2020 Goals

I have been thinking about goal setting but not had time to sit down and finally write it up. Last year I did not set official goals, but the process of moving and settling into a new city and state led me to reach multiple goals. Some of my favorite goals I accomplished last year are:

-Auditioned for and joined the Denver Pops Orchestra

-Joined CultureHaus, the Denver Art Museum young professionals group

-Enjoyed art exhibits at the DAM and Museum of Contemporary Art

-Completed a number of different hikes

-Completed solo backpacking trips

-Hiking the Laugavegur Trek in Iceland solo

-Went to meetups to enjoy different activities and events and meet new people

-Started with only the belongings in my car (and shipped books) and fully furnished my apartment with items I love

-Went on solo trips to Steamboat Springs (fall leaves) and Glenwood Springs (ice caves) – and of course enjoyed hot springs at both

-Explored Salida, Buena Vista, Great Sand Dunes, and Painted Mines with my friend Lacey

This year, I want to continue with the cultural activities and enjoy playing violin, enjoying art/arts events, and music. I also want to continue to maximize my time off work and enjoy Colorado like a tourist. I already have some plans I’m excited about:

-I’ve booked tickets to Portugal in April and plan to hike the Fisherman’s Trail along the coast, as well as enjoy Lisbon for a few days

-I’ve booked my first Red Rocks concert to see Brandi Carlile with the Colorado Symphony in September

-Nick and I won tickets to a Denver food and wine festival in September

I like to categorize my goals and think about how my goals reflect my values. Overall, I want to continue to spend time outside of work enjoying the outdoors, art and music, events around the city, and restaurants/coffee shops/bars and breweries. I want to be work on this blog and enjoy creative pursuits like arts and crafts. I also want to continue to challenge myself, particularly in the realm of hiking and backpacking. 

My Orangetheory fitness studio had an activity where people anonymously wrote goals on post its and put them on the wall. You would expect people to write about wanting to lose weight or look better, being a gym, but I loved the goals people wrote. Things like “I want to be stronger” and “I want to love myself more” and “I want to be the best version of myself.” It was really cool. 

Okay, so I won’t share all of my goals for all my categories, but here are a few.

Reading

For reading, I have my goals on my Goodreads account which I use to track my progress. I want to read 1 audiobook and 1 paper book per month, and try to maximize any waiting times I have reading (taking the bus, waiting for an appointment, etc.). I also want to make use of the digital library via Libby, and attend more public library events which are free and fun. 

Hiking

For hiking, I considered various challenges (like the 52 hike challenge), but wanted to make my own goals. Looking at what I hiked last year, I definitely have some goals, which are seasonal:

Winter/Spring (really through May)

Hikes to do again:

-Hike to Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)

-St. Mary’s Glacier again (and maybe hot springs in Idaho Springs to make a day of it)

-Mount Falcon hikes

-Chautauqua Park hikes

-Genesee Park hikes

-Eldorado Canyon hikes (Rattlesnake Gulch)

New Hikes:

-Snowshoe Brainard Lake or Lake Isabelle or Bear Lake (RMNP)

-Horsetooth Falls and make a day of it in Fort Collins

-Red Rock and Morrison Slide

-Mayflower Gulch

-Ceran St. Vrain (possible snowshoe and summer trail too)

Summer (June/July/August) 

Backpacking:

-Possibly backpack Four Pass Loop near Aspen, depending on permit situation and snowfall this year

-Backpack/hike Ice Lake and makes a trip to Telluride/Ouray (possible 4th of July trip)

-For backpacking, I would definitely do Lost Creek Wilderness, Golden Gate State Park, or Mount Zirkel again. Also interested in trying the Colorado trail or Buffalo Peaks Loop

Hikes I want to do again: 

-Mills Lake (to Black Lake this time)

-McCullough Gulch Trail

-Herman Gulch (tried in fall but I would love to see the wildflowers in summer)

New hikes I want to try: 

-Chasm Lake

-Ute Trail 

-Argentine Pass

-Berthoud Pass

-South Arapaho Peak 

-Sniktau Mountain 

-Blue Lakes Trail

Fall (September/October)

-Maximize fall leaf hunting with another trip to Steamboat, or perhaps another fall leaf peeping location

Try again:

-Booth Falls

New Hikes: Abyss Trail, Aspen Alley, Guanella Pass

I will definitely continue to add more. I get inspired all over the place, but especially from friends’ hikes, AllTrails, my Base Camp Denver hiking book, and even random articles that pop up online. 

Rifle Ice Caves and Glenwood Hot Springs

I don’t remember exactly how I heard of Rifle Ice Caves – it might have been a Facebook ad or article to be honest. As soon as I saw photos of this hidden treasure of Colorado, I wanted to go. The ice formations are only there in winter, and the caves are about 3 hours away, so I needed to make a trip out of it.

Rifle Ice Caves

I got a long weekend for MLK day in January. The weather looked best for Sunday/Monday so I set off early on a beautiful Sunday morning for Rifle, Colorado. The drive is stunning. I drove through Summit County (where all the ski resorts are, passing through Dillon and Vail) where temperatures were dropping below 0. As you approach Glenwood Springs, the drive is just stunning driving through a canyon, an icy river flowing besides you and surrounded by dark red rocks covered in snow. My GPS took me kind of a bizarre backroad to the Rifle parks, but it was all beautiful.

As I did my research, I saw there is a really cool waterfall, Rifle Falls, only a few miles away, that looks awesome in winter. It’s in a state park, and now that I have a state parks pass, even more motivation to stop there. I was originally going to go there second, but I was eager to get out of the car and stretch my legs, so I decided to stop.

Rifle Falls Winter

It was snowy, but not so much ice I needed my spikes or poles. The waterfall is basically right there and doesn’t require much of a hike. I had it to myself for a bit, and then went to explore a cave behind the falls. There are apparently several caves to explore. You can also hike above the falls, but seeing the falls was enough for me and I was eager to get to the caves.

Rifle Falls Winter

The ice caves are in Rifle Mountain Park. Apparently, during the summer, this is a park rock climbers frequent. There were a couple of other cars and a sign for the ice caves. The area is beautiful, covered in snow and with a river. The first cave does not take long to hike to, but spikes and poles are a must, as the bottom of the cave is covered in ice.

