On foot at Fjallabak Nature Reserve

Our first stopover in Iceland - and the place where we would spend the most time - was Fjallabak Nature Reserve, where trails climb into the rhyolite hills from the Landmannalaugar Hut.

Our intention was to backpack part of the well-known Laugavegur trail south to the Hrafntinnusker Hut, spend the night, then return to Landmannalaugar. However, when trying to reserve bunks in the huts in Reykjavík, we found Hrafntinnusker full. Instead, we stayed at Landmannalaugar for three nights and dayhiked in the area.

Getting to Landmannalaugar is a small adventure in and of itself. On the way that morning, we stopped at Geysir and Gullfoss to see the thermal area and waterfall. From there, we followed mostly paved roads south and east to connect with the main route into Fjallabak - the F208.

Iceland's F roads are mountain routes, similar to our forest roads. While some of these roads likely are passable in a two-wheel-drive vehicle, rental car companies will only allow four-wheel-drives on them - there are many signs, brochures and stickers warning of this - due to extreme terrain and river crossings.

The northwest segment of the F208, which we drove, is one of the more tame F roads, mostly being rocky and washboarded. At Landmannalaugar, however, you have a choice: About 200 meters before the hut, the road crosses two braids of a river with parking on each side. After stopping short, thinking we would walk our gear across a footbridge to the hut, we watched a couple of vehicles cross the stream and decided instead to ford it. It ended up being simpler than I thought, and even easier on the way out.



At the hut, we were assigned a room on the second floor with several bunks with sleeping pads. Lucky for us, only two other people were in the same room the first night, so we all could spread out our packs and sleeping bags. Unluckily, the room was full and noisy the second night. The last night was better with only four other people. The kitchen, on the main floor, was clean and well-stocked with pots, pans, dishes and utensils, and had several cooking stations. A separate washroom was equally spacious, with sinks in a common area and separate stalls for men and women. Several makeshift laundry lines were strung up by people drying swimwear after having soaked in the nearby hot springs-fed creek.



The afternoon we arrived was pleasant and we went on a short walk through a lava field. The second day, however, it rained nonstop. Even so, we trekked up a drainage, crossing a stream several times, until reaching snow blocking the end of it. The third day was partly sunny with a strong wind and fresh snow higher up. Still, we hiked over one mountain, up to a plateau then back over another mountain.

The next day, as we drove back to the Ring Road, we were forced to pull aside for about 1 1/2 hours to let a 22-car rally race pass on the F208. Once back on the main road, we went east across the sandar - glacial sand plains - to Skaftafell, at Vatnajökull National Park.

The following are our Landmannalaugar-based hikes. We bought a copy of "The Laugavegur Hiking Trail," published by Ferðafélag Íslands (the Iceland Touring Association), which contains a basic map and information on trails in the Landmannalaugar area. Unfortunately, it doesn't include distances.

Day 1: Grænagil and Laugahraun



We arrived at the Landmannalaugar Hut late in the afternoon, and after checking in there still was time for a short walk before dinner.

Hiking a short distance south of the hut, we turned southwest into Grænagil, the Green Ravine, named for the color of rhyolite found in the canyon. Here, the trail follows a stream between the Laugahraun lava field and the north flank of the mountain Bláhnúkur.

Soon, the trail leaves the water's edge and turns up into the lava field, where obsidian and patches of moss can be found. The rock is mostly stable, but likely would be painful to fall on. Colored stakes mark the route as it climbs partway up the mountain Brennisteinsalda and leaves the lava.



The trail from Grænagil connects with the Laugavegur trail at a steaming outcrop on the multicolored side of Brennisteinsalda. Turning north, we descended along the edge of the lava field to an open valley with the mountain Suðurnámur on the opposite side.

We finished the loop by turning east back through the lava and hiking down to Landmannalaugar.

Here are more photos from Grænagil and Laugahraun.

Day 2: Brandsgil



A downpour the second day at Landmannalaugar didn't deter our desire to go hiking, so we put on our rain gear and set out for Brandsgil on the advice of the guidebook - "ideal if there is a limited view of the mountains."

Walking south from the hut again, we passed Grænagil and continued along the flank of Bláhnúkur into Brandsgil, a deep but flat-bottomed canyon with a river flowing through it.



