The time I got rescued by a dog team while driving a snowmobile Grooming trails the old-school way Back in the day, one of my main jobs was grooming roughly 250km of trail each week. That meant heading out with a snowmobile, dragging grooming gear behind me, and keeping everything in shape for the dogs.…
The day I parked a snowmobile in a tree Early Days in Kontiovaara Back when Veronika and I were just getting started with the kennel in Kontiovaara, Lieksa, we had about 250 km of trails to keep in shape. Money was tight, so when it came to equipment, we had to make do with what…
Gazik – The Dog Who Taught Me Calm Some dogs are easy to work with. They come into your kennel, figure out the routine, bond with people, run well in harness, and just get on with it. But others … others are more complicated. More guarded. More sensitive. And sometimes, it’s those dogs – the…
How Charlie Charmed His Way Into Finland A little while ago, I went looking for some new blood for the kennel, fresh genetics to bring into the team. One piece of advice I’ve often heard from other mushers is this: “If you want strong genetics, don’t just follow the kennels that win races. Look at…
The Time I Lost My Sled But Gained a Friend I’m gonna tell a story about the time that I lost my sled but gained a friend. Now one of the cardinal rules of dog driving is: do not let go. Under any circumstance. Whatever happens, you don’t let go of your sled. The reason…
The Day the Kota Burned Down and How Chimney Got His Name February in Lapland is always busy. The days are cold, the dogs are running strong, and guests from all over the world arrive to experience the magic of sled dog tours. But on one particular day in February 2024, we had an adventure…
The Day 100% of My Guests Ended Up in Hospital (and I Beat the Insurance Company) This is the story of the one tour where everything went sideways. Both of my guests ended up in hospital – 100% of them – and somehow, at the end of it all, I still came out on top…
The time Lumi found the lunch spot without a single cue If you’ve read any of my previous stories about Lumi, you’ll know she was something special. A white blur of intelligence and intuition, with a memory like a steel trap. This story is another gem from her long list of hero moments: the time…
Mango – The Dog Who Would Never Quit You can’t talk about Kurt – that powerful, no-nonsense lead dog who opened my eyes to what sled dogs are capable of – without mentioning Mango, his son. Mango was born from a pairing between Kurt and a female named Hukka, who I bought from Jukkko Honkkapirtti.…
Kurt – The dog who showed me what power really feels like Every once in a while, you get an experience with a dog that changes your entire perspective – not just on training or driving, but on what sled dogs are truly capable of. This is one of those stories. It’s about a dog…