Started Day 2 driving eastwards from Vik through the lava field Eldhraun, formed from the massive Laki [volcano] eruption in 1783 (which also caused a crazy, cold summer in the States – snow in June & July).
A paper written by Benjamin Franklin in 1783 blamed the unusually cool summer of 1783 on volcanic dust coming from Iceland, where the eruption of Laki volcano had released enormous amounts of sulfur dioxide, resulting in the death of much of the island’s livestock and a catastrophic famine which killed a quarter of the Icelandic population. Northern hemisphere temperatures dropped by about 1 °C in the year following the Laki eruption.
Bright green moss voraciously clings to volcanic rock in this area creating a spongy layer — which in turn supports other herbaceous life like crowberries (a tasty, tart berry – I ate 2 handfuls 🙂 )
From the lava fields of Eldhraun, we stopped briefly for an elf story (Icelanders love their fables – elves, ogres, trolls) before travelling on to Kirkjubæjarklaustur, where I snapped an amazing shot of the Foss waterfall with Icelandic horses grazing in the foreground.
Glaciers & Icebergs
Today’s tour completed the loop around southern Iceland — entering Skaftafell National Park to view the mighty glaciers formed by the Vatnajökull Ice Cap. WOW²! (used when WOW just isn’t enough 🙂 )
Europe’s 2nd largest ice shelf covers almost 10% of Iceland. Glacier blues, mucky silt-laden rivers, crevasses large enough to hide a bus – WOW, WOW, WOW! Seriously addicted — I could not get close enough. Soooo…paid for a super jeep excursion which drove out onto the glacier itself, allowing time to climb up volcanic rock overlooking a snow-filled crater. INCREDIBLE!
In between glacier viewings, logged in a couple hours at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. Had never previously rode in an amphibious vehicle – SUPER cool! First motored, then drove into the Lagoon, boating around recently calved icebergs from the surrounding shelf. Ate a piece of 1000 year-old iceberg – compacted glacial ice chipped away with an ice axe. AAAAAMAZING DAY!
Gonna enjoy the rest of Iceland but check – already hit all of my ‘bucket list’ highlights, only 2 days in. SPECTACULAR!
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- the lava fields of Eldhraun
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- green moss clings to volcanic rock creating a spongy layer
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- crowberries (a tasty, tart berry – I ate 2 handfuls :))
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- Foss (waterfall)
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- Basalt rock & Icelandic horses
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- Kirkjubæjarklaustur – home of elves
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- size-compare homes near the tongue of Vatnajökull – MASSIVE glacier!
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- Icelandic Vanna White has a tougher gig than her American cousin
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- WOW moment! LOVE LOVE glaciers!
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- new snow 🙂
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- crevasses large enough to hide a bus
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- never tire of tundra colour – AMAZING!
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- Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
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- baby’s first amphibious vehicle – LOVED it!
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- Icebergs!
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- try to stop smiling – not possible
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- SPECTACULAR!
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- check out those glacial blues – WOW!
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- 1000+ year old ice
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- don’t mind if I do
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- baby’s first super jeep – I want one!
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- glacier trekking in Iceland
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- cold wind-swept landscape
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- quick climb UP – had to, right?
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- volcano crater
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- WOW² – most amazing day!
Ran 26.2 miles in Anchorage, kayaked to the extreme tip of Cape Cod, summited 2 Colorado 14ers & hosted a family reunion (which included Ash & Tom’s engagement on top of Pikes Peak) – lovin’ Summer 2013 thus far!
End of July is Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming – an hour half to the North. I’ve always been a huge fan of county fairs – and this one came with a rodeo. FAAAANNNNTASTIC!
Fell hard off my ‘vegetarian diet’ within 15 minutes inside the park. Elk, beef, bison & wild boar – lotta choices all grilled & served with a side of chuckwagon beans. 20 minutes ‘til rodeo time. Grabbed a pitcher of lemonade to wash down my bison burger topped with elk bratwurst and paraded into Wyoming’s largest outdoor stadium. Took a quick look around. Only a quarter of us weren’t wearing cowboy hats – and that included the women 🙂
Next life, I’m coming back as a Cowboy!
Fireworks, smoke & 3 World Champions with hats tipped low, walked into the large dirt arena. An announcer trilled their names and achievements. Folks on their feet, clapping, cheering. I’m thinking – who are these guys? Like superstars from a parallel planet. Who wouldn’t want to be a cowboy? WOW!
