Photos

Another image from our (Shirgold and I) amazing Safari up in the cold wilderness of Kussamo, Finland.
This time though we are with the snowmobiles rather than the dogs.

A bit about snowmobles....

A snowmobile (or snow scooter, often referred to by enthusiasts as a 'sled' and in the Canadian north and Alaska as a 'snowmachine', or as the genericized trademark of 'Ski-Doo') is a land vehicle propelled by one rubber track with ski(s) for steering. They are designed to be operated on snow and ice, and require no road or trail. Most snowmobiles are typically powered by two-stroke gasoline/petrol internal combustion engines. Four-stroke engines are becoming more and more popular in snowmobiles. Summertime occupations for snowmobile enthusiasts can also involve drag racing on grass or even asphalt strips. People that ride them are commonly known as snowmobilers. The three main types of riding are Motocross/racing, trail riding and mountain riding.

Snowmobiles are widely used in arctic territories for travel. However, the small population of the Arctic areas makes for a correspondingly small market. Most of the annual snowmobile production is sold for recreative purposes much further south, in those parts of North America where the snow cover is stable during the winter months. The number of snowmobiles in Europe and other parts of the world is relatively low, though they are growing rapidly in popularity.

The snowmobile market is now divided up between four big makers: Ski Doo, Arctic Cat, Yamaha, and Polaris.
Snowmobiles will beat most stock or aftermarket cars in a 0-100 drag race. An average 2007 snowmobile goes 0-60mph in 4 seconds flat and can achieve speeds in excess of 193 km/h (120mph). (Racing snowmobiles reach speeds in excess of 241 km/h [150mph]).Mountain sleds permit access in remote areas, of deep snow, which was nearly impossible a few decades ago. This is mainly due to improvements in technology.

Certainly a worthwhile experience......those full throttle cuts across the frozen lakes were truly exhilerating!
You can see other images and read all about our experiences in Shirs' travelogue.