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June 1st, 2016

    For our final day in Iceland, May 30th, we spent the day exploring Reykjavik. We wandered the streets and were able to just take in atmosphere. Some of us took the opportunity to go whale watching, and we saw whales!! We saw two minky whales, a humpback whale, and a whole pod of ten or so white nose dolphins. It was magical! Emily cried a lot. I wouldn't have wanted to end my time in Iceland any other way. The sun setting over the harbor as we walked back to the hotel at 11:30pm just solidified the beauty that Iceland is. It was the sun setting on our time here.

    I don't understand how time works. How has three weeks flown by? This experience has truly been once in a life time. I know I will never be able to have an experience like this one again. From the academic side of the trip to the exploration to sight seeing to getting to know the people on the trip, I have learned so much about myself, a new land, geology, and other people. I will miss the beauty of this land. I will miss the single church in every village, the simplistic architecture, the 24 hours of daylight. What is so unique to the world has become so normal to me. I'm going to miss the little things as well, like home cooked family dinners, bourbons and Kremekex (cookies), the golden goose (our bus), the baby sheep, our Icelandic breakfasts (yogurt, cereal, rye bread). I will even miss expecting the water to smell like sulfur, the smell of fish wafting in the streets, living in tight quarters together, not having any clue of how to read street signs. Heck, I will even have to think twice about American modesty after all the pool house visits. I will miss all of these things because they a part of Iceland and I will miss Iceland.

I've had a few favorite memories and moments that stood out:

    Hallgrímskirkja  

    Blue Lagoon

    Landjökull glacier ice cave 

    Hike in Grundarfjörour

    Jökulsárlón

    Vestmannaeyjar islands

    

   I will be forever grateful for this opportunity. I want to especially thank Suresh and Dr. Ranson. This trip would not be the same or wouldn't have even happen without them. I've loved learning from them, especially in a different setting than the classroom, and loved getting to know them. I cannot say thank you enough. 

Just Keep on Walking

May 30th, 2016

   How is it our last full day in Iceland? Where did the time go? We have headed back to Reykjavik to catch our flight home tomorrow morning. 

   We spent the last two days in Skógar. When we arrived on May 28th after making a stop at Reynisfjara, the uniquely beautiful basaltic column cliffs and caves on a black beach with sea stacks of the coast. We stayed at a quaint little hostel nestled into the foot of the Skógafoss waterfall. I thought it would be a chilled travel day. I was wrong. What I believe would be a nice hike to see a waterfall ended up being a four hour hike that began with 527 steps up the cliff. Needless to say, after two previous days of hikes, I thought my legs were done. Boy did I realize how out of shape I was. I can say that the scenery was completely worth it. I have never felt more like I was transported to another world (more specifically Middle Earth). There were waterfalls, snow caps, cliff, valleys, it was wonderful. 

   On May 29th, we woke up early and headed out to Vestmannaeyjar Islands. We made a pit stop at the Selijalandsfoss waterfall first. It was so fun because we were able to walk behind it and see through the waterfall! What an experience. It was cloudy out but I heard that on sunny days, when the sun hits the water, you can see a rainbow. 

   We left the Landeyjahofn harbor at 9 am for the islands. The ferry ride was about 30 minutes. The view was lovely. When arriving I was awe struck, for the millionth time. This island, Heimaey , is home to about 5,000 people. In 1973 the volcano Eldfell erupted on this island. It added 20% more mass to the island and destroyed 417 homes. People did not know if the island would be inhabited again or if the fishing harbor would be closed by the lava flow. Teams of people worked tirelessly on the island to try and save it until the eruption ended five months later. Cold sea water was sprayed on the flows to redirect flow from the harbor. In the end, everything was ok on the island and things have returned back to normal, though 1/3 of the original inhabitants never returned to the island. 

