May 27, 2016
I started out my day with a slice of my usual toast and jam at 8:40 a.m. We planned a hike for today, so we also made sandwiches this morning to take with us. My sandwich was ham, cheese, and delicious. We also packed some crisp, juicy apples and some delectable European sweets. The weather in Iceland tends to be a bit unpredictable, so I made sure to pack my rain pants, gloves, scarf, and hat. It will seem really strange to have higher temperatures and shorter daylight hours when I return to the U.S. I have really grown used to wearing my eye mask every night to block out the light. Plus, I absolutely love sweater weather and dressing in layers.
Everyone looks to me as the professional hair braider, so naturally two of my classmates, Lauren and Jessie, put in requests for today. I gave Lauren a French braid, Jessie double French braids, and I did a side braid for myself. We have learned that it is not a good idea to hike with our hair down due to strong winds and split ends.
We made our first stop at Fjallsálón around 10:15. The lagoon is full of icebergs, and the shore is composed of volcanic rocks and sediments. We walked on the terminal moraine to get to the edge of the lagoon. In contrast to the blue water in the Jokulsarla Glacial Lagoon that we saw yesterday, this water has a milky appearance. This is due to glacial debris, referred to as "glacial flour" by Dr. Ranson and Dr. Suresh. As we were making observations, we spotted a distant tour boat weaving through the icebergs. That gave us an idea of just how large the lagoon actually is. Towards the end of our stop, we all competed to see who could skip rocks the farthest. I quickly found that skipping rocks is not in my skill set. However, I did improve slightly by the end.
I started out my day with a slice of my usual toast and jam at 8:40 a.m. We planned a hike for today, so we also made sandwiches this morning to take with us. My sandwich was ham, cheese, and delicious. We also packed some crisp, juicy apples and some delectable European sweets. The weather in Iceland tends to be a bit unpredictable, so I made sure to pack my rain pants, gloves, scarf, and hat. It will seem really strange to have higher temperatures and shorter daylight hours when I return to the U.S. I have really grown used to wearing my eye mask every night to block out the light. Plus, I absolutely love sweater weather and dressing in layers.
Everyone looks to me as the professional hair braider, so naturally two of my classmates, Lauren and Jessie, put in requests for today. I gave Lauren a French braid, Jessie double French braids, and I did a side braid for myself. We have learned that it is not a good idea to hike with our hair down due to strong winds and split ends.
We made our first stop at Fjallsálón around 10:15. The lagoon is full of icebergs, and the shore is composed of volcanic rocks and sediments. We walked on the terminal moraine to get to the edge of the lagoon. In contrast to the blue water in the Jokulsarla Glacial Lagoon that we saw yesterday, this water has a milky appearance. This is due to glacial debris, referred to as "glacial flour" by Dr. Ranson and Dr. Suresh. As we were making observations, we spotted a distant tour boat weaving through the icebergs. That gave us an idea of just how large the lagoon actually is. Towards the end of our stop, we all competed to see who could skip rocks the farthest. I quickly found that skipping rocks is not in my skill set. However, I did improve slightly by the end.
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| Fjallsálón Glacier and Lagoon |
Our main destination for the day was Vatnajökull National Park, the largest national park in Western Europe. At 5,300 square miles, it covers 13% of Iceland. The park is home to Vatnajökull, the world's largest glacier outside of the Arctics. There are ten volcanic systems in the area. They periodically release torrents of sediment-rich waters into the lowlands, causing major flooding and erosion.
We stopped at a beautiful waterfall about two miles into our hike. We had a nice lunch there, and we also took lots of pictures. Right after we finished eating it started to rain! We donned our rain gear in record time. Most of us have rain covers for our backpacks, but some got creative with ponchos and grocery bags. We experienced low visibility throughout the remainder of our hike to Skaftafellsjökull Glacier. When we reached the overlook, we could hardly see anything through the thick fog. The longer we stayed, the more it cleared up. Our patience was rewarded with an amazing view of Skaftafellsjökull and the surrounding area. The glacier is covered in cracks and crevices due to glacial melting. We could hear the roar of meltwater rushing through and out of the glacier. Many depressions and kettles are apparent on the surface. They are created when glaciers hollow out, causing some surface areas to cave in.
After the hike we stopped at a gas station for dinner. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but a buffet was definitely not it. My "casual" gas station dinner consisted of a rosemary and garlic salad, gourmet Icelandic potatoes, rice with gravy, trout, and beef. For dessert I had a cappuccino and a good sized chocolate chip cookie. We're leaving our hostel in Vagnstadir tomorrow morning, so I'm looking forward to new adventures!
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| Pictured: Jessie Wheeler & Me |
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