There was a family in the first cave, and it’s not super large, so I decided to pass through the first cave and head to the second, which was a bit more of a hike. And magically, I had the second cave to myself for a bit.

The second cave was larger. It’s memorizing how the ice forms and looks blue. I took some photo with my tripod and selfie stick. I looked at the ice from different perspectives and enjoyed the dripping water noises. The magic of Mother Nature is that apparently, the ice forms slightly differently every year. I mainly heard of the first two caves, but I think there are more. However, the trail onward looked steep and I still wanted to enjoy lunch and the hot springs.

Once people came, I hiked back along the river to the first cave. This was now less busy and so I enjoy taking some pictures, as the blue icicles were particularly striking here.

I was getting hungry now, so I headed out and passed Rifle Gap State Park, which was beautiful with people ice fishing on the reservoir. I headed for the small town of Rifle. I’d read there was a good, small Polish place called Polanka.

It was casual with one woman cooking and working the register. I got some pierogis and potato pancakes, which were delicious. I then explored the small mountain town, which was cute and historic with stunning Mountain View’s. Rifle’s name has something to do with a rifle being leaned up against a tree by an early settler, as I recall. There is a lot of fascinating history in the area.

I headed back to Glenwood Springs, which I had passed though. I had a Marriott certificate that I used to book the Residence Inn Glenwood Springs. I also wanted to try out the famous hot springs. Even when I was a consultant and we passed through the place, it looked interesting.

There are two hot springs, the main Glenwood Springs and Iron Mountain Hot Springs, a smaller riverside spa with several pools. I decided to try Iron Mountain, but they were totally full and said to come back at 3. I decided to check the other hot springs. Both are beautiful in different ways. The Glenwood Springs Hot Springs are a giant pool under snow covered mountains, with a water slide even! I saw it and decided to wait an hour and try Iron Mountain again, and if I couldn’t get in, do Glenwood. I walked into the town and went to a brewery to grab a quick beer.

Like most Colorado mountain towns, Glenwood Springs has a charming downtown full of restaurants, breweries, and pubs, right across from the big hot springs pool. I headed back to Iron Mountain after.

They had a locker room with locks activated by wristband. Now, my best move on this trip might have been bringing a robe. I read somewhere in the reviews someone suggest that. You can bring or rent towels, but a robe is a game changer in changing pools in the 30 degree weather. I just bought a $10 one at Ross, nothing fancy.

The pools are beautiful and overlook the river and mountains. You can watch the geese as they pipe in peaceful spa music. Each pool has a different temperature ranging from 99-108 degrees. While it was busy and the pools were small, I still found I could squeeze into spaces easily as a solo person. I bought a hot sangria and enjoyed the pools, with a goal to watch the sun set.

I love hot springs (see Iceland, Costa Rica, China), so I had a grand time. My hotel, funny enough, was visible across the river, but I had to drive like ten minutes around to get there since I couldn’t float magically across the river.

As a former consultant, I’ve stayed at a Residence Inn (or 2, or 20), and this one is nice. I later found out they give a slight discount at Iron Mountain Hot Springs. I enjoyed a nice shower before heading out to the town for dinner. I saw a nice looking place earlier, so headed to Colorado Ranch House and sat at the bar. It had an upscale Western vibe (I mean don’t worry, upscale still means you can wear your flannel and boots) and I had a delicious salmon pasta, and everyone there was super nice.

I was tired and ready for an early night, especially since I might hike the next day. I knew the famous Hanging Lake was only 10 minutes away, and had read winter was beautiful and a good time to beat the crowds. However, I was concerned with how cold it would be in the morning, so I decided to wait and see.

It was very cold the next morning, like 12 degrees. I ate my hotel breakfast. The sun came out, and I had the gear, so I went online and bought my permit. The permit system is relatively new, but I read that Hanging Lake during the summer would sometimes get 1300 visitors PER DAY, and people were out of control swimming in the pristine turquoise waters and peeing everywhere.

Even in winter there is a permit, but you can park at the trailhead, right off I-70, and don’t need an assigned time. There were only a few other cars. With my spikes, poles, and 2 pairs of gloves, I set off. It was very cold still, like 18 degrees. The hike is within the Glenwood Canyon area and has stunning rock views. Just beautiful. I also worried that it was an uphill slog (but at least it would keep me warm?), even though it’s only 3 miles round trip, and to allow 3 hours, which is a lot in the cold.

The hike up was nearly empty. It was all snow covered, but seemed almost groomed? And very packed down. So the hike was not technically difficult. It was beautiful to hike alongside a snow-covered river. I passed two women (I never pass people!) and headed up. There started to be some gorgeous canyon views. The canyon kept a lot of the hike in the shade, but I worked up a sweat hiking uphill.

Towards the end, there was a railing and a steep overlook that challenged my fear of heights. I started to freak out a little bit, but eventually decided holding the railing was the best way up, and right after that, I was there. Much sooner than I thought.

I had the famous Hanging Lake to myself (for about 15-20 minutes). It’s an odd place, at the edge of this cliff, for a beautiful frozen fall and ice covered lake. The blue color comes from minerals, but it was too ice covered to get the vibrant coloring. However, the sun was out, and the place is beautiful. I enjoyed some snacks, water, and photo taking before others started to join me.

Hanging Lake Winter

Heading back down the scary railing part was tough, but I held the railing again and at least knew what was coming, and after that, it was easy going downhill. I kept up my speed to keep warm, and passed many more people. The whole thing only took me a couple of hours, and I was pleased with myself on a known difficult hike. Plus, I had a very rare and special experience of enjoying Hanging Lake solo.

However, I was frozen to my core at this point and dreaming of hot springs again. I headed back to Glenwood and grabbed some lunch. Then, because it was Monday and I could use a coupon from my hotel, it was only $18 to go back to Iron Mountain Hot Springs. I headed back and it felt amazing to be hot again after my hike in the freezing cold.

Traffic would be bad no matter what time I left (ski traffic and accidents on I-70), and eventually I headed out. But it’s hard to complain about the most stunning views of snow covered mountains in the world when you’re in standstill mountain traffic.

It was an amazing trip and I highly recommend Rifle Falls and Ice Caves, Hanging Lake, and Iron Mountain Hot Springs in the winter (with spikes and poles necessary for the hiking). Even if you get stuck in ski traffic (not if, you will), you can stare at the beautiful scenery that people come from around the world to see.

