloved tourist destination, especially popular as the place to spend the perfect Christmas. Now starting at 8 was not that early, but the darkness made it feel early. The dogs had already had their morning round of their beloved food, and now they've had enough time to transfer that into energy for their biggest passion: running. But, we did not prepare them any sooner than needed, as they are not keepable of containing themselves while waiting. They will start fighting, pulling, biting, all those kinds of dogs-antics. But who can blame them, when their spirits are precisely what's keeping the days so exciting. So we were on poo-duty, and trust me, that's not as bad as it sounds considering the poo is frozen and smelly-free. It's actually a great morning-workout as well as a necessary activity to stay warm.
As mentioned, the busy season had made its arrival, meaning we started preparing 4 sleds, each holding 4 to 6 dogs depending on the amount of people driving it. or let’s be straight, their weight counts as well, we put the health of the dogs first, always. I could never even work in a place where the wellbeing of animals isn’t priority 1. And then the fun begins. Let me bet you the dogs smell those harnesses, the dark really is no obstacle. And well, they are copycats (dogs) because when one starts barking, the others follow loyally. Now getting a harness on a dog, is like dressing a kid: never a dull moment. Either they are happy with any form of attention and therefore literally throw themselves against you, willingly offering their paws like a kid stretching its arms for the ropes. But there are also dogs, happy as well, that like to play the catch-me-if-you-can game, which gets reaaally frustrating with the time pressure going on, forcing me to rise my voice. But that also does not always work.
Yet, at some point, when all the dogs are dressed up for the parade, we take them to the sledges. Or actually they are taking us, our only job is making sure we do not let go because as I said, they will take you with them. But that is a matter of physical strength. The more important job requires some psychological reading as well; figure out which dogs can or cannot pas each other. Young males will try to show whose the boss, too many female together also like to get sassy, and young dogs will try to annoy old dogs. So if needed, a detour with our knees trough the snow to reach the small pathway where the sledges are prepared, is taken. Then we have to attach the dogs to the long rope laying in front of the sled, which we do by the harness, for the pulling, and by the neckline, to prevent them from turning. Cause whether they do or do not like the neighbours behind them, they are never supposed to turn back because then they get caught in this ugly mess where ropes and lines are twisting and they can get themselves in tricky situations. So basically that is what has to be done, as smoothly as possible although some bruises are unavoidable, and then we wait for the customers to appear.
When they do, it is usually a cute little mix of nationalities, all very unfamiliar with the cold and therefore appearing like nervous penguins. And I understand, because as excited as I was before my first dog-sledding ride, as afraid I was when it was about to start. You see these dogs turning into wild wolves pulling the sled heavily, making the trees they are bind up to drop its snow. You see the leaders of the team correcting the rioters, expressing their excitement by shaking heavily or completely own it by curling up in the snow. Seeing the small path and the surprisingly simple wooden sled, I understand peoples minds going to places where they see themselves and the sleds being dispatched from each other. This sometimes leads to them not wanting to be the driver anymore which to be fair is a lucky strike for us employees as we get to enjoy an unexpected ride. But of course we usually try to calm their nerves with a clear explanation which comes down to the worst case scenario being to fall off, in which case they can just wait for us to stop the sledges if the leaders of the team don’t feel like having a break.
So that’s when it all begins, as the people find their position on the sled, it’s time for the anchor on front and the rope at the back to be released, and the second the driver lets go of the brake, the silence clarifies that you left. Because the second the sleds pulls lose, the dogs get quiet, into their absolute trance. No sound is made, no more time for joking around, they take their jobs very seriously. While the guest are gone for about an hour, I prepared the hot berry juice to ensure a comfortable comeback. This sweet berry syrup is mixed with hot water and let me tell you this is one of the simplicities in Finland I enjoy mostly. But it doesn’t just stop there, the job gets a little bit harder, I have to prepare a fire, old-school, in a so called Laavu, which is basically a tent with a little hole in its roof which makes it perfect for an old fashioned campfire. This means I have to chop wood (the second I managed to chop a little scar in my finger I started asking for help) and then create a rather architectural structure out of the chopped wood to create that perfect fire catcher. To get the fire started is a little challenge require the patience of angle, but to keep the fire going in these cold and windy conditions, is like a new-born baby having to be fed every 15 minutes.
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