International guests of forest company rode in a car to island – were surprised next morning to see no bridge
The snow how of the Finnish forest sector was a surprise to the international guests of a forest company, as they were told they had ridden in a car to an island in Lake Saimaa. Finns make use of winter in their work in many ways.
Once the first snowflakes dance down in Lapland in September, the snow cover in Finland will last for about seven months, depending on whether you look at the north or the south of the country. The snow cover is thickest in March, sometimes reaching a depth of over one metre.
Those involved with tourism in Finland urge everyone to enjoy winter, and forest professionals also know how to do it. At first glance you might think that winter causes problems for harvesting operations – which, of course, it sometimes does. However, Finns know how to take advantage of winter conditions, at times in unexpected ways.
Heikki Kananen, transport entrepreneur and managing director of HKK-Kuljetus Oy, has a story about a group of visitors who came to Finland by air. Having landed after sundown, the group was taken by car to the guest lodge of their host, a Finnish forest company. Next morning the guests were told that they were on an island in Lake Saimaa. They were astounded.
’The guests just couldn’t believe that it’s possible to drive a car across a body of water. They went out to stomp on the ice to see for themselves that the ice could hold the weight of a passenger car. When it was time to return, we really had our work cut out to get them in the car,’ Kananen recollects.
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Ground frost hardens logging roads
Finns take advantage of winter conditions not only to visit their island cottages, but also in timber harvesting. According to Kananen, most logging roads in Finland are gravelled and were constructed decades ago for transport vehicles that weighed less than modern ones.
The roads can only carry the 76 tonnes of a fully loaded timber truck because preparation for this begins in the autumn. Logging roads are kept ploughed open from the first snowfall, for despite its coldness, snow acts as an insulator. When roads are ploughed, ground frost freezes the supporting ground solid and the road can carry the heavy vehicles.
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Kananen says this example shows that Finns have learned to live with winter.
’It’s been like this throughout our history. Finland is a great country with four distinct seasons,’ says Kananen, whose company HKK-Kuljetus Oy specialises in transporting pole timber.
Winter roads are an ecological option
According to Metsähallitus, as much as half of the timber transport in Lapland and nearly half of the annual timber harvesting makes use of winter roads. This refers to roads constructed on top of snow and ice in places with no year-round roads.
Thanks to winter roads, timber can also be harvested and transported in areas normally not accessible by roads.
The foundation of a winter road is made across even terrain in a heath-type forest or on peatland. Snow is compacted along the length of the road, and the road is levelled mechanically or soil from roadside ditches is spread on it.
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Once the supporting ground is frozen to a sufficient depth, the harvesting machinery and even the timber lorries can safely use the winter roads.
This winter the depth of snow has been less than average in Finland, but there have been sufficient below-zero periods to allow roads to freeze in northern Finland.
The excavations in the autumn proceeded well, with no snow to hamper the work. Frost periods with little snow have also helped to freeze the roads well enough that they can carry timber lorries.
’The excavations in the autumn proceeded well, with no snow to hamper the work. Frost periods with little snow have also helped to freeze the roads well enough that they can carry timber lorries,’ says Ari Pesonen, Head of Forest Management at the Ostrobothnia-Kainuu district of Metsähallitus Metsätalous Oy in a media release.
Winter roads are temporary. They are cost-effective to make, for a permanent logging road requires the use of crushed stone and continuous maintenance, among other things. Moreover, a winter road leaves little trace in the environment, and what there is, will gradually become almost invisible.
The forest company UPM also takes advantage of winter. It uses roads built on ice to harvest timber on islands, provided the weather conditions are right and the safety of transport can be assured.
Accessing forest parcels by snow scooter
Forest professionals also know how to enjoy and take advantage of winter. In the North, snow scooters can be an invaluable help for forest professionals making field visits.
Roope Nilivaara works as forest expert for the timber procurement and forest services at Metsä Group. He is part of a procurement team active across most of the vast Finnish Lapland.
’Distances in Lapland are long, and you have to be self-reliant in your work, moving on your own across an extensive timber procurement area,’ Nilivaara says.
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Nilivaara’s equipment includes a snow scooter, for in the north the network of forest roads is not very dense in all areas and often the roads are unploughed. The distance to a parcel from a public road can be several kilometres. Using a snow scooter makes the work more efficient, as it is considerably faster than a pair of skis.
Using a snow scooter saves your energy, but you do need to know how to drive it and to ensure it’s in good condition, to avoid mishaps. Driving a scooter is also a leisure pursuit, so it’s brilliant to be able to combine it with your work.
’Using a snow scooter saves your energy, but you do need to know how to drive it and to ensure it’s in good condition, to avoid mishaps. Driving a scooter is also a leisure pursuit, so it’s brilliant to be able to combine it with your work,’ Nilivaara says.
’This winter, I’ve ridden about 400–500 kilometres on my Lynx. Thanks to the scooter, I can vet the parcel thoroughly even though it’s winter, and the landowner will get updated proposals for fellings and forest management operations.’
’The scooter has worked fine and everything’s been all right. There’s not that much snow considering the season, maybe 60 centimetres. It’s exceptional that there’s so little of it, last winter the depth was over one metre,’ Nilivaara says.
As a rule, snow scooters can be used in Lapland from mid-November to early May. Nilivaara uses his own scooter, but his employer pays him a compensation for each kilometre and for the general availability. In Finland, permission from the landowner is always necessary for entering an area with a snow scooter.
