In 1930, Louise traveled to the extreme north of Finland in anticipation of her 1931 expedition to Greenland and took a cross-country ski trip to the Russian border area known as Petsamo which was ceded to the Russians after World War II. It was there that she met refugees walking across the border of Finland in order to escape the harsh conditions and repressive regime of Stalinist Russia.
1930 Finland Diary – Sep. 21, 1930 - “Russian refugees met on the trail…only
a few kilometers from Moskova, extreme NE Finland about 30km from frontier of
Russia...packs on there (sic) back, feet wrapped in socks because their shoes were wore out, long coats, Three with fur boots, they had come eleven days with food, bread and some fat that they carried, fish they caught & berries in the woods....A minister, his wife & 2 children, a business man & his 2 children, all in their teens....nice upper class people. "
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