    When I learned our plans for the day, I didn't think I was going to make it. We had two hikes planned. The first hike was up a mountain. And when I say up I mean vertically up. It was the scariest hike I have ever done. We had to climb ladders, use ropes, traversed across a cliff. The nerves got to me. And to top it off my legs were already shakey from being sore. But. I made it. (Though the sheep showed me up). The view from the top was unbelievable. It was a 360 view of the island. We could see the town and the volcanoes and even the glacier on the main land. It was one of the most incredible views of my life. We were able to sit (probably in sheep poop) and enjoy lunch on top before hiking back down. Ranson gave us a lecture on the area and not gonna lie it got a bit emotional. We are leaving soon and the view was moving.

    Our second hike (I'm still amazed my legs were moving) was to the top of Eldfell. I cannot say which hike I enjoyed more. We began this hike wandering through fields of purple flowers that grew over the lava flows that had buried homes. The contrast between color and nature, growth and destruction were beautiful. The colors kept expanding as we kept hiking. We walked over the browns, reds, oranges and yellows of the volcanic rocks past the greens of the fields, the purples of the flowers, the white if the town, and the blue of the ocean. Breath taking. Even cooler, once on top of the volcano, hot gasses were rising up from the lava rocks. We were literally feeling the heat of the volcano. It was an incredible feeling. Suresh was even hearing his French fries in a geothermal vent, gotta love it.

    After a lovely dinner, we took the 9 pm ferry back to the main land. As we were sailing out of the harbor, I stood on top of the deck watching the island retreat from view. With the sun setting, it was magical. 

Ice Ice Baby

May 28th, 2016 

  While I am slightly excited to leave behind the cramped quarters of the previous hostel, I am sad that that means our trip is coming to a close. We leave in three days. What?! I cannot comprehend the concept of time. The past two days Vagnstaoir have flown by. Those two days, however, have been two of my most memorable days hands down. 

   Two days ago on May 26th, we headed to Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Wow. I truly felt like I was working for National Geographic or was transported into a special on the Discovery Channel. This lagoon was full of crystal blue glacial melt water. It was enclosed on the back side by a retreating glacier, the outlook glacier of the larger Vatnajökull glacier. I was in awe when I saw all of the medial moraines coming together in this flow. On the front side the lagoon was enclosed by terminal moraines. I loved seeing this de positional feature first hand and getting a close look at all the varying sediment that the glacier can carry. The most stunning feature, though, was the icebergs. While some were white as snow others would give an electric light blue hue as the light refracted with the ice crystals. It was an experience of a life time. More amazingly,  there was a whole cove of grey seals, at least 8, playing around and bobbing up and down. They were so much fun. 

    We walked across the street to Diamond Beach after getting back to the bus and eating lunch. This was just as beautiful. From this black sandy beach we could watch icebergs flow out of the lagoon into the ocean. Man was that something to watch. Some chunks of ice would wash up on the beach, giving the beach it's name. They look like diamonds glistening in the sunlight.

    I can say that I was exhausted after all of this. I do not believe I have ever experienced stronger winds in my life. We walked several miles and when walking back, even tho walking on the black sand was hard enough, we were walking straight into the wind. What a work out.

    The following day required much energy as well, but per usual, it was worth it. May 27th we headed straight to the Vatnajökull glacier itself. This glacier is the largest glacier outside of Antarctica, which is pretty darn cool. Before arriving we made a pit stop to look at another outlook of the glacier. It was a great find. Here, we could see the parallel and perpendicular fractures and crevasses on the retreating glacier wall that causes the icebergs to fall so clearly! The water here was a murky off white, different from the previous lagoon. This is due to the mass sediment flow out of this glacier. Very cool to see. The water again was contained with in terminal moraines. The frost wedging weathering of some of the boulders in this moraine was so defined and wicked cool. On the mountains in the surrounding area, many beautiful radial dikes could be seen as well. 

    We arrived to at the base of the glacier around noon. We watched a short informational video on the national park before heading on our hike. We came to find out, however, that the long hike we were planning to do parallel to the glacier was closed due to "fragile vegetation at this time of year." We chose a different route and I can say I'm glad we did. This new route took us first to an incredible waterfall, Svartifoss. This waterfall has the most pronounced basaltic columnar jointing features I have ever seen. The waterfall carves away at the rock, leaving the pillars on display. It was too cool. 

