Iceland Day 3 June 26, 2017

WARNING!  If you are a loyal follower of mine and are one of those that read my entire story from the get-go to the closing curtain than I suggest you pack a snack, get comfy, settle in and come for a ride that will blow your socks off.

In all my oogling and googling for this trip of a life time to Iceland, one vision remained at the fore front through the entire planning process.  The probability of living out seeing that exact vision is not high as the weather conditions for this area lean more to cloud cover and showery sprinkles. I put my money down, hopped on the bus and said a little prayer.

Today I hiked into a dream at Landmannalaugar and this was what I witnessed.

To even get to the trail head for this hike was an adventure all on its own.  I give a big shout out to the Artic Adventures guides and the transportation by Trex.  The organization skills were perfection as were the driving skills.  The long last portion of the drive was on an "F" Road and that "F" does not stand for what some might say it should stand for.  After driving through the rivers near the end we arrived at the little Landmannalaugar settlement.

In a matter of mere minutes we were geared up and ready to enter into a dream.  It was cloudy with a sprinkle here and there as we entered the canyon to hike along side the river.  The colors still stood out and I was thankful for that.

After rounding a couple of corners, our summit destination came into sight.  I could not take my eyes of it! We worked our way through a lava field which was formed when Brennisteinsalda erupted.

           The side of this Mountain is still alive with geothermal activity.

We began the final climb and the closer we got to the top, the bluer the sky became.     I thought to myself what are the odds this would happen and I made an extra effort to treasure ever second up here.

                                                My summit shot.

After en extended visit it was time to carry on with the loop and get down off the back side.  I made a quick trip down through the snow so I could watch the others find their method to get down.  For a few this was going outside of their comfort zone and they were troopers through it.

The scenery continued to be outstanding as we made our way to the valley bottom.  What I was seeing for real was that vision that stuck with me since mid last year.  I was doing 360s, over the shoulder checks, I didn't know where to focus.  

When the tarns and creeks and rivers and moss came into play that added even more amazing moments.  

We began our loop a few hours back working our way through one lava field and we finished the loop finding our way along another lava field.  

                            Mount Blahnukur in the middle.

As we rounded that final corner, the little settlement of tents, cookhouses washrooms, visitor center, buses and Search & Rescue Center came into sight. It on its own was such a pretty sight. We made our way there and blended in with the activity.  Some went off for a dip in the hot springs, I opted to visit with Max our guide and savour another sandwich.  

Our small group had the whole big blue bus to ourselves for the drive back.  We crossed back over the rivers then hit that "F" road again.  Being on this kind of Road even added to the whole day's experience.  On the way back I tried to wrap my head around that I was truly just at Landmannalaugar and I really saw what I just saw.  I feel very fortunate to have experienced today, not taking a single second for granted.  It was a day filled with more than I ever dreamed it could be!