Iceland the Great Outdoors

We were looking for a special place to celebrate one of those birthdays that end in a "0".  A January trip to Iceland, with a few days out in a four wheel drive to check out the dramatic scenery, was just right for creating great memories. We had hoped to see the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, however the weather did not cooperate and, despite driving around in the cold dark night until 2:00 a.m., we saw almost nothing. Maybe next time…

We did however explore some fantastic sites ranging from great waterfalls and massive glaciers to entertaining geysers and a beautiful black sand beach. Iceland is a special place of crisp clear air and volcanic land formations that pop right up out of the sea. The language here is Icelandic and we tried to pick up a few words but were happy that everywhere we went people spoke to us in English. The people here are wonderful hosts and the food was great, especially if you like fish.
Our first stop on our explore was here at Seljalandsfos which is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Iceland. You can walk behind the waterfall and when you do you are treated to some really special views.

The waterfall drops more than 60 meters (approximately 200 feet) over the cliffs that once formed the
coastline and tumbles into a beautiful pool. We climbed up to vantage points on the cliffs and made our way around and behind the falls. We got good and wet but we were prepared so no worries…it was great!

View from behind the falls

Icelandic Horses

Everywhere we went we found Icelandic horses. These horses were developed from ponies brought here in the 9th and 10th centuries by Norse settlers, and today are unique to Iceland. By law no other breed of horse is permitted on the island, and those horses that are exported are not permitted to come back, protecting the breed. They are not very tall but they are known to be long-lived and hardy. They seem perfectly happy living out in the elements. They are often used to help in minding the sheep, whilst some are used for racing and for show. They are known for having five distinct gaits in contrast to three gaits for most horse breeds. The one we approached was not at all shy and came right up to us to get some attention.

Next up, Skogafoss on the Skoga river one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland. It is 25 meters (82 feet) across and also drops more than 60 meters (about 200 feet) from the top of the cliffs. The waterfall creates a constant spray and a nice rainbow when the sun shines. A local legend claims that one of the first Viking settlers buried treasure behind the falls. We didn't find any buried treasure but we did find the sun and the rainbow.

A Walk to the Glacier

After exploring the falls we went off to find a glacier. We were told that the blue ice we found at the toe of the glacier takes some 200 years to find its way from the top. The ice brings along volcanic debris creating a contrast of black, blue, and white, very nice.

We walked along a trail that lead us next to a glacial lake and right up to the ice. There were groups of people all kitted out headed for a climb on the glacier. Once we got up close to the ice we got to appreciate just how massive it is.

The biggest ice cubes we have ever seen...

Vik and its Black Sand Beach

After exploring the glacier we set off to the small village of Vik i Mydal or just Vik. This is the southernmost village in Iceland and is host to a very nice black sand beach. We arrived as the sun was headed toward the horizon and we were treated to a nice sunset. The beach at Vik has been included as one of the ten most beautiful beaches on Earth by the US journal Islands Magazine. The cliffs are home to many migrant birds and at times are filled with nesting puffins.

Basalt rock stacks rise above the surf indicating where the cliffs once protruded into the sea. The black basalt sand provides a striking contrast. This is also known to be one of the wettest places in Iceland. Folklore here tells of trolls that once inhabited the shoreline and of the mischief they created including making off with the boats of local fishermen. The sea and surf here are powerful and there is a monument to remember lost seamen.

We began our next day in Iceland with a visit to the place where the North American and European tectonic plates meet then we were off to find some geysers…

The Geysers

The Strokkur is a fountain geyser in the Haukadalur geothermal area next to the Hvita River. Inside of the geothermal area there are bubbling mud pools, steaming fumaroles, bright colored algal despots and other geysers including the oldest named Geysir, known as the Great Geyser.

Strokkur is amazing and very entertaining, It erupts on a regular cadence every 8 to 10 minutes. It spouts up between 20 and 40 meters into the air (60 to 120 feet). It seemed that no mater where we positioned ourselves the wind would shift and the steam would come after us. When the geyser erupts high in the air the wind takes the hot water and sends it flying. We got soaked more than once but that didn't sway us from hanging in there to watch the show.

The first written record of Strokkur eruption was in 1789. Over time through a number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions the geyser has gone dormant and then become active again. In 1815 it was measured to spout 60 meters into the air (180 feet). It has now been active continuously since 1963.

From the Geyser we continued along what is called the Golden Circle to one of most popular sites in Iceland, Gullfoss, or Golden Falls. The falls are situated in the canyon of the Hvita river. There are three large and distinct drops forming a stair case and then the river drops out of site as it plunges into a crevice that is 32 meters (105 feet) deep. Because we were here in the middle of winter the paths were covered in ice. Luckily our guide provided us with ice spikes and we were on our way to appreciate the power of the river as it crashes its way along.

From here we were off to the highlands to play in the snow and to work our way up to a glacial ice cap.

Our local guide ready to extract a stuck vehicle with a tow rope

We started in the mud but before long we were in snow country. Along the way several of the four wheel drive vehicles got stuck, putting us in rescue mode. We encountered some white out conditions that kept us from going all the way to the top but we did get well up the mountain.

Following up into the Highlands

Our guides enjoying a bit of
late afternoon sun!

Stuck in the snowbank…

We ended our day by taking an unscheduled detour to
 visit a beautiful lake with a hot spring bath. We
were longing to try out the sauna, fed by the steaming water, but, alas,
we had  neither the time nor swimming costumes.