Day hikes

When I was in California this trip, Palmer and I had several conversations about Mount Diablo, the mountain that dominates the valley (and all of Contra Costa county) where he now lives. I told Palmer that it is called Mount Diablo, instead of Mountain Diablo, because a mount is smaller than a mountain; it is in fact just the right size to mount its peak in a days walk. Whereas one climbs a mountain, one hikes up a mount. I told Palmer that Mount Diablo is just the right size for hiking in one day, and also that the oak tree cover it has is not so thick to make a walk difficult but just right to give some shade on a hot day. 
Now that I am back in Iceland. I am realizing that Keilir is similarly perfect for a day's hike. Though much thinner than Mount Diablo (Keilir could fit inside of it easily), it is just about exactly as high. It also lacks of course any tree coverage or even grass (which is good since the last thing you need on most days in Iceland is shade), and should probably be called a peak rather than a mount. But both are the sort of landscape features whose shape catches the eye, and beacons one to get out into nature. 

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