Recommended Gear: I am able to get a small commission through affiliated ads for recommending this gear; however, I only recommend things I use and love. Kahtoola Microspikes are amazing and I used them for the Ice Caves and Hanging Lake adventures to help grip the ice. 

 

 

New Orleans Favorites

I spent a weekend in New Orleans in late October. I really enjoyed New Orleans and had some favorite things to do I wanted to share:

1: Krewe of Boo

IMG_9777I happened to be in New Orleans during the Halloween parade in New Orleans, Krewe of Boo, in the French Quarter. I enjoyed experiencing a bit of Mardi Gras-ish festivities, drinking on the street and having beads and other items thrown off of the floats.

2: Food

IMG_9740.JPGI was definitely excited about the food in New Orleans, and I got to try many things. Above is crab cake benedict with cheese grits from Elizabeth’s (photo of me in front of it below).

IMG_9750Beignets from Cafe du Monde were a must on my list. I got those to go after the parade. I wanted to try some French food, and Cafe Degas was just lovely:

IMG_9847Below is the quail. I also got to try softshell crab and a raspberry chambord cake at Cafe Degas.

IMG_9848Another favorite was oysters baked in brie, which was just delicious.

3: Magazine Street

IMG_9752This is a street full of cute shops, cafes, and restaurants. I really enjoyed strolling around and looking at Halloween decorations, random antique shops and record shops (and stationary, my favorite), and trying some more food.

4: The Art Museum and Sculpture Garden

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The art museum in NOLA isn’t huge, but it was really nice. Funny enough, there was a global warming photography exhibit with side by side photos of Louisiana wetlands and glaciers, many of which were in Iceland. There was a Mary Cassatt and a few Picasso, Pollock, and other famous artists. It turns out Degas had some French Cajun family and spent some time in New Orleans, so they had a few of his works as well.

IMG_9813The Sculpture Garden is large and really nice. I felt like I was in Louisiana with the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. There was a large variety in the sculptures and it made for a nice walk.

5: Riding the street car down St. Charles Street

IMG_9748This was a nice break from walking around and you get to see a lot of beautiful houses (mansions!) along the way. People go all out for Halloween which was fun.

6: Walking by Bayou St, John/detour to the cemetery

IMG_9837Walking along the bayou is really nice – seeing people set up picnics or just relaxing near the water along the way.

IMG_9835The cemeteries in New Orleans are interesting and filled with ornate crypts. I think it’d be fun to come back and do a tour (one of which I walked by), to learn more about the history.

7: Live music everywhere

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The photo above is from Bacchanal. You pick out a bottle of wine, and some cheeses, and sit outside on the patio listening to music. It’s heaven! I also enjoyed hearing live music when I was exploring Bourbon and Frenchman Streets, both indoors and out.

Steamboat Springs, CO

September 27 and 28, I decided to go for a weekend getaway to Steamboat Springs. I knew they were supposed to get leaves changing earlier in the northern part of the state. Also, I had briefly stopped at Steamboat Springs on my way back from the Mount Zirkel Wilderness and was really charmed by the scenery, arts, and culture of the town.

So I had made this drive before, but it was stunningly different now as the leaves were changing.

IMG_9033.JPGFall in Colorado is special. There are brilliant colors set against the peaks.

IMG_9038It was definitely hard not to stop to try to capture the leaves along the way like every few minutes.

Driving into Steamboat was so gorgeous. The mountains were covered in multi-colored leaves. I stopped in at the visitor’s center to ask for some advice on things to do. It looked like some rain might roll in, and I wanted to head into the Strawberry Park Hot Springs before that.

The drive up to the hot springs was pretty short but magical, as the sun shown through the yellow aspen leaves.

IMG_9044.JPGIt was a great time to be in the hot springs. You could sit and view the beautiful leaves changing. As ever, the photos don’t really do the vibrancy of the sun shining through the leaves justice.

IMG_9052There were different temperatures you could experiment with in the different pools. One was more lukewarm up to pretty hot. It was really beautiful and I stayed for a while.

I had a dinner reservation for Restaurant Week in the evening, so I got out and headed to my hotel. Before I left I wandered around my hotel. It was just a Quality Inn, but I really enjoyed the scenery around.

IMG_9078.JPGCafe Diva was located in the ski village part of Steamboat Springs, so I headed over there at 5 pm, a nice early reservation for a solo diner. The place filled up quickly and the staff were very nice in serving me the preset restaurant menu with wine pairings.

IMG_9095I really enjoyed everything. The first course is pictured below.

IMG_9099After that lovely treat, I knew there was an event downtown at the art museum for painting en plein air as artists depicted autumn scenes around Steamboat Springs. It turns out there’s a free bus that goes all the way around Steamboat Springs, even to the Quality Inn!

IMG_9110 (1).JPGThe event was great. There was free wine and it was packed. There were prize winning pieces and everything was for sale.

After that, I wandered around Steamboat Springs, which was just charming at night. The trees were strung with lights and there were tons of lively bars and restaurants. I found a lively place downstairs from the street called The Barley, with lots of craft beer and live music. I took the night bus back to my hotel after that.

The next day, I woke up fairly early to check out Fish Creek Falls. I had heard at the visitor’s center that the second falls wasn’t as good as in summer with snow run off. I mostly wanted to go for a fall leaf hike, so I planned to view the first falls and maybe start to head up to the second falls.

Before the falls, I stopped at the Smell That Bread Bakery and got a blueberry cinnamon roll pastry. It wasn’t too busy as I arrived, but got busier into the later morning (9-10 am). I took an easy paved path around to view the falls, and really enjoyed the views there before descending toward the falls.

IMG_9142I saw a river otter in this area! He was moving really fast but I got really excited as I watched him crawl over rocks and swim through the river water.

I enjoyed relative solitude heading up the path toward the second falls and watching the sun shine through the leaves. I could see why the artists used so much pink in their paintings. I did not want to do the entire 5 miles though, so I turned back. I had other things I wanted to do.

IMG_9128Steamboat Springs has the most charming little bookstore called Off the Beaten Path. It’s also a coffee shop, and I included a picture of the menu below.