We followed the river up the canyon as it narrowed, crossing the stream several times and taking in the surrounding mountains and rock spires.

Near the end of the canyon, we reached a large snowfield that appeared impassable, although the guide notes a waterfall just beyond if you feel like scrambling. With the rain nonstop, we turned around and went back to the hut.

Here are more photos from Brandsgil.

Day 3: Bláhnúkur and Brennisteinsalda



We awoke the third day to see snow high on the surrounding mountains, but only partly cloudy skies and a breeze. The decent conditions allowed us to go on our longest hike while at Landmannalaugar.

South of the hut and just past Grænagil, we switchbacked south up the obsidian-black ridge of 945-meter-tall Bláhnúkur. With a strong wind blowing and a dusting of snow at the summit, we hunkered down for a few photos next to a round metal viewfinder that describes the surrounding mountains.



Over the top, we quickly descended west into Grænagil, crossing the stream at the bottom. Here, we briefly detoured to the south to a spot where a side channel spilled out of a narrow orange canyon. Retracing our steps, we joined the Grænagil trail and made our way to the steaming outcrop partway up Brennisteinsalda.

At the Laugavegur trail, we climbed southwest up the flank of Brennisteinsalda and continued on the path toward the Hrafntinnusker Hut. After reaching snow, we paused at a high point on the plateau to take in the view then turned around.

When the trail returned to the flank of Brennisteinsalda, we followed a route north to its 881-meter summit. Seeing the Vondugil below - as it went from wide and flat on the east end to narrow at the west - we descended the trail into the canyon.



At the bottom of  Brennisteinsalda, the wind subsided and we crossed the valley floor, past a stream and pond, back to the Laugavegur trail. From here, it was a short walk back over the Laugahraun lava field to Landmannalaugar.

Having been out all day, we ended with a soak in the hot-springs fed creek.

Here are more photos from Bláhnúkur and Brennisteinsalda.

Location: From the Ring Road just northwest of Hella, the Landmannalaugar Hut at Fjallabak Nature Reserve is 82 kilometers northeast on Route 26/F26, 26 km south on F208 and 2 km southwest on F224.

Water rises, falls at Geysir and Gullfoss

On the way to our first destination outside of Reykjavík, we left the Ring Road to see the Geysir thermal area and Gullfoss cascades.



According to information from the Geysir Center/Hotel Geysir, the Great Geysir is believed to be the namesake of geysers around the world, and geothermal activity in the area can be traced to earthquakes in the late 13th century. The Great Geysir went largely dormant in 1915, but has been more active since earthquakes in 2000. It currently erupts a few times a day to a height of 8 to 10 meters.

While we never saw the Great Geysir erupt, the nearby Strokkur geyser spouted several times during our stop. Since the early 1960s, Strokkur has been erupting 25 to 30 meters high every eight to 10 minutes. A network of short trails connects geothermal features in the area, but Strokkur is the main attraction.



A short distance up the road, is Gullfoss, a 32-meter double cascade where the Hvitá plunges into a narrow canyon and sends up a cloud of mist. Paths lead to a few viewpoints. Gullfoss.org relates the story of a failed effort to build a hydroelectric plant that would have destroyed the falls.



After stopping to see Geysir and Gullfoss, we went on our way to Fjallabak Nature Reserve for some hiking and a few nights in a mountain hut.

Here are more photos of Geysir and Gullfoss.

Location: From Selfoss on the Ring Road, Geysir is about 55 kilometers northeast on Route 35. Gullfoss is 15 km farther northeast on Route 35.

Reykjavík: Capital city start and finish

Our Icelandic holiday started and ended in the region around Reykjavík, the northernmost capital city in the world at 64 degrees 8 minutes above the equator.

While there is an airport in the city, most travelers from abroad arrive at Keflavík International Airport, about 50 kilometers southwest on the Reykjanes Peninsula. After a 7-hour 15-minute flight, we landed at 6:45 a.m. on a gray, rainy Monday. After picking up our rental SUV a short distance away from the airport, we drove the highway across the basalt-crusted peninsula into the city.



Our accommodations in Reykjavík were at a modern guesthouse just off the square containing Hallgrímskirkja, the tall white church that can be seen from miles away, a statue of the Viking Leifur Eiríksson and the Einar Jónsson Museum, with a sculpture garden behind it.

