The Lion 

     We were encouraged by some fellow sailors not to miss the island of Rodoya, and its mountain that resembles a resting lion when approached from the south. So, after the Svartisen Glacier, we headed over. We anchored in a cove at the base of its head, which is a mind-boggling cliff. Sitting in the cockpit of Far and Away, we could see tiny figures at the top of a 1,400-foot drop. We blew up our dinghy and tried out our new E propulsion electric motor. From the beach we picked up a side trail that intersected the main one, which consisted of beautifully wrought stone stairs placed by Sherpas. Up and up we climbed to the top. At the summit, even Nico couldn't hang over the edge after seeing the cliff's concave structure from the bottom and all the potential rockfall. We had a picnic, talked to a couple from Iceland, greeted a tiny dog that somehow clambered up those steep stone stairs, and then we headed down.

The lion's head as seen from our anchorage

Looking out the opposite side of the boat towards the mainland

Looking north from the summit. The clouds were just touching the top.

A canine hiker

Facing south

The crumbly rocks at the top

The view looking straight down. Nico wedged himself behind a rock and held the camera over the precipice

Far and Away far below

The Sherpa steps

No hike is complete without some wildflower pictures - Cranesbill

 Twinflower

Bunchberry