IMG_9185.JPGIt was really beautiful and sunny out, so after that I started to scope out a lunch spot. There were some restaurants along the river and I stumbled upon Sunpies. It was a casual joint where you could drink a beer and eat some fried clams along the Yampa River.

IMG_9198.JPGWith this view and the sun out, I struggled to leave the place for a while. I thought I might do something suggested at the visitor’s center and ride the chairlift at the ski resort for the views.

The ski resort was mostly filled with mountain hikers, who take their bikes on the lift and then bike down the mountain. The views were of course stunning, but I did find parts of the ride pretty terrifying due to my fear of heights! The view below was one of my favorite parts.

IMG_9201.JPGIMG_9204After my ride, I headed back to the downtown area. There was a chili cook-off with live music, so it was lively, plus it was gorgeous out. I enjoyed shopping. I found a store I really liked and got a couple of shirts and stickers. I knew I had a long drive back but struggled to leave, as I wanted to linger by the river and read the new book I got at the bookstore.

The drive back was beautiful. This view is quite close as you leave or come into Steamboat.

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I really enjoyed my weekend in Steamboat Springs. It’s full of surprises for such a small place. Of course there is natural beauty, but lots of arts and culture and some great restaurants. I definitely want to return and explore more!

 

Summer Hikes in Colorado

Since I moved to Colorado in January, I’ve had to learn a whole new terminology and approach to hiking. “Have you hiked a 14er yet?” everyone will ask. This is one of the mountains that is 14,000 feet or higher, of which there are many. Some people “bag peaks,” talking about the mountains they have summited. People will refer to hiking the “front range,” meaning both the Southern range of the Rockies and the urban region just east. This as opposed to the part of Colorado that is the “western slope” which is west of the Continental Divide.

There are also some hikes you can only really do during a short period of summer due the elevation and the amount of snow (if you don’t want to snowshoe or ski, that is!). So I learned, that in the summer, you want to get to those places you won’t be able to get to much of the year, or that will be snow covered most of the year. The summer also has monsoon thunderstorms in the afternoons, so you have to do some planning not to get yourself on a peak or above treeline during lightning. It’s definitely recommended to start early, which I’d usually do anyways to try to get any kind of decent parking.

I was also training for my Iceland trek, and wanted to make sure I got in some long hikes with my pack before my trip.

I went to a presentation at REI by the author of the book Base Camp Denver, and he recommended several summer hikes that I ended up doing. The amount of hikes you can do is almost overwhelming, so it was nice to have a list.

Here are some of the hikes I did this summer:

Great Sand Dunes National Park

My friend Lacey and I did this over Memorial Day Weekend. We did not do any strenuous hiking beyond walking around. It was pretty tough to walk uphill in sand, and kind of scary for me with the height (which is lame since you would fall on sand). Lots of people “sandboard” down the sandy hills. You can actually summit some of the dunes. It’s an incredible place to visit, and insane how snow capped peaks loom over sand dunes.

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Chicago Lakes 

This is near Idaho Springs, and I did this hike near the end of June. You drive up a mountain and feel like you’re going to the middle of nowhere, and then arrive at Echo Lake with tons of people parked down the road. The full hike is 9.1 miles with 2,142 feet elevation gain. I only went to the first lake though. It has diverse terrain like many Colorado hikes. You start going downhill through a forest (which means coming back uphill, not super fun on the way back!), then there is a dirt service road for a while, then a reservoir, then a lot of uphill to the lake, which is gorgeous. I started to head to the second lake but it was muddy with snow melt and a lot of big rocks to navigate over. There is also a bit which challenged my fear of heights where the trail is fairly narrow and you’re walking on the side of the mountain with a drop off. The views are beautiful of course.

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Lost Creek Wilderness

I did the Goose Creek Trail over 2 days backpacking over the 4th of July weekend. This is backpacking central – nearly everyone I saw on the trail had their pack and there are a ton of well-used campsites in this back country. I did around 5-6 miles the first day, which was a lot of uphill. You walk into the forest along a creek, through some tall trees that felt like a fairyland forest, and see tons of weird but cool looking rock formations. There were tons of wildflowers too. And even an old pioneer era cabin. It was awesome. I camped by a creek and set up my hammock for the afternoon and evening. The only downside was bugs and some rain at night. The morning was gorgeous and hiking downhill the same 5-6 miles was much easier, allowing me to really take in the scenery. I even saw some deer.

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Golden Gate Canyon State Park

I feel like this park is kind of a hidden gem that is only an hour outside of Denver, near Golden. I also backpacked here on Mountain Lion Trail, a 7 mile loop. There are established campsites that you book at the visitor’s center. There were a ton of wildflowers on this hike. I hiked around 5 miles the first day. My camp was near a creek and once again, I had great hammocking trees. I only had to hike out a couple of miles in the beautiful early morning light.

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Paint Mines

My friend Lacey found this place and we headed there one Saturday at the end of July. It’s really in the middle of nowhere (El Paso County). It does not take too much hiking to get to the rock formations, which are insane. The colors are just amazing and you can spend some time walking around them. It’s not insanely busy and another hidden gem in Colorado. I’m glad Lacey found this place!

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McCullough Gulch

The full mileage is around 6 miles for this trail near Breckenridge. I went at the beginning of August and only went to the first lake, so it was more like 4.5 miles for me, but this was one of my favorite hikes. You only have to go a couple miles in to get some good bang for your buck. The mountain scenery is gorgeous to start. There is some uphill and you quickly reach a waterfall. Then you hike to a gorgeous lake. I tried to hike to the next lake but found the trail confusing, and I did this hike in an afternoon, so I headed back instead.

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Mills Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park

I planned to hike to Black Lake in August, a 10-mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. I woke up early and made the 2 hour drive, arriving around 7:30. I had been wanting to go to the national park for a while and finally made it! I parked in the park and ride and took the shuttle to the trail head. The trail is quite paved and easy for a bit and then gets rocky. You fairly quickly reach Alberta Falls. Then, you reach Mills Lake, a gorgeous alpine lake. I ate my snacks here and carried on, but it started to rain. I had my rain jacket, so I kept going, hoping the rain would let up. I looked at the sky and saw no sign of sun (there had been no rain in the forecast for the morning). I decided to turn back and the rain did not let up. I ended up hiking 6.5 miles in around 3.5 hours, which was making me feel better about my abilities to hike in Iceland.