From the guesthouse, the city center was very walkable. The main street lies a short distance downhill from the church, past rows of colorful residences and businesses. In the area, we found cafes, restaurants, a bar serving only Icelandic beers, a supermarket, bookstores, several outdoor clothing retailers, squares and ponds - and few traffic signals. Despite the rain, it was packed with people wearing hoods and using umbrellas. Twenty-four hours later, after stocking up on supplies, we set out on the Ring Road to the southeast.



When we returned a week and a half later, the weather was better and the harbor could be seen from uphill near the church. We spent our last evening in Reykjavík using our remaining kronas and looking through the Jónsson sculpture garden.

The next day, before dropping off our rental vehicle and checking in at the airport, we stopped for a soak at the famed Blue Lagoon, 10 kilometers off the highway near Keflavík. It was an ideal way to get in one last bit of relaxation before the flights home!



Here are more photos of Reykjavík.

Iceland in numbers and words

We're fresh back from Iceland, and here are some random numerical and linguistic notes on our travels as I work on some more formal posts.

Numbers

1:30, 7:15 and 9: We had a 1-hour 30-minute flight from Missoula to Seattle and 7-hour 15-minute flight from Seattle to Keflavík International Airport, outside of Reykjavík. The layover in Seattle was nine hours. For some reason, we couldn't get a long enough layover on the return trip to pass through customs without spending nine hours sitting in Sea-Tac on the way there.



1: Highway number of the Ring Road, which we mostly followed counterclockwise around Iceland from Keflavík, in the southwest corner.

1,833: Total number of kilometers driven on our route around the county.

90, 80 and 50: Primary speed limits in kilometers per hour - 90 on paved highways (about 55 mph), 80 on gravel roads (about 50 mph) and 50 in urban areas (about 30 mph).

262,5: Average price per liter for diesel we paid in Icelandic kronas. Equals about $8.23 per gallon in U.S. dollars. (Note that a comma is used in place of a decimal.)

4X4: Four-wheel drive, you need to rent a vehicle with it to get off the beaten path.

4: Number of stream crossings we made in our rented SUV - two branches of the same river twice in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve.



22: The number of rally cars we had to wait for to pass after discovering the mountain road we were driving out of Fjallabak Nature Reserve was being used for a race.



7 and 8: Number of stops on our planned itinerary and number of actual stops we made after being forced to take shelter from an early snowstorm. Our planned itinerary was Reykjavík, Fjallabak, Skaftafell, Seyðisfjörður, Mývatn, Akureyri and back to Reykjavík. Between Seyðisfjörður and Mývatn, we were forced to spend the night on the Grímsstaðir farm due to a storm closing the highway.

25 1/2: Number of hours we spent holed up in a farmhouse at Grímsstaðir.

15 to 20: Amount of snow in centimeters that fell during the early storm in northern Iceland, according to the English-language news service Iceland Express. Equals 5.9 to 7.9 inches.

32 and 104: Top recorded gusts in meters per second east and west of the Grímsstaðir farm during the storm, according to the Iceland Met Office. Equals 71 and 232 mph.

900 and 415: Average price in kronas per 330-milliliter bottle of beer in pubs and state Vínbúðin stores, respectively. Equals $7.46 and $3.44 U.S., respectively. Buy at state stores. (BAC limit in Iceland is 0.05; don't drink and drive.)

30: The number of letters in the Icelandic alphabet. The four extras are ð, þ, æ and ö. Which brings me to ...

Language

The following are words likely to appear in upcoming posts either on their own or as a part of place names.

Eyjafjallajökull: The volcano that caused all the air travel disruptions in 2010. According to a T-shirt for sale in many gift shops there, it's pronounced "AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl-uh." We didn't see it, but I figure someone will ask.



Fjörður: fjord. The town Seyðisfjörður is on a fjord.

Foss: waterfall. Gullfoss is a 32-meter double cascade.

Geysir: The namesake of all geysers.

Hraun: lava field. Laugahraun is the lava field near the Landmannalaugar Hut in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve.

Jökull: glacier. There are several glaciers in Vatnajökull National Park.

Lón: lagoon. Jökulsárlón is a glacial lagoon. (See that - two!)

