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Nuuksio National Park

Haukankierros Trail

Difficulty Rating : 1.6 / 10.0 (Class 1 - Extremely Straightforward)

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I entered the area with the yellow and blue trail markers once again, but instead of turning left to head south at the junction, I turned right instead. I had just looped around the Korpinkierros Trail in a counter-clockwise direction, and was now heading up the blue Haukankierros Trail in a clockwise direction, almost as if I were trying to draw out a mangled '8' on the map.

Haukankierros means 'Hawk's Tour', and is a 4-kilometre loop that circumnavigates Lake Haukkalampi. The trail is one of the most popular trails in Nuuksio as hiking it is one of the best ways to get a gist of what the park has to offer. The trail begins with a bit of a viewpoint on a ridge. As I approached, I caught a glimpse of Lake Haukkalampi in the distance, but the further I made my way along the rocks, the more the view became obscured by trees. The root-filled trail then delved into the moist spruce and pine forests. Everything seemed to just get drawn in as the damp gorge narrowed. Things became more concentrated, sounds came alive, and even the running water seemed to speed up. Multiple river crossings were passed and small cliffs loomed out to my sides. The sun peaked through the trees and cast long shadows, which was strange considering that it was only past 14:00--Nuuksio's latitude of 60° N meant that the sun's angle at that time was only 45°.

Sphagnum moss lined the sides of the riverbank (Sphagnum sp.)

Just after I descended a metal stairwell, the trail began to climb up the slopes of the hill. The roots that were ubiquitous gradually morphed into rocks and boulders. The boulders were to make up what was to be a ridge-line of sorts, and as I rounded it, views of the Brook Myllypuro valley that looked out to the north-east were glimpsed off to the left. Layers and layers of forest could be seen from this vantage point, as well as numerous light brown patches that were intermingled with the lush green swathes. The patches were areas that were full of skeletal structures of trees that looked as if they had been defoliated, and that reminded me of the dreaded dieback disease that I had encountered several times when hiking in Australia. Drummings could also sometimes be heard, as great spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major) hammered away on the sides of tall tree trunks.

Liverwort (Hepatica nobilis); Mezereon (Daphne mezereum)

It began to snow as I made my way down to the carpark and past the information boards. Despite it still being fairly early in the day, I didn't linger too long as I was eager to get out of the now plunging temperatures. I hurried across to the campsite that was located on the eastern banks of the lake, and found a nice spot to pitch my tent. I then bundled myself into the sleeping bag, and watched the snow as it fell softly onto the calm waters of Lake Haukkalampi.

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