     We are our packed lunch there before heading on our way. The clouds had rolled in and it started misty raining. We could not even see the mountain next to us, let alone ten yards ahead of us. It was a surreal feeing to be up in the glacial mountains feeling like you are floating above the sky. I was just talking it all in and had no clue where we were going when walking this trail. When we arrived at our destination, I was truly blown away. We were standing on cliffs overlooking the base of the glacier and it's outflow lagoon. Stunning. I could see the lateral moraines on the glacier, the craters and crevasses, the vast depression in the glacier where it caved in due to a mantle plume, the meandering stream that traveled to the ocean with the glacial sediment and melt water. It was like my whole past spring semester in Surficial Processes with Suresh was rolled into one landscape; glaciers, fluvial processes, and coastal processes. During our moment of silence, I was brought to tears by its beauty, something that could never be adequately captured in a photograph. We had the moment to see if we could hear the glacier moving. It is possible to hear it slowly creaking along, though I couldn't thru the rain and my deafness. Interestingly enough, as we were sitting there, the clouds slowly began to roll away and sun began to shine through. Even still, we could not see the vast glacier and mountains surrounding us. There was such a powerful mystery and majesty to where we were.

    The hike down was beautiful as well. Iceland is known for its lack of vegetation. In this area, however, it is so green. There are lots of flowers, shrubs, and yes, even trees. The whole hike we were walking through bushes and past beautiful flowers but on the way down we were walking through a small Icelandic forest. It was wonderful. I felt like I was in a fairy forest. The trees were so bright with their yellow-green leaves glistening against the sunlight.

     The days adventures did not end with our hike however. At our hostel, there is a 1.5 km path to the beach. With having to leave the next day, I knew I didn't want to miss out on seeing this beach. Emily Ritz and I took a late night walk down this path. We walked through the fields and pastures, over several creeks and across several hundred yards of stony black beach to reach the ocean. It was so serene. We were the only ones out there; it was 10:30pm when we arrived at the beach. I loved just standing there with the fresh air hitting my face and the calm sound of the ocean waves crashing in front of me. It was truly wonderful and an experience I am glad I didn't miss out on just because I was tired.

    While this whole experience and trip has opened my eyes to a whole new world and provided me with a plethora of new experiences, the past two days have moved my spirit unlike the others. I have witnessed a vast new landscape that has touched my heart.

Eco-living and Eco-loving

May 25, 2016

  Today as we are leaving Solheimar and headed to Vagnstaóir, I am able to reflect on our wonderful past three days here while sitting in the bus on this rainy day.

   We arrived at Solheimar on May 22 after a long drive (9am - 8pm) from the Western Fjords. It was not so bad though because I was enjoying a good book and we made several stops. One was a lunch break and two were bathroom breaks but the stop that really broke up the drive was a two hour stop at the Grábrókargígar crater off of road FS78. We were able to hike up the crater to stretch our legs. The view from the top also gave us an incredible view of our surroundings where we were able to view, identify, discuss and analyze the geologic processes of the surrounding area. 

   Arriving at our cottage in the Eco-village was lovely because we were welcomed by Thorleifur and his wife as well as the woman who owns the home "queen" kolla with homemade cauliflower soup. She is so wonderful. She has volunteered in this community for 23 years offering her cottage as a retreat for cancer patients. The kindness she displayed in words, actions and conversation moved me and gave me something to aspire to.

   The Eco-village itself is incredible. Without getting into all the details, Solheimar is a sustainable community that grew from taking in only children in 1930 to being a fully functioning community for both the abled and disabled alike. Everyone has a job and contributes whether it is by cooking, gardening, woodwork or candle making. The list goes on and on. There are 100 people in this community, 45 of which are disabled. The community is centered around meeting the needs of these 45 individuals and creating a community around them for which they belong. In the greater society, these disabled people would be treated differently. Here, these people are included and accepted for who they are. The work here is truly wonderful. Visiting the chapel here was also wonderful. God's hand in the lives of these people is so visible. By its 100th birthday, this community looks to grow to 150 people and cover many locations, providing mobility and more access to all who want to participate in the community. 

