2016 in review

The outdoor year 2016 was for me pretty much about sea kayaking. The -Vigu sea kayak guide specialization started in March and was quite intensive, with the final being in Cornwall in September. In addition, I also did more mountain biking in the latter half of the year. On top of this, the year was quite hectic at work and a couple of times my stress level was definitely too high. Still, looking back at the outdoor year it wasn't a bad one.

Nordic skating and the lack of winter

The fall 2016 was actually quite nice. Dry weather until the end of October, then a short rainy period before the weather became colder. We even had snow the second week of November, but that soon disappeared after a week of raining. The weather continued to vary with temperatures both above and below freezing, with a November that was a lot less rainy and grey than usual.I have several friends who were quite impatient (ping Toni) and just waited for a real winter with snow. I would certainly also have welcomed lots of snow for fatbiking and skiing in November, but there is an advantage to having several arrows in you quiver. The lack of snow and temperatures still mostly below freezing made for the best Nordic skating on lakes for a long time.

Surly Ice Monster Truck

A little over a year ago I wrote that I expected for Surly or Salsa to come up with something new before paying their premium price. Neither of them did that, and yet here I am with a freshly built Surly Ice Cream Truck fatbike. How did this happen? I actually have two reasons, one of which is totally subjective. After having spent the last two years mainly on developing my sea kayaking skills, and achieving some sort of goal there, I now look forward to doing more bike riding, including some more demanding bike packing outings. The White 3Fat Pro isn't really enough for that.

White 3Fat Pro One Year Review

I've now had the White 3Fat Pro fatbike, sold by XXL, for a little over a year. As I'm about the complete the build of a new fatbike soon, it feels like a good time to sum up a year with the 3Fat Pro.

Vajosuo Beer Ride Episode VIII

It was again time for the traditional annual beer ride to Vajosuo, now the eighth time. While the beer never has been the main thing for most people, the focus has still been shifting more towards good food, and starting with last year even a lot more demanding riding.

Tour de Kurjenrahka - Early Winter Edition

Just a few days into November the temperature suddenly dropped. After five days the ice on smaller lakes was just strong enough to open the Nordic skating season (the earliest ever for me). A little later it started to snow, though the amount of snow varied a lot locally. A bit further to the east enough to go skiing in the forest, and in Turku enough to get a wintry feel. Such an early start to the winter naturally had to be taken advantage of, and thus I went to the Vajosuo shelter on Friday evening to meet up with Toni.