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Mount Zirkel Wilderness

This was my last trip before Iceland. I ended up hiking 10 miles each day there. This was in mid-August. This was about 3 hours away closer to Steamboat Springs, and includes around 6 miles on a rough dirt road (my Honda Fit could make it but I went slow). The first day I wanted to hike to Gilpin Lake, which I had seen pictures of. This wilderness has EVERYTHING, with all of the magical fairy tale forest feelings, wildflowers, waterfalls, and deer, pika, and marmots.  I got to the first lake, but started to feel the effects of altitude sickness to a mild degree (dizziness, nausea). I remembered that my hiking safety class had said the best cure for altitude sickness is to come down from the altitude, so even though I was a mile from Gilpin Lake, I came down.

The next day, I was determined to get to that lake. It was a tough hike with lots of uphill and elevation gain. It was worth it in the end. I mean, look at this lake.

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It’s surrounded by trees so it is perfect for hanging your hammock.

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I couldn’t stay for as long as I liked as I was worried about impending storm clouds. So I booked it back down (and of course it never stormed). I was utterly charmed when I stopped in Steamboat Springs to devour a gigantic breakfast dish. I definitely want to get back there.

There are SO many hikes to do in Colorado in the summer (I didn’t even summit a 14er). I really enjoyed the hikes I did do. I am excited for fall, which is a season I haven’t experienced in a while. I definitely plan to do some “leaf-peeping” and plan some trips around fall leaves.

Iceland Day 10: Blue Lagoon

I woke up in my hostel to a beautiful, sunny day and made a breakfast alone in the kitchen. I left my extra food on the free food shelf that all these hostels have, as many travelers cook due to the expense of eating out. I repacked my stuff – which was kind of chaotic after being spread out in the car.

I was sad to leave Eyrarbakki and Iceland in general, but excited to spend time at the Blue Lagoon (once again booked with Chase points). I had about an hour drive to get to my 10:00 am time slot.

It was a beautiful sunny day, and enjoy the drive. Icelandic scenery is so diverse, from the green mountains to the rocky volcanic landscape.

I was excited when I pulled up to the Blue Lagoon. It is very different from the natural springs and more like a spa. It is not natural but wastewater from a power plant, to be blunt (see history in the link). The water is blue from the silica, which is supposedly good for your skin.

You walk towards to spa surrounded by dark volcanic rock.

There was a line that moved quickly and a check in process. A woman oriented us to how things work. You get a bracelet that you use to open and close your locker and also for any purchases you make, then settle the bill at checkout (and to ensure you are limited to 3 alcoholic drinks). My package included a free drink and mud mask, but some other packages included things like robes and slippers (which you could then wear into the restaurant!).

There is a locker room where you once again, are instructed to shower nude before putting on your swimsuit, but they have little stalls for privacy. During check-in, a woman had advised women with long hair to coat your hair in conditioner and don’t rinse it out before you go in, since the silica can dry out your hair. I’d read about this online too, so I followed that instruction and also rinsed with conditioner before I left (my hair still smelled like that conditioner for a couple days after the trip, which was lovely).

I first entered without my phone. I had a waterproof case that I’d bought for Costa Rica (but had been scared to test much while there!), and I wanted to see what the lagoon was like and get my mud mask on before I started taking photos.

The blue color is just incredible, and the sun out made it feel bright. The pool is pretty large and has a swim-up mud mask bar as well as a swim-up drinks bar. There’s a waterfall you can use to give yourself a nice back massage and various parts to find some quiet in the crowded space.

I got my mud mask first and swam around, exploring the lagoon. It’s once again, just a place of unreal beauty. I listened to people speak various languages and watched people take their Instagram photos.

I got prosecco for my free drink and enjoyed floating around the pool, which was the perfect hot temperature but not too hot. Is there anything better?

I decided to get my phone with its waterproof case. There were some ledges along the lagoon where you could put down your phone for a second if needed. I attempted to take some of my own Instagram photos.

I am admittedly not as good at visualizing these as many people, but the milky blue water with steam rising up makes it easy to take an amazing photo.

There is even a “relaxation room” outside of the pool. It’s a warm room with big windows overlooking the Blue Lagoon where you can lean back in a chair. It was amazing.

I got one more drink, a cider, and swam under a bridge to the far side of the lagoon, then swam back. Really more like slow walked and floated.

I had been considering what to do for food. I’d had a few snacks, and there was a cafe. But I knew the Lava Restaurant was very highly rated.

So, I decided to treat myself for my last meal in Iceland. I switched to tonic water since I had to drive, and ate the delicious bread with skyr butter. The I ordered the fish of the day called ling, a white fish served with lobster sauce. It was really delicious and a lovely experience being in a fancy restaurant overlooking the lagoon while people in robes dined all around.

As I left, I felt amazing and warm as I went into the chilly weather, passing one last pool of blue lagoon water outside.

I got gas and headed to the airport to return my rental car. Driving around Iceland overall was great. I typically avoid renting a car when traveling solo in other countries because it makes me nervous to drive (and it isn’t necessarily economical!). I had rented a WiFi unit as a safety backup, knowing I could use WiFi calling if I got into trouble. Navigating is very easy as you go one way around the Ring Road or the other and there are lots of signs. You use roundabouts and follow everyone else to the famous sites off of the Ring Road.

I’ll admit I’d cut it a bit close, but luckily the airport shuttle was pulling up and I got through checking my bag and passport control and my flight had just started boarding (of course, we would end up being delayed anyways for people on a connecting flight).

I was sad to say goodbye to Iceland. It was only an 8 hour flight home, and I landed around 7 Denver time. Then I grabbed my bag, took the train to the city, and hopped on the shuttle. Of course, the shuttle was not going all the way to the end due to an event, so I strapped on my pack for one more short trek. By the time I got home, it was 3 am Iceland time. A long day (maybe not my longest traveling, but still long).

Overall, Iceland was another great solo trip. It was my most challenging, trekking 33 miles by myself and camping, but also so rewarding. Iceland is an incredible country. Like all of my solo trips, I was not really alone as I connected with people along the way.