Each sport had its own unique rules: 8 seconds on a bull to qualify the ride, calf roping in under 30 seconds and the calf must stay tied/immobile for 6 seconds or the score doesn’t count. Some sports targeted a low score, others a high score, certain events combined scores over 3 days. Bull riding, steer wrestling, pistol juggling, buckin’ broncos, steer roping, saddle bronc riding, calf roping – all ending with a wild horse race where teams saddled a wild horse, attempting to ride once around the arena. (Only 2 succeeded.) FANTASTIC fun!
And if cowboys, bulls & horses weren’t enough, our Oklahoma-based announcer came with his own all-rodeo lingo:
- There’s a guy not afraid to shake loose and shake his boots
- He stuck to him like spots on an Appaloosa horse
- More moves than my city cousin peeing on an electric fence
- He stepped off that broncing horse like he was stepping out of a barber shop
- That lasted as long as a Hollywood husband
- He rodeos in the summer time (‘rodeo’ used as a verb)
Took a quick stroll through Indian Village & checked out the Chuckwagon Cookoff before heading home.
Thinkin’ this is gonna be an annual tradition. LOVED it!
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- Cheyenne Frontier Days
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- carnival food & cowboy hats
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- bison, beef, elk , boar — so many choices
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- bison burger topped w/ elk bratwurst
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- World’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo
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- Next life, I’m coming back as a Cowboy!
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- bull riding – 8 seconds of fame! LOVE this!
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- saddle bronc (on every Wyoming license plate)
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- ‘He stuck to him like spots on an Appaloosa horse’
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- Rodeo Clown (from Arkansas – he came with a goat)
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- steer wrestling
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- Wild Horse roundup – AMAZING end to the day!
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- Indian Village
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- Chuckwagon Cookoff
Summer Lake Day hike!
Received a clean bill of health from the doctor on Friday after last weekend’s lightning strike — but still taking it easy for 2 or 3 weeks. ALSO only seemed fair to do a hike just for Ro. My dog LOVES snow but swimming is a close #2.
Started off early after only a 20 minute commute but parked at the wrong entrance. Protrails.com directs hikers to the West Portal Entrance (South Shore) which unfortunately is closed to dogs during summer. ALSO thought it was odd that I was seeing so many women — like 30:1 ratio to men. I walk up with my dog & backpack — past the start line up for ‘Diva Dash’, an all-women’s road race scheduled. Sometimes you just gotta laugh at life’s mishaps. Too darn funny.
Your girl’s weekend starts here, at the SHAPE Diva Dash Packet Pick-Up in the Millennium Room at the Millennium Hotel in Boulder. You’ll meet your fellow Divas and get Inspired. Energized. We’ll have you ready to run, jump, splash and dash your way through the Saturday Diva Dash course in a flash. Bring your ID! You’ll need it! Don’t forget to shop the Diva Store, where we’ll be selling shorts and skorts, socks and hats, and more!
So…half a mile back to my car and maybe another mile up the road to the North Shore trailhead. At this point starting kinda late so the sun is already warm — but this hike has only a 200 feet incline over 6 miles (virtually flat). Walked down to a boat launch and let Ro get wet – yep, my dog’s gonna love this day 🙂
Wildlife watch at the Rez were easy pickin’s for Ro — flying grasshoppers and frogs. Just don’t have the same game as marmots, pikas & black squirrels — poor little creatures didn’t know what hit them. All but one of the frogs were released, grasshoppers did not fare as well.
Added Coot Lake to our day hike to extend total mileage. Light hike day so took Ro to Community Park (Louisville dog park), went for a 3 mile run and hiked around Waneka Lake (another 2 miles) before showering and attending a late afternoon baptism.
Woke early on Sunday. After our morning run, took Ro back to Community Park before we both got showers and headed to church.
Lazy summer days. I’ll review this post in a few months when the snow starts flying.
(p.s. Thanks Leslie for hike recommendation. Ro LOVED it, you were right! ALSO, 3 creepy nudists – thanks for forewarning!)
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- why so many cars? why 30:1 gal-to-guy ratio?
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- Diva Dash, all women’s race; you gotta laugh at life’s mishaps – this was not my intended destination
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- happy to see a Trailhead; still trying to wipe all the estrogen off my clothes
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- horses allowed; this place ROCKS!
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- Coot Lake
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- picturesque Flatirons
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- trying to catch wake waves – what a nut!
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- doggone good day; hike designed just for Ro
