Saturday, April 26, 2014

Haltiavuori Lost and Found

On Wednesday I ran about 18 km (11 miles) trail loop in the forest through Haltiavuori (Elf Mountain). At home I noticed that my phone was lost somewhere along the way. I had not used it at all, but I had messed with my backpack to take photos with my Canon and to eat some snacks.

One of my favorite trails to Haltiavuori.
Naturally I launched a desperate search operation, but it seemed like an impossible task. I had randomly zig-zagged on new trails for me. In many places I had stepped aside from the trail for a chance to climb on all fours. With a heavy heart I reported my old buddy (we have gone through a lot together) as permanently lost and ordered a new one right away.

Boulders near the top of Haltiavuori.
On Friday morning I woke up with some sort of crazy insight about the exact location of my lost phone. I though sceptically that finding it would be extremely unlikely, but the weather was very nice and I had time for another run to Haltiavuori.

The area behind the pine is close to the place where my phone was lost and found.
Guided solely by my intuition, I ran straight to a steep spot with huge boulders. I didn't see anything there, but I stuck my hand in the thick undergrowth anyway and voilĂ ! My trusty black partner was in my hands again. "Holy smokes, Batman" I muttered, not quite believing my eyes.

iPhone 5C white (photo:Apple).

On my way home I went to the post office to pick up my new iPhone 5C - white. Surely 5S could have been a bit better, but since I have a talent for losing things I thought the cheaper model would be less risky. Nevertheless I sincerely hope we can fully enjoy together all the challenging adventures I have planned for us in the near future!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

My Top 10 Photos from April Trail Runs

Old Town Bay, where Helsinki began almost 5 centuries ago.

This wooden trail enables running to the islands when water is low in Gulf of Finland.

'Time to Fly', Hoka tells us. Or maybe I'm influenced by UD PB Adventure Vest 2.0?

The swans are here again, along our shores!

Seurasaari island: you can run/swim/canoe around it, but not bike.

Meilahti boulders, are you ready to rock?

Helsinki archipelago as seen from Lauttasaari island.

Running high above the fields in Viikki.

Viikki Birch Trail is one of my all-time favorites: technical but fun.

A visit to the Pond of the Giant Frogs!