Iceland Day 9: Drive to Eyrarbakki

I woke up early and it was nice and sunny. I hadn’t really realized in the dark that I had been camping under a glacier again! Once again, I’m now spoiled for where I stay. I was bundled up in my sleeping bag and shook some ice off of my tent. The night had been probably my coldest yet.

I was feeling much better about hiking to Svertifoss today. The weather was nice and I would beat the crowds.

I was alone as I enjoyed the early morning light and hiked uphill (of course). I finally reached the famous waterfall with its weird rock formations and briefly had it to myself before a few people got there too.

I knew there was some way you could take a different way back and see some turf houses, which I explored and found. Once again I was alone, enjoying the beautiful morning light.

I hiked back to my campsite. A big tour group nearby was also dissembling their gear into a large bus. I heard a group leader and the bus driver chatting about how the Northern Lights had been visible the previous night! I had been dead asleep. The bus driver saw me packing up my tent and said, “that is the smallest tent I’ve ever seen!” I told it was a one person. He was Icelandic and impressed by my solo adventure. I chatted with him and the German tour leader for a bit before setting off. He told me as I drove to Eyrarbakki I’d see a large building with a fence that was the prison.

I had a long driving day ahead of mostly going back the way I came. I thought I would take it easy on myself and make my goal the Secret Lagoon, another hot spring, and maybe try to see some of the Golden Circle sights before heading to Eyrarbakki for the night.

I realized that I needed to get gas and looked at the map on my phone. There was a whole lot of nothing going back east, but there had been a gas station west not to far from Skaftafell. So I turned back to get gas, wanting to play it safe.

The day was totally different than the previous; it was completely sunny and bright out. The same landscapes I’d already seen looked different too. I had lots of snacks for the drive, and thought I’d stop when I felt like it (and definitely for coffee), which is part of the fun, but try to also make decent time across the south of Iceland again.

I switched on Taylor Swift’s album Lover again. “And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear/Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?” This album will always remind me of driving in Iceland now, seeing sheep and horses and waterfalls and glaciers. When I went to Europe several years ago, I looped Taylor Swift’s album 1989 the entire trip, and it always reminds me of winter in Europe, riding trains and planes. Also at that time, this guy I really liked had “ghosted” me before I even knew that was a term right before the trip. The album fit the mood as I wandered around Paris alone, stood in line for tickets to the Seine river cruise, in which a man actually asked “what is the most romantic time to go on the cruise?” (I still remember how I rolled my eyes at that. it being sunset at that very moment). Anyways, now Taylor and I are a bit older, and I did feel like her album match the light and dark elements that Iceland was presenting me.

I decided to go back to Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. It was a good stopping point and I was wondering if it would look really different in the sun. And it did. I tried to be fairly quick hiking to the viewpoints. It felt totally different – it was windy but everyone didn’t have to have their rain gear on.

I stopped for coffee at one of the same gas stations I’d stopped for a quick hot dog the previous day. It was kind of like re-living the same day in reverse and with opposite weather. I wish I’d had time to go to the hiking spot near Vik that my hostel worker had recommended, but I didn’t really.

I decided to stop briefly at Vik church as Taylor sang “Religion’s in your lips/Even if it’s a false god/We’d still worship/We might just get away with it/The altar is my hips” (appropriate or inappropriate? you decide).

Vik looked beautiful.

I stopped at a few more places along the way. I was loving my drive in the sun, the ocean shining at my side. There were some old, run-down turf houses, and I threw some money in the donations box, hoping they could be preserved.

I had seen a fence with a bunch of bras on the drive previously. I looked it up here; I don’t know if this is the true origin, but I like the idea that women continue to donate to the fence.

I stopped at a really cute coffee shop that does it’s “for here” coffee in all hand-painted mugs (sadly, I had to get to-go).

Finally, I turned off the Ring Road. It was afternoon by now, and I was heading toward the Secret Lagoon. I was excited for a nice relaxing hot spring soak. The hot spring is not fancy, but has nice facilities and a pretty rural setting. They instruct you to shower nude and wash well before you put on your swimsuit and get in the hot spring (in your gender-separated bathrooms), but after Japan, where you go into the hot spring fully nude, this was not a concern for me.

It was pretty busy at that time. Everyone floated on pool noodles and lots of people had drinks (there is a bar). Since I was driving I did not partake. It was really the perfect temperature.

You can also walk around the edge of the pool. There are parts in the back that are too hot to swim in and are fenced off, and even a mini geyser. There were also these cute mini turf houses leading you to believe that fairies or elves lived there (maybe they come out at night to enjoy the hot springs?).

I debated heading straight to Eyrarbakki or seeing Gulfoss and Geysir, two famous Golden Circle sites that were 30 minutes or so away. I decided to head to the sites and stop briefly at each. Luckily both did not require much walking to get to.

Geysir consists of Strokkur, pictured below. I waited for an eruption, felt satisfied, and moved on.

Gulfoss is impressive. I didn’t see a need to spend a long time hanging out there, so took a quick look and carried on.

These were both nice sites, but compared to everything else I’d seen, were not so jaw-dropping and very full of tourists. I was fine with not spending a ton of time, but it was good I got to see them.

I was ready to head to Eyrarbakki(a town of 550 people). I passed the prison (which looked kind of nice), and drove towards a charming town next to the ocean. I had picked Eyrarbakki for a few reasons: it was an hour’s drive from the Blue Lagoon, which was my activity for the next day before my flight. I also used points to book a really nice looking hostel next to the ocean. The photos really sold me online.

Bakki Hostel was one of the nicest hostels I’ve seen. The receptionist gave me a tour of a huge kitchen and common area. Then she told me I was the only person staying in the six-bed dorm I had booked. What a wonderful luxury for my last night in Iceland! My room had a view of the cute town and everything was clean and white. The bathroom was also huge, with big individual shower stalls and enormous rainfall showerheads. I didn’t see laundry – but I gave up at this point, having hand washed enough underwear. I’d wear my swimsuit most of tomorrow and then pick my least smelly plane clothes!

I asked if I had a chance of seeing the Northern Lights that night, and the receptionist said there was a really good forecast. She recommended heading to their restaurant at night, which was across a bridge over the ocean and would be dark.

I had been planning to cook my pasta again for dinner, but being my last night, and having a 10% off coupon to the restaurant owned by my hostel called Hafid Blaa. Paying $25-$30 for an entree maybe would get pricey every day, but I figured I could treat myself.

