|
Moses And The Tour Guide’s Snow-Shoes |
|
|
|
By Antje Neumann
|
|
Friday, 23 January 2009 |
|
 Moses the husky pulling Antje and the snowshoe
The old black sled dog Moses has probably never seen the sea. At least, when he steps on the ice near Nallikari Beach very carefully, he shoots me a questioning look every now and then. I admit the ice does not look too promising. The winter has started warm this year; however, at least along the shore line's shallow waters the ice will hold. Moses isn't the only one to give me a strange look when going on the ice: the passers-by look questioning, too.
Their hesitation's probably not so much at the ice as the big blue snow discs I’m wearing, although the snow's less than 1 cm deep. Perhaps I should have gone to the forest where this would be less embarrassing.
Then again I have to retrain. For a busy season of guiding customers through the deep snow of Kuusamo's forests and fells on day tours, each about 10-15 km long, you need a good level of fitness. Pity aerobic competence and a six pack doesn't fall from the sky!
For six weeks I hopped around on crutches in a cast while the bone healed; next came stretching to get shortened tendons into shape. Now my physiotherapist has given me the go for the winter: snow shoeing, skiing–everything permitted.
Joy, I've only a week to get my muscles working again before customers arrive at Kuusamo airport this Sunday, to be led around in snow shoes at normal speeds. Can you imagine anything more confusing than a tour guide slower than her group? I'll enjoy myself, but that won't save my dignity. Other measures are called for.
Hiking on snow shoes isn't difficult in itself. Clumsy things, they distribute your body weight over a larger surface than normal boots; you don’t sink as much and can tramp through the forest without sticking up to your hips in the deep. They're also great because they have spikes so you don’t slip on icy surfaces.
Moses, padding over the ice without spikes, has a harder time than me.
Flip side: the shoes weigh about 500 g each: not only do I have to walk 10-15 km uphill and downhill next week, but I’ll have the equivelant of an overweight squirrel on my ankles.
Worrying about that, I come up with a simple and brilliant idea: Moses will save me. The big black dog, the old lead dog from the Finnjann husky farm, has pulled sledges all his life. Now he’s unable to run fast enough for sledge teams. However, he’s still in good condition (much better than me) and very good at pulling. Next week he’ll motor me up any hills in the Kuusamo area.
Perhaps no one in my group will notice my little secret...hope you won’t tell them either!
|
