Hiking in Norway – Ulriken to Floyen
I recently spent a week in Bergen Norway. While there my friend John and I spent a day hiking in the mountains surrounding Bergen. There are said to be seven mountains surrounding the city. Ulriken is the tallest mountain at 643 meters. This may not seem that high, but you must consider that the old section of Bergen sits at sea level. Ulriken has a cable car that quickly takes you to the top. Floyen mountain is visited much more often by tourists and locals. A train run by cables quickly takes people to the top. The main station for Floyen is much more accessible to downtown Bergen and there are expansive running / hiking trails that lead to the top. We decided to explore this mountain region by first riding the cable car to the top of Ulriken. This will cost you 80 NOK (~$15 US) per person. We would then spend the day exploring the mountain and make our way to Floyen.
First Landing State Park
First Landing State Park is a real gem located in the North Eastern most part of Virginia Beach. I highly recommend checking it out and going for a run or hike. There are a few trails, the main one allows bikes. It is very busy here on the weekends but do not let that discourage you. I always see many Birders with their binoculars and cameras. There are also an abundance of dogs and there owners roaming the trails. For trail runners there are not a lot of options in this area. This is by far the best trail system I have found close. It is pretty flat, but you can find some hills on the Long Creek Trail. By running the Long Creek Trail and the Cape Henry Trail you can make a 10.5 mile loop. Another advantage to running here are the water fountains and bathrooms located at either end of the Cape Henry Trail.
I often run my long runs at First Landing State Park. On Saturday I ran there in the afternoon once the local Tornado watch was lifted. It was extremely windy and there was a ton of branches and debris being blown from the trees. Limbs were literally falling all around me. I took these pictures with my phone while running. It ended up being a wonderful 21 mile run. I forgot my Ipod at home and that too was a real blessing as I was able to spend my time with God in his creation with no outside distractions. I love how these things turn out sometimes.
Next Weeks Projected: 45 - 50
3 week average: 20
Signal Knob Trail Run/Report
Signal Knob lies on the north-west tip of the Massanutten Mountain range. It is located in the George Washington National Forest, just west of Shenandoah National Park. During the Civil War Confederate Soldiers held an outpost on top and had a birds eye view of the valleys below. Signal Knob is the large mountain to the east of Strasburg, VA. It is a dominating feature as you drive south on Interstate 81 towards the Strasburg exit. There currently is a large broadcast antenna on the top of the mountain. This antenna is located a few 100 feet east of the official "Signal Knob" overlook. The trail-head is located on Fort Valley Road and can be accessed via Route 55 from Front Royal or Strasburg Virginia (Lat/Long 38.934577, -78.320203).
Links: Signal Knob Elevation Profile, Signal Knob HR and Pace