The sun was setting beautifully as I drove over the bridge to the restaurant. The restaurant has windows all around and 360 degree ocean views. I treated myself to fish and chips, which I’d been craving, and Icelandic crepes with rhubarb for dessert. I watched the sunset over the ocean right out my window.

I could continue watching the sun set right behind my hostel.

My next mission was to stay up to watch the Northern Lights, which could really happen at any time once it was dark. I took a luxurious shower and then sat in the common area. There were a few other people that seemed to work for the hostel that I met. It was obviously pretty empty since I had a room to myself.

One guy I had been talking to came in at around 10:30 pm and said to come outside, the Northern Lights were happening.

I really could not get many good photos and no videos of the lights. They lit up like a giant green rainbow across the sky, and danced and moved. I watched for a bit outside the hostel.

I bundled up, made some hot tea for my travel mug (which I’d burn my tongue on, of course), and headed to the restaurant. It was darker there. The whole sky was streaked with white light.

I watched the light come and fade, and green twists emerge. It was cold, so I’d sit in the car for a bit and then get out. I thought of the solo female traveler I’d read who’d watched the Northern Lights from a hot spring.

The lights are mesmerizing. Like so many things in Iceland, they seemed not real. I wished I had some way to capture the lights better. I’d later see these pictures someone who had a nice camera posted of seeing the lights on the Laugavegur Trail at places I had camped days earlier.

I drove back to my hostel and watched lights there until midnight. I thought I’d go to sleep and set an alarm for 3 am, and maybe run outside and see the lights again. I definitely woke up, but was far too exhausted to rouse myself from my bed. When I woke again, it was daylight and I was a bit sad that I would not see more lights.

But what a special treat on my last night in Iceland.

Iceland Day 8: Drive to Glacier Lagoon

I woke up to a beautiful ocean view from my hostel. After Iceland I’m really spoiled for views from my accommodation.

My hostel included breakfast! I probably had noted this when I booked it but now it was a nice surprise from past Megan. The breakfast was really cute and included waffles with homemade whipped cream and “eggs from our chickens.” I chatted with some other solo travelers about our plans for the day. Rain was expected. Since breakfast was at 7 I probably set off at around 8 or so.

The woman at the reception of the hostel told me of a place near Vik on my drive East told me about a place called Hjörleifshöfði. She said there was a nice hike with a cool cave there and barely any tourists went there (which is kind of surprising reading the description in my link – apparently Star Wars Rogue 1 filmed there). It wasn’t even in my Lonely Planet.

It was raining pretty hard when I got there, and I was the only person besides some people illegally camping (very bad! use campsites!). I had rain gear so I was not deterred from hiking.

This place must have amazing views with better visibility. It started to get really foggy and visibility wasn’t very good on top of the mountain. It was just me and the sheep, so I decided to turn back for my own safety. Maybe if I hadn’t been solo I would have kept going – but maybe if I’d been traveling with someone they wouldn’t have even wanted to hike in the rain!

I explored to see if I could get to the cave another way, but didn’t see a way, so decided to head out.

The rain did not let up as I drove about an hour to Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. This became a really famous spot apparently when Justin Bieber filmed a video there (and read that article and apparently just do the opposite of everything he did in Iceland and you’ll be good!). Recently they’ve starting restricting people to footpaths since the environment was getting damaged and people won’t listen to ranger when they want their Instagram photo.

Like everything in Iceland, there’s a hike uphill to get to several viewing points. The furthest viewing point was my favorite, as you could see the color of the water the best.

It was still pouring rain and it gave the canyon more of a dark, moody atmosphere.

Next I was headed to Skaftafell National Park, where my goal was to hike to see the Svertifoss waterfall. It was a long drive of about 2 hours. It was beautiful even in the rain as you approached this giant glacier.

You can see how hard it was raining in this photo I took of a waterfall at the side of the road.

So I get to a big parking lot at Skaftafell and I’m excited that they have an indoors visitor center. I should have asked about getting to Svertifoss, but I followed what I thought was the correct direction to the waterfall.

You could walk right up close to the glacier (you are warned against going on it without proper equipment and guides, as it can be quite dangerous).

I then wanted to get going on the hike and started along a trail. It seemed weird that it was so empty. I somehow ended up back at the visitor’s center. Where was this waterfall?

At this point, all my activity was catching up to me and I was hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion. It was still raining and I was starting to get grumpy. This was a night I was supposed to camp and it was pouring rain, but there were not really other accommodation options nearby. My phone was running out of battery. I went to the cafeteria and got some beef stew and soda, which helped a lot.

Just like when you’re traveling with people, traveling alone has its ups and downs. It’s definitely not a perfect experience.

I planned to go the glacier lagoons and diamond beach around later afternoon/sunset and then return to Skaftafell to camp. Jokulsarlon was the furthest east I would go, and then the following day I’d drive back west. So it made sense to hike to Svertifoss the next day instead.

I decided to head to Jokulsarlon. In planning my itinerary, I knew driving this far would make for a long driving day the following day, all the way back west. But the photos seemed amazing and I’d seen some of the unreal scenery in Batman Begins (training scenes with Liam Neeson).

As I was driving, the rain cleared up and the sun came out. This was going to be amazing lighting. I went over a bridge and started to see the stunning glacier lagoon.

My mood improved a lot at Jokulsarlon. It was crowded and there were some boats that zoom around the glaciers, but it was incredibly beautiful. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and tried hopelessly to capture it in photos.

While it was busy, you could easily wander and find a spot to observe the glaciers floating, seals swimming, and seagulls taking rides on the glaciers. Pieces of the glacier would break off.

I also did appreciate the infrastructure of the place after a long driving day in the rain and got a hot chocolate, and later, the most amazing lobster (langoustine in Iceland) soup ever from a food truck. It had the most gigantic pieces of lobster. And I’m not such a fan of eating soup every day but the soup in Iceland is so delicious.

I also wanted to see the Black Diamond Beach, which is basically on the other side of the bridge from the lagoon. This is where I took one of my favorite photos:

Pieces of glacier wash up on a black sand beach, making it clear why this is a diamond beach. It’s mesmerizing and always in movement, like the lagoon, which is why nothing will compare to going in person.