   Yesterday on the 24th, we spent our time exploring this amazing village and the surrounding area around us in the town Selfoss, with a surprisingly large amount of people, numbering 5,000. We ate lunch, explored book shops, found the grocery store and ate ice cream (no matter how cold it is outside ice cream is always great). Before returning to the community to cook some homemade pasta for dinner (don't worry I don't do the cooking), we stopped at Kerió crater. While the wind was whipping, it didn't blow the novelty of this crater away. Inside this crater was a small lake. We hadn't seen anything like this yet. What really fascinated me here was how my hydrogeology class from the previous semester came into play here. The level of the water rises between 7m and 14m in the crater. This is because it mimics and changes according to the level of the ground water table. So cool!

    The day before this, May 23rd, was a big day. We did so much! Our first of five stops was to Pingvellir. This was not only where the first parliament (Alpingi) of Iceland was held in 930 AD but also a rift and junction of two tectonic plates in the Mid Atlantic Ridge. I love how history and geology collide.   They allow people to scuba dive between the ridge. While I wasn't able to do that on this trip, it just means I'll have to come back someday. Our second stop was at Gullfoss waterfall. It was a beautiful cascading waterfall with crystal blue water that looks like it falls into a crevasse. Sadly, it was pouring rain. It was the cold, windy, rain that I expected Iceland to be like since we got here. (Thankfully that's only happened once). I was happy to retreat to the cafe and gift shop and wait out the rain before heading to our next stop, the geysers. This stop was so fun! We walked around and looked at several small geyser pools but the largest geyser erupts about every 5-10 minutes. There was so much anticipation watching it and when it finally erupted, I almost missed it cause I got so startled. But it was so much fun. I was reminded of my trip years ago to Yellow Stone National Park. After the geysers, we made a quick 15 minute stop at Faxi Waterfall. Here we were able to see a mechanism built to allow fish to travel upstream despite the blockage of this long waterfall. After such a long day, there was no other way I wanted to spend it than by going to a local hot springs pool. Talk about relaxing. From the hot water to the stones under my feet, it was so needed. (And heck, I feel like a local now cause the naked showers don't even phase me anymore.) We had dinner in a restaurant that was also so wonderful and a dance party on the bus back to the community to finish our day. This place and group of people could not get any better.

We're Half Way There

May 20th, 2016

    These past two days exploring the western fjords have been wonderful. Yesterday (5/19/16) we drove two hours out to Látrabjarg, the western most point of Europe (that's pretty cool to say). The cliffs here were beautiful and the clear blue ocean water only made the scene more incredible. What makes this place even more special, however, is the wildlife! There are about ten different species of birds inhabiting these rocky cliffs and up to a million birds living here in the warmer months. The most populated birds are the three species of "Black Bird," the Brunnich's guillemot, guillemot, and razor billed auk. They all look very similar but I'm sure we saw all three species. We also saw many fulmar, or seagull like birds. My favorite by far, however, were the puffins!! They are so cute with their little round bodies and beautiful with their bright orange beaks. They are unique to this area and are an iconic part of Iceland (I can now officially say I've been to Iceland since I've seen them). I could have watched them all day. Very different to the birds but just as cool were the grey seals lounging on the rocks off of the cliffs! They were massive! We had to use binoculars to see them because they were off the coast and the cliffs were so high. Not gonna lie I was a little nervous on the cliffs; they have unstable edges and it's a long way down.

   Today (5/20/16) we traveled two hours out to the Dynjandi Waterfall. On the way we stopped up in the snow topped mountains for a brief recap lecture of what we have learned so far on the trip. It was enjoyable to stand outside in the sun (we have been so lucky with weather) and I am impressed with how much I am learning and retaining out here in the field. The waterfall itself was huge! It's hard to tell its scale from a far but once you get close to it, it's sheer size is incredible. I was amazed at the intricate network of cascades that composed this waterfall. It was 99m high, 30m wide at the top, and 60m wide at the base. Earth creates some pretty cool things. 

