The Opposite of Cold: The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition

As many in the north country can attest, one of life's great pleasures resides in the tradition of sauna—sitting in 180—plus—degree heat and throwing cool water on oven—hot stones to create a blast of steam (called löyly), followed by a jump in the lake, standing naked in subzero temperatures (or even a roll in the snow), or just relaxing on the cooling porch. To the uninitiated, there is a strange, alluring mystique to the art of Finnish sauna. But to an ever—increasing number of people—fr...