A day later February 17 we are on the move again. Vassilly breaks trail as we head out of the forest and across the tundra. The women fall in behind, maneuvering trains of reindeer sleds laden with our equipment and supplies. The men follow, slowly driving the herd and rounding up stragglers. The sight of 1,000 reindeer trudging across the frozen tundra in the winter sunshine is spectacular.
Conditions are near perfect.
The cold and wind have hardened the snow to our advantage since the reindeer won't sink as deep and tire as quickly. Every couple of hours we stop to rest and allow the main herd to catch up. Over the remaining journey, we will push forward one day, rest the next. The stable weather of the past three weeks had lulled me into thinking that clear skies are the norm for Khanty-Mansiysk at this time of year. I get a rude awakening when a blizzard hits, reminding me just how ferocious winter weather can be in Siberia.