Petäjävesi: Syrjäharju trail

When I look down on the Pengerjoki river at Petäjävesi, Central Finland, it's almost as if November was on a mission to kill the colours. November blues in the air. I have taken the Syrjäharju trail, about 8 kilometres north from Petäjävesi.

I am in the middle of the countryside. There are horses in the neighbouring houses, and you can see someone has been riding on this narrow road. I hope the horseshoes nailed on the outbuilding by the side of the road will bring me luck. In a moment, I hear cars approaching; one, two, three,... I lose count. Glad I'm wearing a bright red jacket today because these guys have been hunting, and it seems they've been lucky.

For a while I don't feel especially lucky in the greyish weather, especially because the trail follows a road instead of taking a turn to the woods. Nature trails are often narrow tracks - let's hope that it's not going to be like this for the full 4 kilometres.

However, close to a turn of the marked trail I stop to study my map and take a side step to find a nearby kota (a tipi-like hut made of logs) - and discover a ready-made fire which the hunters have left behind. Did they know I was coming? Thank you anyway! There are just enough flames left for my brief stay for a cup of tea and a snack.

The short stop revives my spirit and I continue the trail much happier. The forest around me looks different than in the beginning of the trail. The ridge area must be getting closer.

In the meanwhile, I can listen to the sound of silence around me. Or my footsteps on the rustling leaves. Is that a blue tit singing?

Finally a sign welcomes me to the left and there is a proper narrow path, my favourite kind. The path climbs up to the Syrjänharju ridge (harju = ridge) which actually consists of a 7-kilometre long area, not just this ridge top I'm standing on right now.

The ridge area is an important ground water source for the region. Syrjänharju has for hundreds of years provided local people not just berries, mushrooms and fresh water; the hunting tradition still continues today.

The ridge got its shape in the end of the ice age about 10,000 years ago. The moss-covered slopes are quite steep! I wish the trail continued on the ridge for a longer stretch. Only too soon the trail turns to downwards to the right and meets the country road again.

Tervahaudat sign greets me after the wide powerline opening. Terva = tar, hauta = grave. In the old days, the locals used to burn tar here, and there are still remainders of those tar burning areas left, although it is not very easy to spot them; if I get it right, the ditches among the trees mark the edges. 

The rest of the trail continues to follow the gravel roads before arriving back to Penkkalantie where the trail starts. The traditional pistoaita fence that surrounds a house by the road is something you don't see in cities. Oh no, the light is beginning to fade...so I won't be able to visit the bird watching tower close by in daylight after all.

Petäjävesi: Karhunahas gorge

Petäjävesi is about 30 kilometres west from Jyväskylä in Central Finland. When you travel some 20 kilometres north from Petäjävesi, to the woods almost on the border of its neighbour community Multia, you can enjoy a lovely, short walk to Karhunahas gorge.

Karhu is 'bear' in Finnish, and ahdas, or ahas in local dialect, means 'narrow' - in this case a tight spot. The area was a favourite among the local hunters in the old days. The gorge was named after a bear hunt which ended there successfully for the hunters but not so well for the king of the forest.

A well-kept but narrow trail guides me through the forest, with the usual duckboards in the places where the ground is more wet. I soon reach the Karhunahas gorge and stare down at the dark water; careful, not too close to the edge of the cliff. You never know what mysterious creatures might be lurking down there...

Another trail, marked with red paint, leads me round the gorge - about 700 metres on Karhunpolku, A Bear's Trail. Although bears still occasionally walk the woods also in this region, the risk of meeting one by chance these days in a Finnish forest is minimal. Usually they try to stay clear of people and go quietly away if they notice humans close by.

The air around here is so pure...You can tell that also by the Usnea (lichen) hanging from the trees. The bigger it grows, the cleaner the air.

The path turns back to take me to the other side of the gorge. A tiny house? Does somebody live here? Not anymore. Many many decades ago, this simple hut gave shelter to the man attending the mill which was located on the mill stream only few steps away.

The weather-torn shingles on the roof have barely made it until now, and the abandoned house can no longer guarantee for anyone to stay dry inside. And I definitely wouldn't light a fire in the fireplace, the chimney cannot be safe anymore.

I stop to admire the beautiful mill stream which now runs wild, with water falling down in splashes. The trail climbs upwards to the top of the cliffs and crosses it a bit further upstream.

After a little while, a surprise waits for me behind the corner, oh well, behind the trees! I step off the winding path to gaze in wonder at the white/brownish foam gathering on this stretch of the stream. Where on earth does this come from and what is it? Surprisingly, the foam seems linger here, as if there was a natural filter, and when the water reaches the Karhunahas gorge, it seems perfectly clear again. Good.

Looking at the quietly impressive Karhunahas gorge, I forget the foam... The beginning of this trail is on the other side which means that I will soon sit down for a quiet snack. Actually, not so quiet; finally, other walkers arrive - a large family group, with children and adults enjoying a day trip in the nature.

Some of the adults stay behind to make a fire for the coffee, while the rest continue to follow the same trail as I did. The firewood is kindly provided by the local Töysänperä village community free of charge (if you carry it from the parking area) but some idiot has stolen the axe used for chopping wood from the laavu, the shelter, which is guarded by a wooden bear sculpture. Apparently the thief wasn't afraid of the bear's revenge - but maybe it will come...