EVELYN HELMINEN AND NIECE ANASTIINA....WARMING UP IN THE TRUCK AT HATCHER'S PASS, AK

GORDON TOOK ME TO THE "TOP OF THE WORLD" ON HIS SNOMOBILE...THIS IS WHERE THE SNOBOARDERS AND SKIERS WENT DOWN THE MOUNTAIN...I RODE DOWN THE SAME WAY I CAME UP OF COURSE

PETE RUOHONEN, KATIE LOUKUS AND KATRINA HELMINEN

THE GLOW OF THE SUNSET ON THE MOUNTAINS WHEN THE SUN IS SETTING...SO AWESOME!  HATCHER'S PASS

RUSSELL AND STANLEY HELMINEN, GETTING READY TO GO UP THE MT.

ROGER'S CAT BUSTED A BELT...ROG, DAVE MOYRYLA, KYLE TOLKKINEN, LORETTA HELMINEN (JUST SKIED DOWN THE MT)

TOP OF THE WORLD.....JUST SO BEAUTIFUL...HATCHER'S PASS

DARLENE AND JOYCE HELMINEN ON THE WAY DOWN ON SNOWBOARDS

GORDON HELPING JOYCE WITH HER SNOWBOARD ...THEN WE HEADED DOWN THE MT., TOO

AND THERE WE CAME DOWN....GORDON AND ME

ROGER, DAVE MOYRYLA AND KYLE TOLKKINEN

all the girls and ladies at russell and katrina helminen's on christmas day
WE LISTENED TO CHURCH SERVICES AT 3PM, {7PM MICH. TIME)

KYLIE, AVERY, AMANDA, LAYLA, OWEN HELMINEN (GORDON'S)

ANASTIINA AND ME

"LILYBUGS" HELMINEN

TEACHING A PAINTING SESSION...EV, ME, LORETTA AND DARLENE

MASSAGE WAS RAMPANT ON OUR TRIP....SOMETIMES THERE WAS THE PERSON GETTING A MASSAGE, MASSAGING SOMEONE IN FRONT OF HER...TRIPLE DECKER

WE GOT A CHUCKLE WHEN JOSIE SHOWED US HOW SHE CAN WINK

AVERY HELMINEN,ROY BEKKALA'S  GIRL, AMBER,  JOYCE HELMINEN UP AT HATCHER'S PASS
ENJOYING A DAY OF SKIING, SNOBOARDING, SNOWSHOEING, SLIDING, SNOMOBILING WITH A LOT OF THE GANG FROM CHURCH

MARGIE, ON HER WAY UP A SMALL MOUNTAIN

I WAS HAVING A TOUGH TIME GOING THE LAST 20 FEET, SO RUSSELL HOLLERED, "GRAM, GO INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE"  SO I DID

77 YEAR OLD LADY TEARING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN ON A TOBOGGAN

resting at rogers and loretta's after a busy day...me, (picking at my hands, duh), margie, brian, roger(snoozing)

EVELYN IN THE BRIEF LATE MORNING SUNSHINE

HELMINEN FAMILY WITH SPOUSES AND GRAM (ME) CHRISTMAS DAY
NOTE RUSSELLS MOUNTED SHEEP, AND BEAR RUG ON THE WALL

HOCKEY TIME AT THE RINK NEAR ROGER'S...SUN JUST PEEKS OVER THE MTS. FOR A WHILE BEFORE DISAPPEARING AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

JOYCE AT THE HOCKEY RINK

LAYLA AND LOVING SISTER KYLIE
DAUGHTERS OF GORDON AND AMANDA

ROGER AND HIS BABY ANASTIINA

JOYCE, ME, EVELYN...HOCKEY MORNING, VERY COLD, BUT  SNOW MELTED THE NEXT DAY AND TEMPS WERE IN THE 40'S

MY DEAR FRIEND BERTHA ANDERSON WHO WAS CONVERTED LAST MONTH!!!  SHE WAS IN OUR GANG IN OUR TEENS, KNOWS EVERYBODY OUR AGE HERE AS WELL AS DOWNSTATE..  SHE LIVES IN MY APT. BLDG., AND IS STILL THE HAPPY PERSON THAT WE REMEMBER.

                                     CHRISTMAS TIME IN ALASKA 2015.  ME AND 9 HELMINEN'S WENT....
                                           SPENT A WONDERFUL TIME WITH 3 OF THE HELMINEN BOYS AND
                                              FAMILIES...ROGER (LORETTA), RUSSELL (KATRINA) AND
                                                              GORDON (AMANDA).  EVELYN CAME FROM CALIFORNIA.

ROGER AND LORETTA HELMINEN'S LITTLE ANASTIINA, 1 YEAR OLD
REAL HAPPY BABY, I ENJOYED HER A BUNCH.  I STAYED AT THEIR HOUSE WHILE WE WERE IN ALASKA.  HELMINEN'S STAYED AT RUSSELL AND KATRINA'S.
( I SLEPT IN THEIR SPARE BEDROOM, WHICH HAD TIRES, SKIS, SNOBOARDS, TOOLS, FISHINGRODS, ETC.  ON A COMFY MATTRESS ON THE FLOOR.  SO I TEASED THEM THAT I WAS SHOVED INTO THE GARAGE, AND HADDA SLEEP ON THE FLOOR!)

HELMINEN CREW
STAN, RUSSELL, CALVIN, JOYCE, DARLENE, EVELYN, ROGER
BRUCE, ANTTI, GORDON

HOARFROST ON THE TREES....ON OUR WAY TO RUSSELL'S
IT WAS THICK ON THE BRANCHES

LADIES HAVING COFFEE IN ONE CORNER:  L TO R..LORETTA, KATIE LOUKUS,(SISTER TO JENNIE)  AMANDA HELMINEN, LISA TOLKKINEN (SISTER TO KYLE, FR. COKATO), EMILY (HAATAJA) YLITALO, JENNIE ASIALA, MELINDA MASSIE

DAN LASANEN, DAVE MOYRYLA, KYLE TOLKINEN
WE GATHERED AT RUSSELL AND KATRINA'S (LARGEST HOUSE, CENTRALLY LOCATED) FOR CHRISTMAS EVE, AND FOR CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS DAY.  TUNED IN TO CALUMET.

I CAN NEVER GET ENOUGH OF THE MOUNTAINS, THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL!

"COPPERCOUNTRY-ITES" PETE RUOHONEN, JOSIE, RICK, JENNIE AND LEXIE ASIALA, AND KATIE LOUKUS

ROGER, LORETTA AND ANASTEENA

MORE "C.C.ITES"..ROY BEKKALA, ROGER HELMINEN, LEVI HYRKAS

RUSSELL AND LILLIAN (LILYBUG)

RUSSELL'S MOUNTED SHEEP...STORY ABOUT TWO YEARS BACK ON THIS SITE