Kaakkovuori

In Äänekoski you can find easily accessible observation towers right near the town centre, Tärttämäki birdwatching tower and Äänemäki observation tower. However, if you are looking for more forest sounds and the experiences that hiking brings, set your course for the Kaakkovuori observation tower in Sumiainen.  

Summer has begun to give way to autumn, and our family has gotten back into hiking. Most recently, around mid-September we visited the Kaakkovuori observation tower at Vihijärvi in Sumiainen. There were not really any autumn colours yet, but after a few rainy days the weather was sunny and nature looked inviting.

This time our group included two adults and three children, aged 2, 11 and 15.  Up until last spring we basically hiked with just the toddler along, but now the older kids have wanted to join the trips too. The power of example has worked surprisingly well for us when it comes to hiking. The toddler rides along in a carrier backpack.

The trails to Kaakkovuori are good. You can reach the hill by at least two different routes. We went by parking the car in the yard of the old Syvälahden school (Lohilahdentie 4). There you will find a car park and route maps. Along the trail there are information boards that tell, among other things, about local history. 

There is quite a significant elevation gain up to the top of Kaakkovuori, and with the pack on my back I had to stop to catch my breath a few times. Climbing all the way up the observation tower was worth the effort. The tops of the biggest pines limit the view a little, but you could still see so far that it left me speechless. 

The best part of this hike, too, was the sense of doing things together. No one in our family feels a special bond with nature, but everyone senses the nature around them. The trail feels springy underfoot and nature is seen and smelled. The schoolkids reflect on things learned at school, like signs of erosion and traces of the Ice Age. The toddler sings in the carrier, hee-haw, hee-haw (run softly, little horse). I cannot help but smile at all of that. 

For coffee and snacks we brought a Trangia spirit stove. Food prepared and eaten outdoors tastes incredibly good to every member of the family. That is the "thing". Even if the trip is not long, you still need a break. At Kaakkovuori, you can warm your snacks with, for example, a spirit or gas stove. Open fires are not permitted at Kaakkovuori.

Kaakkovuori is worth visiting, too. To me, this is what is great about Äänekoski: there are many different nature sites with maintained trails to go to. Each destination is different, but each has been worth experiencing, because the best part of hiking is remembering those trips afterwards. 

Steep climbs turn into personal victories. Friendly encounters with other hikers stick in your mind. I have never seen anyone on the trail with the kind of road rage I sometimes see while driving. No tailgating or dangerous overtaking. No. Generally, complete strangers greet each other there, and sometimes you even exchange whole sentences. Rarely is anyone in much of a hurry. Trails, twigs, roots, bends, rocks and pine cones create natural safe distances, as you wait for the person ahead to get safely over and past them, and you do not get a spruce branch in your own face at the same time. Human, natural, and fun. 

You can follow Heidi’s hiking on Instagram at @heidimaria_h and everyday moments at @kiilto_kuvia_heidimaria_h