Today was an amazing day of skiing in an extraordinary location.

But first, yesterday…

“The worst weather always comes from Norway.” So says our Finnish friend Jussi early on in our trip, and it turns out he is prescient. A big storm blows in from the west with whiteout conditions and average wind speeds of 25 meters per second. Our guide makes the difficult decision to cancel the day’s stage, as it would be frighteningly easy to get lost in a whiteout on one of the huge frozen lakes we have been skiing across. The Swedes, Norwegians and Finns agree unanimously with our guide, which is enough to convince me it’s the right decision. We shuttle ahead to a Swedish Trekking Association lodge in Abisko National Park, with a plan to backtrack and regain some of the missed distance the following day. Abisko is located 195 km inside the Arctic Circle and is one of Sweden’s original national parks, established in 1909. The lodge’s main building has been accommodating people on similarly remote ski, trekking and other adventures for over 100 years. Black and white photos cover the walls and speak to the rich history of this place.

A rest day is honestly a relief. We are all tired, my ribs could definitely use a break and a cold is making the rounds, so hunkering down in the cozy lodge while a storm rages outside is an unexpected pleasure.

We also use the time to wax skis. Herald, from Berlin, gives me some waxing tips. He delights in calling me “Mr. Hammer” (most days I wear a vest from a former cycling team that was sponsored by a store called Hammer and Awl) which he exclaims in a thick German accent at every opportunity.

Which brings us to today. Overnight, fresh snow has covered the mountains surrounding Lake Torneträsk and the hillsides gleam in the morning sunlight. Outside, we spot a camouflaged Arctic hare hopping through the trees. Breakfast is delicious and we can see evidence of a strong wind blowing in the direction we will be skiing. While we eat, Jean Claude, from Switzerland, tells me about how in 1978, as a young man, he traveled to Nepal, hiked up to the Mt. Everest base camp and convinced a Yugoslavian expedition to hire him as a camp assistant. A few months later, one of the Yugoslavian climbers was hurt and Jean Claude raised his hand as a substitute. A week later, the group made a successful summit attempt and he unexpectedly found himself standing on top of the world. He now lives on the mountains near Davos and organizes 100 km ski events for fun. He says eating bananas is the key to success as an endurance athlete and introduces me to a French phrase: “J’ai la bannane.” Literally: I have the banana. Figuratively: I got this.

It all portends a great day.

By the time we start skiing, clouds have rolled in and wind is at our backs and whipping down the frozen lake. The surface is hard ice with a thin layer of snow, and we absolutely fly. It is exhilarating and everyone feels strong from yesterday’s rest and today’s assistance from the wind. We arrive at the end of 50 km in happy spirits.

By the afternoon, the clouds have cleared and bright sunshine reflects off the hills. We can see the mountains that mark the Sweden Norway border, which we will climb tomorrow.