Hi Everyone!
About Our 35 Mile Hike
The Lake Myvatn region in northern Iceland is famous for the annual spring bird migration. We will be walking about 20 miles over the five days depending on the weather and volcano forecast. Iceland has notoriously unpredictable arctic weather conditions. Like New England, “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes!” This trek requires fortitude of spirit and Camp Casco is our motivation.
The weather tempered its outbursts., though Our hiking dates were an interlude between bad and horrible weather. It was winter when we arrive on May 4th, our lake destination still frozen over. But by the time we left a week later, summer had come. I can’t say the same for those who arrived a couple of weeks later to 12” of snow and whiteout conditions. Clearly, mischievous Loki meddled with the weather but honorably spared our intentions to hike for Camp Casco.
Team Vandring Vikings consists of Pat Hankin and Linda Seale of Massachusetts along with Charlotte Hankin and Jack Connolly of New Orleans, Louisiana. Thank-you all for your support!
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About Camp Casco
We provide amazing camps and community-building programs for New England kids who have been diagnosed with cancer and their families. Our camps make summer fun accessible to kids who have spent too much of their young lives battling cancer, from 24/7 onsite medical professionals to all-terrain wheelchairs. Kids spend time making amazing memories with other kids who understand, and parents enjoy a week of respite, knowing that their child is in good hands. Every program is provided at no cost to our families, including bus transportation, meals, and snacks. Our campers experience independence, increase self-esteem, build lasting friendships, and create priceless memories they'll cherish forever.
For more information about our camps, visit www.campcasco.org.
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Part 1 Update
Our multi-generational team of five ages 25 to 75 set out to experience arctic Iceland in time for the annual bird migration. The plan called for 15 miles walking throughout the Myvatn region after smaller distances leading up to this. We went further.
The big unknown was the big volcano making big news right after we had bought our tickets. Would it shut down airspace like 10 years ago? Would the carefully crafted travel itinerary be disrupted?
Remarkably, the Norse gods of Asgard smiled on Team Vandring Vikings and opened a weather window to hike 35 miles over the week. As if to signal “enough!”, that portal slammed shut with volcanic force as it spewed back to life bigger than before just as we lifted off. And then just for kicks, an unprecedented summer storm dumped a foot of snow at our retreating heels.
Arriving in Keflavik airport, Ellert Sigurdsson whisked us over the lava field moonscape to Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital. The usual 40-minute ride took twice as long as we stopped to view the steam rising from the pesky Fagradalsfjall volcano ten miles away near the now-destroyed village of Grindavik. While ominous we soldiered on, confident in Icelandic preparedness. We were on a mission for Camp Casco.
When asked what has changed since my last visits, I’d have to say accessibility. Tourism really wasn’t much of a thing in Iceland before the last decade. Barriers and walkways now exist to save tourists from themselves when doing stupid hiker tricks. (See previous paragraph)
While acclimating to local time, we warmed up with walks in the Haukadalur geothermal region. Normally a touristy spot to view geysirs, we were relatively alone. Volcano fear caused many to cancel Iceland plans and we could comfortably travel without Influencers and IG’ers.
We had a wish list of destinations. Charlotte wanted was to traverse the mid-Atlantic rift. It bifurcates the island but close to Reykjavik it is in Thingviller National Park. It has an awe-inspiring path through the canyon created by the spreading North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Our confidence bolstered by those five miles, we piled into Ellert’s overland jalopy for the 6-hour ride north.
Part 2 Update
Actually, we stretched the 6 hour ride to 10 hours with frequent stops for “walks.” The climb up to three extinct volcano craters tested our cardio fitness but no one fell in. Scree slopes challenge even the most lugged soles. Thankfully, stairs had been installed over the more fragile elements of the terrain, another recent concession to the tourism explosion. After the 70o climb, we traversed one volcano rim, descended then climbed up again for two more. Back again in the car, satisfied with our effort and distance, we continued our stop-and-walk all the way to Akureryi, our base for hiking in the Lake Myvatn area in northern Iceland.
Jack is the birder whose enthusiasm could not be contained. We got up close and personal with a fledgling puffin colony starting in a cliff. We sat within ten feet, at eye level, while puffins were nest building. We sat for over an hour to observe their progress as we ate our pack lunch. I never did figure out their coexistence with the noisy fulmars so write me if you know.
That hike continued down to a river beach littered with drifted tree trunks hardened from a long journey. That wood started out four years ago as Siberian pine trees and ended up deposited in river shores in northern Iceland. In tree-barren medieval Iceland, feuds broke out over ownership of those poles. Valuable currency, the driftwood pieces got traded around, even used as a bride price by suiters. If long enough, drifted tree trunks could be used as ridge poles around which the rest of a sod lodge could be constructed. The longer the pole, the bigger the Viking long house.
Another five miles completed along the riverbank. And what’s going on with this weather? It’s almost summer. All my cautionary lectures to the team about Arctic unpredictability and constant rain was the butt of jokes. Sure, Patty.
