Kertonselkä Mon, Jun 26, 2023, 12:20 PM In the strait between Kertonselkä and Matilanselkä there was suddenly a genuinely luxurious café. Coffee, buns and beer hit the spot. Yesterday was a bit windy so I only made it to the southern tip of Iitsalo in the early evening. Couldn't face crossing the 3 km open water into a headwind. Today calm again and sun shining. Heading for the Ketunhiekka fire site. Yesterday I spotted another osprey nest.
Ristiniemi Tue, Jun 27, 2023, 4:26 PM Waiting for the dark clouds to clear over Mämmenselkä. A slightly injured blue-wing butterfly came to suffer through an omelette straight from the spatula. Seemed to enjoy it. This morning a mink ran through the camp.
Kapeenniemi Wed, Jun 28, 2023, 2:47 PM Yesterday I portaged the gear through Äänekoski. Such a dead town that I only stopped at the R-kiosk to buy matches. Today a boring straight lake. Next up Kapeenkoski, then another straight lake.
Restaurant Sylvi Wed, Jun 28, 2023, 6:34 PM Looks like it's not worth pushing past the Kuusaankoski lean-to today. Right next to me here is quite a fine inn / activity centre / restaurant.
To Jyväskylä
After Vatianjärvi came another rapid — "Central Finland's largest free-flowing rapids". Next to it was Varjola farm, home to Bistro Sylvi. I had dinner there. Quite the luxury. There was also all manner of activities on offer, from river rafting to fat bikes and crossing the rapids on a zip line. I slept right on the riverbank. A loud roar, but it didn't bother sleeping. In the morning the Bistro wasn't open so I went to a more traditional café on the other side of the river. Also very characterful in a scruffy way — so was the staff.
I paddled toward Laukaa with thunder creeping behind me again. I made it to the harbour café before the storm. I ate there calmly while waiting out the weather. Probably only a couple of hours before I was moving again. From there to Kuhankoski, where I portaged the kayak around the lock — it felt so claustrophobic after the open water. Then another boring long lake, and after that Kuusisaari. A good jetty and cooking spot there, but the lean-to woodpile was nearly empty — just a euro pallet sawn into pieces.
After a relaxed morning I continued toward Jyväskylä. I stopped at Naissaari for coffee and a pastry. This time I decided to try going through the lock. A motorboat came along at the same time. On the way out I got positive comments from the shore — they apparently appreciated the kayak's long-distance cargo heap.
I continued to Kalasaari and cooked supper over wet wood under the cooking shelter. There was quite a mixed group of boaters: a couple in a rubber dinghy, a group of hippies on a mid-sized motor boat, a young engineer on an old speedboat, a fighter pilot instructor on a sailing boat, and a few others. I went to the sauna and apparently the session went on too long without hydrating, because the next day I was completely destroyed.
Stranded on Kalasaari Sat, Jul 1, 2023, 6:53 PM The sailing boat man, the kayak man and two motorboat men went to the sauna. At least one of them forgot to hydrate. Today he has slept and rehydrated all day. Tomorrow he will complete the last kilometres to Jyväskylä and declare the trip finished.
I slept the whole day and kept hydrating. In the evening I woke up, made porridge, and went back to sleep. Luckily the following day I was fine again. Must have been a hot day's paddling combined with a long sauna session.
I paddled the last five kilometres into Jyväskylä, packed up, lugged everything to the bus station, went to the Nepalese restaurant across the street, and then took the bus. Done.
Jyväskylä Sun, Jul 2, 2023, 4:25 PM Well then. Gear is waiting for the bus, I'm having lamb at the Nepalese place. Trip over.
