A bit more timeline following recap than just my few videos.
As is usual for my Finalgear meet trips, I'm starting from a week before the meet. Eye-Q and I were heading even further north for some skiing/snowboarding before the track meet itself. He was being more sensible and flying to within 20km of the Levi resort, while I had a modest 12 hour drive ahead of me. I was planning on stopping in Sweden on the way as well, for some special needs shopping, but I would've needed to set off around 2300 to do that small detour. However, this was the situation around that time.
Exhaust mounts needed the fine tune hammer treatment, as the muffler was making an irritating knock against the body. After that quick tune I got another kind of knock of exhaust mounts hitting each other, but whatever..
My views for most of the journey. Darkness and truck lights in the distance. Also it was nice and slippery for about 300km near Jyväskylä, when 58hp was enough to break traction at 80-100kph if I wanted to (and did occasionally, to pass the time).
First fuel stop, and even from the shaky cam picture it's visible that temperature had dropped on the way. Started at -5C or something, I think it was -16 there.
Google maps does Sygic specials as well, as I found out.
Spottings on the way
Not too surpisingly, my grand tourer likes to use a fair amount of oil in this kind of use. Really short gearing and 4 speed gearbox, combined with oil too thin for the engine, as it's better for winter use otherwise. But made it to the airport later than planned, only issue on the way being bonnet latch failing less than 200km before getting there. Temperature was still around -16C and I was late already, so didn't feel like troubleshooting on the side of the road, so I just secured the latch with a cargo strap.
Two car you probably don't see all that often on ski resort car parks.
Got the rental gear and tickets sorted just in time to make it up the hill to witness the sunset (around 15.30).
The low sun and occasional fog made the scenery even more scenic the next day as well.
After that things got more snowy, and even colder
DX accumulated some snow, as we were close enough to the resort to walk everywhere.
The strapon
We had a relaxing 400km drive to the cabin that would serve as our meet base. It was still snowing and especially trucks make you aware that there's something light scattered on to the road.
After a small side step from the route I got to finish the drive with a nice special stage.
"old pike perch"
On to Friday then. Some snowmobile fun for part of the group. Heading to the site onboard new Galanttimobile.
Sunrise, before the greyness of the weekend set in
Morning group, eager to set off.
Everyone (including me) were first timers with these toys, but being the kind of idiot I am I soon got hold of things enough to be bored by the pace of the group. So I started taking photos and doing small stops, to have some space to pick up speed occasionally.
Helping with unditching, literally in the last corner before our break spot.
Rather scenic one at that, as well.
Before the return run I learned that there was a more powerful sled hiding in the pack, so I stole that one and hence had other things than a camera to play with. Our guide was correct, an 800cc Lynx will "wheelie" (trackie..?) from standstill with just throttle use.
Next group (Brits + Adrian) and random MXM posing for a different camera
After the second group were on their way, all of them, it was off to the nearby slopes with MXM. After a decade of snowboarding around the Alps, I got bored of the local variety really fast. But good, compact selection for learners and the scenery was nice.
Especially when you go in to explore it more closely.
As seems to be the case for most people, picture footage for the night stops here as there were many other things to enjoy. Like a bit of mashed potatoes and reindeer for dinner.
And that theme continues throughout Saturday as well. Apart from drone footage of our drag races at the airfield, right next to our cabin, I can offer you pictures of one UK team cheating (swapping actual winter tyres on).
And a bit of fine tuning for Sierra lighting setup
Setting directions for food serving
One moose, arriving to the table, chef too busy to check emails.
Onwards to Sunday morning-ish and the 50km transfer to our Sunday track, OuluZone. But of course many fuels were needed before setting off.
The high tech DX, leading the pack
On to the track. Taxi Omega entering a snowbank, backwards. Police Omega entering the pits, backwards.
And for the Sunday dinner, we dropped by in Oulu, to enjoy some Kauppuri 5 burgers. Some (me) had a bit more to enjoy.
Some were compensating with the size of transport..
Like it has been with Ringmeets, a large portion of the group stayed behind, while others set towards home on Sunday, or early Monday morning. And after cleaning the cabin, having a sizeable lunch in Oulu and dropping Eye-Q off to the Oulu airport, the last 4 cars (two being mine) set off back south.
Good size/price ratio lunch, just the thing you need before a long drive.
Clearer weather for once, only for me to miss the sunset due to the sandblasted windscreen of the DX.
The Brit-E-Merc was heading to my place, to wait for the UK system to process it's paperwork, and apart from Mitsu reminding how slippery its tyres can be, once again near Jyväskylä, not much happened on the way.
I got many many thanks of the organizing, so I guess things went as well as people hoped. I'm glad we got enough people to make this happen. And thanks to public for the work in the kitchen, so I didn't have to do everything on my own..
I hope we get enough people to do the same set next year as well. Or if not, there's always Joes mouth..