   We are going to cook dinner at the hostel for another relaxing evening. It's been nice having time to recuperate, hang out with friends, catch up on work, and explore the town. Tomorrow is an exploration day of the area so I am excited to see what that holds (PSA: possible whale sightings tomorrow... Talk about some awesome wildlife out here in the western fjords.)

   I am so sad to realize that today is the halfway point in our adventure. I have already had so many incredible experiences that I will cherish for the rest of my life. At the same time I am so excited for what the rest of Iceland has to hold! I don't want this time to end!

5/21/16 whale update: While we did not find any whales on our hike today, we did find other amazing creatures! While walking along the fjord beneath cliffs and snow covered mountains and along golden beaches, we saw grey seals who were playing in the water, dophins  that followed us back into the harbor, and sea monsters. Yes sea monsters. I have never seen the remains of such a creepy and scary looking fish in my life. What I really want to know, however, is what ate those fish? 

    

I'm on Top of the World

May 18th, 2016

   While I write in my personal journal everyday here, I try to write a blog post every three days. That lands me on today. Today, however, was an 8 hour bus ride from Grundarfjörõur to Bildadular in the Western Fjords. While the drive across this incredible land was as breath taking as ever and I really enjoyed reading my book, yesterday was much more exciting so I'll talk about that. 

   Yesterday - May 17th, 2016

  We woke up around 9:30 this morning for breakfast before heading out. We were supposed to go hiking in the national park, however the roads were closed. No fear, being flexible an alternate plan was made. 

   We arrived at the Bjarnarhöfn Shark Museum around 11 am. Yes, your thinking this was a museum about the local Greenland shark. You're right. Except for the fact that it was about eating the Greenland shark. Boy was I in for a surprise. Ignoring the pungent fish smell, we toured the museum and learned all about the local shark fishing process and history. I was actually surprised to learn how different it was from my preconceived notions. The Sharks stopped being hunted several decades ago. Instead, this farm takes in Greenland sharks that have accidentally been caught as bycatch. The farm then, through a smelly fermenting and drying process, prepares the meat for consumption. The whole shark is used, not wasted. 

   After learning about the process, we got to try the shark meat. I tried it. To be honest it could have tasted worse, the idea of eating a shark however was just too unsettling. The taste stayed with me until lunch. 

    We also got to walk around the farm property and see where the shark meat is dried. The farm is in a prime location. It is surrounded by snow covered mountains in the back, the sea in the front, and a casual waterfall in the backyard. The animals on the farm were also precious. We got to feed the chickens and ducks and I'm in love with the baby sheep. 

   We left the shark museum and headed back to Grundarfjörõur for lunch. We then had a leisurely afternoon exploring the town, finding coffee shops and bookstores, and taking a much needed nap. 

   At 4:45 I was woken up quickly to discover we were leaving on a hike. I had no clue where we were going but I knew I didn't want to miss it. I threw on my jacket, grabbed my backpack and put my shoes on as I was already out the door. I can tell you that I am so so glad I did not miss this hike. We followed a trail up onto the mountain behind the hostel. I wandered aimlessly as I followed the orange markers and the rest of the group. The whole time I was walking, I was in awe of what was around me. I felt like I was in a scene of The Lord of the Rings. The path lead us over hills and across streams until we came to a series of waterfalls where the snow began on the mountain. I thought this was the end of our journey, however the orange markers went up the side of the hill next to the waterfall. Naturally, a group of us followed it. It just kept going up and up and up. We crossed icy snow patches and climbed on our hands and knees up this mountain. Before we knew it, we were standing on the top of the mountain overlooking the whole valley with the town in it. My breath was taken away (from the view and also quite literally from being so physically exhausted). It was truly one of the proudest and most rewarding moments of my life. I had never hiked or seen anything like that. I was truly on top of the world.