Sandur, sandar: glacial sand plain. Skeiðarársandur is the largest glacial sand plain in the world, at 1,000 square kilometers.

Staðir: place. Often a suffix on place names.



Vatn: lake. Mývatn translates to Midge Lake.

Vík: bay. Reykjavík translates to Smoky Bay.

Cooling off at Crystal Lake

Looking for an easy dayhike last weekend, we decided on Crystal Lake in the Mission Mountains Wilderness. We'd never been there before, and the sky was clear of smoke, the trail fairly short and the water clear, indeed.

There's not much to the hike: From the trailhead, it rises to the south about one-third of a mile, turns southwest and enters the Mission Mountains Wilderness at about three-quarters of a mile, and drops to the lake at about 2 1/3 miles. Along the way, there are several stream/mud crossings, and just before the end there's a junction with a trail down to Lindbergh Lake.



At the Crystal Lake, we found a couple of loons cruising the surface, as well as stretches of gradually sloping grass and gravel shore - making for easy wading in August's heat!

The downhill walk was nice on the way in, but the uphill, south-facing trail was dusty and hot on the way out.

Here are more pictures from Crystal Lake.

Distance: 4 2/3 miles round trip.

Trailhead: About 19 miles north of Seeley Lake on Montana Highway 83, turn west on Lindbergh Lake Road, aka Forest Road 79. Follow it 12 miles uphill to the west to the trailhead, turning for Bunyan Lake at two intersections in the first three miles.

Iceland on the agenda

View Iceland 2012 in a larger map

We recently celebrated our 10th anniversary, and to celebrate we'll soon be taking a trip to Iceland!

Why Iceland? A variety of reasons - we've been thinking about it for a while, the effects of the economy supposedly making it less expensive, just because.

We'll be starting and finishing in the west at Keflavik and Reykjavik, and driving counterclockwise around the country.

First, we plan to backpack in the rhyolite hills of Fjallabak Nature Reserve, then it's on to Vatnajokull National Park South at Skaftafell for some glacial adventures. To the east, we'll stop in Seydisfjordur, where we want to do some hiking or kayaking. Heading to the northeast of the country, we'll stop at Lake Myvatn for some hiking and soaking in the volcanic region. Not far from there, we'll take in the largest waterfall in Europe (by volume) and the Arctic Ocean, then stop in Akureyri, the cultural center of the country. After that, it's back to Reykjavik. We'll treat ourselves to a stop at the Blue Lagoon hot springs on the way to the airport before we depart.

We'll have Wi-Fi most of the way and plan to send text, photo and video updates on a regular basis by Twitter and other social media for all to follow along. For a preview, take a look at this Pinterest board I created.

Dogs, elephants and mosquitoes on the trail to Fly Lake

With time off last week, I took a short hike with the dogs to a lake in the back of the Rattlesnake Wilderness and saw no one else on the trail.

Fly Lake is nestled among some small, forested mountains on the northern edge of the wilderness. Despite its name, it wasn't that buggy - but the trail there passes through prime mosquito habitat.



The route begins by dropping less than half a mile from the trailhead, then crossing Gold Creek. A logjam just upstream is passable if you don't want to get your feet wet. From here, the trail roughly parallels the creek northwest, though it isn't always visible, then turns back and crosses the water again at about 1 2/3 miles. Another logjam here is passable.



After turning west again, the trail arrives at a large, open meadow with several small channels of water crossing it. Look for wildflowers such as elephanthead and bog rein orchid along the edge of the forest at this time of year.

The next mile of trail was the buggiest when I was there, with standing water in several places and a lot of mud. At about 2 2/3 miles the trail again crosses the creek - there's another logjam, too - then arrives at a junction at about 3 miles.

From the junction, follow the trail to Fly Lake northwest as it climbs almost 1 1/2 miles out of the creek bottom, into drier terrain, then drops slightly to the lake. Friends have camped here in the past, but I've only ever day hiked in and out.

In addition to bugs, many downed trees crossed the trail when I was there - the worst blockage was about half a mile before the lake.

See more pictures from Fly Lake here.

Distance: About 8 3/4 miles out and back.

Trailhead: Fly Lake is accessed from the main Gold Creek trailhead (not West Fork). From Bonner, drive 8 1/2 miles northeast on Montana Highway 200. Turn north on Gold Creek Road and follow the signs 17 miles to the main trailhead along forest roads 126 and 2121.

