Råstojaure to Kilpisjarvi. 50km 9 1/2hrs. Sunrise lights up Råstojaure and slowly lifts frozen mist from the lake surface. The metal door handle to my cabin is lined with a hard frost and almost sticks to my hand before I quickly put on mitts. Last night the clocks went forward. A little irrelevant up here with the days lengthening noticeably and rapidly each day. Time itself seems somehow more fluid, less fixed in place here. I have 12hrs of daylight and five days will give me another. The days are changing so quickly that it gives me the illusion of having more time. An illusion of course because everything is relative, and as the days lengthen I travel further; at times by choice and sometimes by necessity. I love starting at sunrise though, when the world is so still and peaceful, charged with a kind of potential energy of new experiences. I leave Råstojaure whilst it still sleeps and settle into a good rhythm to keep warm. It’s a long way to Kilpisjarvi and though the days are lengthening, one feeling remains constant; of never quite having enough time. I think a lot about this as I ski along, first over a barren rolling plateau and then cruising gently down into larch forests and stream beds that bring me to the border with Finnland and a scooter super-highway north. This journey has given me the chance to pause the day to day cycle of life. An opportunity, not to create time but to be more aware of its passage and how precious it is. The final few hours on the Scooter super highway I see a lot of scooter traffic, but I quite like it. They’re all friendly and often wave as they pass by. By sunset I’m in a winter mini-Vegas enjoying a Karhu beer that looks like it should give me the strength of a bear! Which is a good thing when I look at the maps for the next few days…