Hello again
I will answer your questions here for now (I am new to these forums so I didn't know about PM's) and after this you can PM me I guess.
The Akas cabins which Inghams rent out are the same cabins as the Yllas Travel Service (YTS) company manage. So if you look on the YTS website it will most likely be a cabin similar to this..
http://www.yllas-travel-service.fi/en/index.php?komento=mokki&arvo=122
The food in Akashotel is nice enough, but there are a couple of nice places to eat out that I would try if I were you (maybe you can swap dinner for lunch a couple of days?) and they are Poro at the Lapp Village (
http://www.lappvillage.fi/) or for something really special you could take a taxi around to the other side of the Fell to Yllasjarvi where there is a superb place called Pihvikeisari (
http://www.pihvikeisari.com/) which does exceptional food and have won awards for their use of local Finnish high quality produce - they also do some more interesting things like bear steaks, so definitely worth a try for something authentically Finnish.
With respect to being safe XC-Skiing, I would say a definite yes (assuming you can ski of course) as the routes are very well signposted and you can pick up excellent trail maps locally from most hotels and equipment rental places. Definitely go it alone, we have and it is the most peaceful way to explore the wonderful nature of the area, and there are several Kota's (cafe type places with log fires and drinks & snacks) along the way which are also marked on the maps, so you can easily plan a good route for the day and have a great time.
I would suggest not booking any trips with Inghams until you get there, even if they claim there will be limited places etc. There are several companies locally who run trips, and I would highly recommend Snow Fun Safari's (
http://www.snowfunsafaris.com/) for a family run fairly priced friendly service. Once you are there you can compare prices and what each trip offers (for example Inghams probably offer a 6km husky ride, which is great but it is over very quickly, but the other companys will offer a full or half day version where you cover 50-60Km - much more fun!).
For clothing you will be fine skiing, as it one of the most aerobic things you can do and does tend to get you quite warm. The most important factor is that everything you wear is breathable - because just one layer that holds on to moisture will start to freeze when the temperature drops and that is when you will start to get cold. For the other activities (snow mobiles, huskies etc) the companies usually include an appropriate outfit as part of the cost.
I have never bothered with any special moisturiser for my skin, I just tend to load it up with nice products after my evening sauna and that keeps it going all through the next day.
Don't worry too much about the cold, it might not be that cold for one thing, and it is usually quite dry so the very cold days don't feel as bad as you might think. I would suggest investing in some snow boots (i.e. thermal) or hiring a pair (I think Snow Fun hire them for about 20 euro for the whole week) as you will find that your feet and hands are the things that get the coldest.
One tip which you may not realise is that anything that runs off batteries (mobiles & cameras mainly) might behave oddly in the cold. If you want to take lots of pictures outdoors while skiing I would suggest keeping the camera near your body (to keep it warm) rather than stuck in a back pack getting cold, and if that is not possible then at least keep a spare fully charged battery near your body so you can swap them when the camera starts to complain of low battery. You will find that often the "dead" battery is not actually dead, it just needs warming up again.
Anyway, probably enough tips for now. If you have any more questions then just shout.
Hope you have a great time, given what you have said about loving quiet scenic places then I'm certain you will fall in love with the place just like I have.
Take Care
x