Josey goes on the road to Oregon

Earlier this month, we made our way out to Portland and the Oregon coast for a friend's wedding, and our new dog Josey got to come along.

A former Humane Society dog that we adopted at the end of March, Josey has firmly attached herself to our family and was not ready to stay in a boarding facility; the only choice was to pack a bag for her and see how she did on a long trip.

Fortunately, she did great in the car and everywhere we took her, and we conveniently were stopping at relatives' house and the wedding was at Beverly Beach State Park, where we camped. She even lucked out and got to go to a dog-friendly restaurant and microbreweries - one even prepared her a bowl of rice and pork!

And as with most of our trips, we found some trails to hike and other spots to get out in the Columbia River Gorge and at the beach.



Upper McCord Creek and Elowah falls



On the way into Portland, we stopped in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to take Josey on a walk before our arrival. A quick search on my iPhone turned up the Friends of the Columbia Gorge's hike planning website. There, we found the route to Upper McCord Creek Falls and Elowah Falls, which we had never been to.



The hike begins by paralleling Interstate 84 up through the trees for the first two-thirds of a mile to a junction. Along the way, we found red columbine and white Indian pipe flowers.

From the junction, we switchbacked about three-quarters of a mile uphill, then rounded a cliff to Upper McCord Creek Falls, a small divided waterfall in a lush gulch.



After returning to the junction, we continued four-10ths of a mile down a few switchbacks and back into a large amphitheater at the base of 289-foot Elowah Falls. Here, we stopped for a bite to eat - and Josey for a drink from the creek - then went back to the car and on to the city.

See more photos of Upper McCord Creek and Elowah falls here.

Distance: About 3 1/2 miles out and back.

Trailhead: About 27 miles east of Portland on Interstate 84, take Exit 35. Turn left, then right and follow the Northeast Frontage Road a little over two miles east to the trailhead parking area.

Ponytail, Oneonta and Triple falls



The next day, we returned to the Gorge for a hike that we had done on a previous visit when the weather wasn't as nice.

Follow the trail next to 176-foot Horsetail Falls uphill to the east for about a quarter mile, then switch back to the west. Ponytail Falls is around a bend after about another quarter mile; here, walk behind the stream of water pouring from a rocky overhang.

In the next three-quarters of a mile, the trail passes overlooks from cliffs above the Columbia River to the west, then turns south and switchbacks down to a bridge over Oneonta Gorge and a 60-foot waterfall. Josey was skeptical of the bridge, with its slotted surface revealing the creek below, but eventually crossed.



Uphill from the bridge, continue south at the junction with the Oneonta Trail upstream to an overlook of the 64-foot Triple Falls at about 2 1/4 miles. Slightly farther up the trail, another bridge provides access to the creek above the falls. We ate a little here, then turned around.



More photos of Ponytail, Oneonta and Triple falls are here.

Distance: About 4 1/2 miles out and back.

Trailhead: About 27 miles east of Portland on Interstate 84, take Exit 35. Turn right and drive about one-quarter of a mile, then turn left onto the Historic Columbia River Highway. Continue west about 1 1/4 miles to the Horsetail Falls parking area.

Cape Meares



Driving south between Tillamook and the Newport area, we opted for the Three Capes Scenic Route. The Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, with its 1890s lighthouse, is the northernmost of the three - Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda are the other two - and the only one we stopped at due to time and crowds.

Here, a half-mile trail loops the cape's cliffs to the lighthouse, providing coastal views to the north and south.



Here are some photos of the view from Cape Meares.

Distance: 1/2 mile loop.

Trailhead: Cape Meares is 10 miles west of Tillamook on U.S. Highway 101.

Yaquina Head



After arriving at Beverly Beach State Park and eating dinner, we drove south to the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area on the north end of Newport to view the setting sun.

Parking at the lighthouse at the end of the headland, we walked down to Cobble Beach, where we saw tide pools, a variety of seabirds and seals basking on the rocks offshore.



Here are more pictures from Yaquina Head.

Distance: Minimal.

Trailhead: The Yaquina Head entrance station is about 1/3 of a mile west of U.S. Highway 101 on Northwest Lighthouse Drive at the north end of Newport.

