I have just returned from a trip to Koli. Walking in the forest and across the lake for many hours each day was awe inspiring. Even more memorable than the sight of lake Pielinen as a vast expanse of ice was the incredibly beautiful sound. To hear the distant (and near) groans of the ice as it wakes from its frozen state is a wonderful experience. The physical power of the ice is both beautiful and terrifying. It is something which I would have never fully understood or even imagined without actually being there. This phase of changing states (while the ice expands, contracts and shifts) is unpredictable thus making the experience all the more precious: It may not continue much longer, perhaps days, perhaps weeks. What is certain is that it could not be missed, and whatever happens next will also be beautiful.