   By the time we made it back to the hostel it was 9:15. We had been hiking for 4 1/2 hours. I later found out that only to and back from the waterfall was 5 miles so who knows how far we actually went. I'm surprised my body could handle all of that and I  can walk today. It was so nice arriving back, however, because dinner was almost     ready. Some of the group had headed back early and we were welcomed by the aroma of chili. It was the perfect post hike dinner. The night itself was so wonderful. Everyone was sitting around the dining table with some good chili and great laughs. While the day itself wasn't heavily geology based and more relaxed, it was truly one of my favorites. I will never forget the simple memories I have with this incredible group of people.

Another on top of the world moment: standing on top of Langjökull glacier before descending into the ice cave (5/16/16)

Moving Day

May 15th, 2016 

   The past few days the group has been in Reykjavik. The 13th we toured the city, visiting ON (okra nátturunnar- a geothermal energy plant)the History Museum of Iceland, the Hallgrímskirkja church and city center. On the 14th we set out on the first of our geologic day excursions on the Reykjanes Peninsula, studying lakes and cliffs off of highway 42, Krjswík-Seltún geothermal mud pots and steam vents, the bridge between the North American and Eurasian continental plates, sea stacks and sea cliffs, and the iconic Blue Lagoon. The days were so full but I wouldn't have it any other way. Iceland has already won my heart. 

    Today, however, was moving day. We loaded all of our things and left Reykjavik for Grundarfjörõur, although the journey here was not direct. We first traveled to the Borgavrus Water Tower. We arrived around 11am and I can say that was the first time I felt really, really cold. The kind of cold that people think of when they talk about Iceland.   This stop gave us a higher view of the surrounding landscapes. We discussed and viewed rouch moutanes, meandering streams, tides, glacial movement and then looked at the rouch moutanes closer to view their mineral composition and look for any striations indicating glacial movement. 

   After this we traveled to the Eldborg Crater and wow this was breath taking. We hiked 2.5 km to the crater and then climbed almost vertically up the rocks to make a 2:20 pm summit. It was so nice being able to get out and hike, especially with a reward as amazing as this crater. This younger scoria cone was formed due to volcanic activity. The various eruptions lead to the accumulation of magma creating this crater. The visibility of the varying layers of rock was incredible. Not to mention the view from the top of this 60m tall crater was incredible. I could see everything from the surrounding mountains to other volcanic cones to the natural brush and farm lands (side note: the baby sheep on these farms absolutely melt my heart). 

    We made several other stops after this, including the Olkelduvatin Mineral Spring, where the water is so mineral and iron rich it has a bubbly taste to it, and Ströridin, the coast between Stapi and Hellnaur where sea stacks, column joints and waterfalls can be seen. The coast was a beautiful site. We also stopped at Dritvík-Djúpalónssander. I was so cold and so tired by this point I just wanted to stay in the bus, but I am so glad I didn't. This beach was unlike anything I had seen before (per usual on this trip). It rested between a-a lava flows and it's sand was black stones. The cliffs went into the sea and were intertwined with natural pools, a unique feature. There was also remains of a shipwreck from the early 1900s scattered about, adding a nice artistic touch. 

    I cannot finish talking about today without talking about the drive. It was stunning. The whole way through. In the morning we drove under the fjord in a tunnel. We drove through volcanic landscapes consisting of ah-ah flows and pahoehoe flows. We saw erosional features including terracing, columns and alluvial fans. When literally driving into the sun out of the cold clouds we had been stuck in all day, we saw our first glacier. My breath was taken away. We drove along the cliffs by the ocean through Olasfvík, possibly the cutest, quaintest, sea side town I have ever seen, just before arriving to Grundarfjörõur, which itself is just as precious. 

   While moving days are usually stressful, today has been the best moving day ever. I am so excited for the days ahead (tomorrow we visit the ice cave!). And heck, they will be even better since I can sleep in my own double bed. 

   P.S. Happy Birthday Eric!