Devil's Punchbowl



The morning of the wedding, we took a couple of short drives to do some sightseeing - the first was to Devil's Punchbowl State Natural Area.

Devil's Punchbowl is a basin in a rocky headland into which seawater crashes. It can be viewed from above, or from the inside by walking down to the beach from a short trail near the end of C Avenue, then south on the sand. Tide pools are also found here.



More pictures from Devil's Punchbowl are here.

Distance: Minimal.

Trailhead: To get to Devil's Punchbowl, drive about 7 miles north of Newport on U.S. Highway 101, then veer left on Otter Crest Loop. After a little less than 1/2 mile, turn west on First Street and continue a little less than 1/2 mile to the parking area.

Cape Perpetua



At the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area, the Siuslaw National Forest meets the sea at the base of steep cliffs.

Here, we drove up to a scenic overlook then hiked down most of the St. Perpetua Trail and back up, viewing several wildflowers along the way. There were more trails in the area, but we were on a schedule to be at the wedding, so didn't really explore much.



More pictures from Cape Perpetua are here.

Distance: About 2 1/2 miles out and back.

Trailhead: Cape Perpetua is 2 1/2 miles south of Yachats on U.S. Highway 101. The top of the St. Perpetua Trail is about 3/4 of a mile up Forest Road 55 then nearly a mile up Forest Road 5553.

13.1 miles to wildflowers in Idaho

Saturday saw us at Lolo Pass, off U.S. Highway 12 along the Montana-Idaho border, for two reasons: I was running the Mountain to Meadow Half Marathon, and camas flowers were blooming in Packer Meadows.

Every year in late June, the meadows fill with blue flowers, and the run passes by the fields and is usually around the peak bloom - fitting two of my interests.

The run on forest roads just inside Idaho went well and might have been one of my best half marathon finishes, although it should come with an asterisk. The last time I ran the race, it was two weeks before the Missoula Marathon, making it ideal for a final long run before tapering. This year, it was just one week before the marathon, likely limiting the field. Nonetheless, I finished in 1 hour, 50 minutes and 13 seconds, about 8 1/2 minutes faster than my previous best on the course. The time was good enough for 21st overall, 15th among men and fifth in my category.

After the race, we took a stroll about a mile back down the road to the meadows for some photos of the flowers. The bloom was about at its peak last Wednesday, according to the Lolo Pass Visitor Center's Facebook page. Although they were beginning to wilt, the blue blooms still were plentiful.

Here are a few more views of the flowers.

A quicker Pengelly Double Dip

Yesterday's Pengelly Double Dip trail race up University Mountain and Mount Sentinel far exceeded my expectations. My time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 26 seconds was about 16 1/2 minutes faster than the only other time I've run the race and, more importantly, I accomplished it without any injury.

If you've been reading this blog or my Twitter stream for the past year and a half, you know I've been working back from an Achilles tendon injury. That time has been filled with physical therapy and slow progress. I got back to running races this year with a plan to enter some of the more fun events in the area, and started with the Snow Joke Half Marathon in January and the 11 Miles to Paradise trail race in May.

The Double Dip, however, is much more work - a trail half marathon with more than 3,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain up two mountains on the edge of town. It first switchbacks up to the "M" from the valley floor, then crosses the Sentinel fire road and works its way around into Pattee Canyon. It then ascends University Mountain, drops back to a saddle and rises up Sentinel. After returning to the saddle, it switchbacks down to the Clark Fork River and returns to the start.

My main concern in getting back to races has been reinjuring my leg, especially at the Pengelly, with all of the climbing. About a week and a half ago, I ran the course at what I thought was a slow pace to make sure I could handle it - turned out, I did it slightly faster than the first time I raced.

At the start yesterday, I again set out to run it slowly. I also purposely didn't look at the time or pace elements on my GPS until I had reached the valley floor with about a mile to go. To my surprise, I was well ahead of my previous time.

Looking back at the stats, I started the race at a slightly slower pace and was able to run the top mile - with the steepest climb - much faster than last time.

As for my plan to stick to more interesting races this year, I've got at least one more this summer - the Mountain to Meadow half marathon at Lolo Pass - and possibly a short road/trail race - the Ten Spoon 10K on the summer solstice at a local winery!