The lighting this time of day was so stunning that I went briefly back to Jokulsarlon. It was just so unreal. The glaciers are this beautiful blue color that isn’t captured properly in photos.

I was getting tired but had one more stop I wanted to see on the way back to Skaftafell: Fjallsarlon glacier lagoon. I had read some people even preferred Fjallsarlon.

I would say both are worth seeing but very different. Fjallsarlon lacks the infrastructure and was very quiet. It’s closer to the glacier but has fewer ice pieces and less movement. It was a perfect last stop to meditate on.

I then drove back to Skaftafell and headed to the campsite, which was very busy, but certainly had plenty of space for my tiny car and one woman tent. I backed my car in and set up my little tent. I was proud of myself at how good I was at setting up my tent. The rain was over, thankfully. It was getting cold already but have a warm, indoor bathroom was nice. I made some noodles and then hot chocolate with my little stove.

I saw that this campsite had laundry. But, of course, it was out of order. So I handwashed more undies.

It got cold once the sun was fully set so I burrowed into my sleeping bag and once again, was so exhausted that I fell asleep easily. Once again, I got ready for bed and fell asleep to the sounds of people speaking ,many languages around me.

Iceland Day 7: Drive to Vik

I woke up after getting some nice indoors sleep in a real bed (a bunk bed, but still!). I decided to just buy the breakfast at Kex and enjoy sitting in their lounge area, repacking my backpack and getting rid of food wrappers I’d packed out while looking over my itinerary. I ate lots of bread, cheese, meats, and oatmeal and filled my coffee mug.

I still had a trek, though through the city sidewalks of Reykjavik, to get to my rental car company. It took a bit longer than the 30 minutes I expected, but my pack felt light (it was a bit lighter without all the food, but I think it was more the easy terrain). It was a bright sunny day already, and I enjoyed seeing a bit more of Reykjavik. I looked in one window and saw instruments hanging from strings.

I got to Blue Car Rental and the staff were very nice. They went over basics about driving in Iceland (there’s no shoulder, watch out for sheep) and made some jokes. Then I got my little Toyota Aygo car. Even smaller than my Honda Fit, but definitely suitable for one person driving the Ring Road.

There was a Kronan grocery store across the street. I headed there, put down the back seats, and laid my tent out to dry. Then I probably spent way too long in the grocery store (and definitely bought a bit too much for one person for a few days). I really enjoy shopping in grocery stores in other countries and often end up doing it when staying with friends or staying in places with some form of kitchen (like Paris AirBnB…the best).  There was a great bread section, lots of skyr choices, and my favorite milk graphic ever :

 

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I got a later start then I planned around 10:30 am. I had agonized over my itinerary, deciding which regions and destinations to cover in the only 4 days I had after the trek (I used this site among other resources!). I had an itinerary packed with destinations, but also liked the flexibility of driving alone and getting to prioritize certain sights over others, if necessary. At this point, I was excited and wanted to see as much as possible.

I filled my passenger seat with snacks, turned on Taylor Swift’s new album, and hit the road. My first stop, Kerid Crater, was an hour away. The crater has really beautiful colors (I didn’t realize that blog I linked above the water was frozen! It looks very different).

 

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I walked down to the water and then around the crater. All of these sights certainly still had some walking/hiking.

 

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I ate lunch in the car (this bread with pizza topping. lots of bread in Iceland). Then my next sight was Urridafoss, a waterfall about 30 minutes away. It was a good stop to break up my trip to Seljalandsfoss, a waterfall that would be another 40 minutes away from Urridafoss.

I turned off onto a road that looked like I was going to a form. There were a few signs and only a couple of vans around, but I didn’t see people. I got out for a quick view. A sign said this is actually Iceland’s “most voluminous” waterfall. It was nice to be the only person at an Iceland site.

 

IMG_7889.JPGNext on my list was Seljalandsfoss. I considered skipping it since I’d seen it from the bus from Thorsmork, but then I read that you could walk behind it, and that there was a really cool hidden waterfall nearby that was well worth it.

I’m glad I went for several reasons, as you’ll see. First, I got out of the car and was waiting for the bathroom at the busy parking lot. Then I hear, “Megan?” I saw a guy I had met and talked to a lot at Landmannalaugar, Dave. He had been tent camping there (his tent had survived the windy conditions) and was solo, and had banded together with other solo travelers to tackle the entire trail I had done in 2 days and the additional add-on to Skogafoss in one day. It’s an impressive feat. They had offered me to hike with them, but they quickly passed me on the trail (they must have had quite a pace). His bus was stopping at Seljalandsfoss on the way to Reykjavik. It was great to see him again before he had to catch his bus. It took me out of my element doing my own thing as a solo traveler and was nice to see a familiar face.

The waterfall was beautiful. I wore my rain gear to avoid getting wet from the waterfall. Walking behind it was pretty awesome.

 

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Then, I followed the signs to Gljúfrabúi, the secret waterfall. I see people going in and out of kind of a cavern? You have to walk through a river, but there are rocks to step on and a rock wall to hold. I waited for some people to leave and headed in. I had my waterproof boots so I wasn’t too worried about getting wet. 

It was just awesome inside. The light coming in from the top of the dark cavern made it very dramatic. As a solo traveler you have to buck up and ask people to take photos for you, so I asked a guy to take this photo:

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I exited the cavern. Me and the guy who took the photo started talking. It turns out Nick was traveling solo in a camper van around the entire Ring Road. We had a really similar itinerary, since everyone pretty much sees the same sights on Ring Road. I had Skogafoss next on my list, as did he, so I said I’d see him later.

I grabbed coffee at Seljalandsfoss before I left (it had a nice little concession area). I didn’t realize that finding coffee on the drive would become so important, but it definitely did my whole trip. Driving is tiring and you can fall into kind of a trance. Stopping frequently and coffee helped.

Skogafoss was about 20 minutes away. The Fimmvörðuháls trail between Thorsmork and Skogafoss is a 15 mile trail that can be added to the Laugavegar Trail that I did, or done in 1-2 days on its own. I considered doing it, but it sounded even more difficult in bad weather and definitely challenging for those who fear heights. However, everyone I met who did it said it was absolutely stunning.

 

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The stairs up the side of the waterfall did not even bother me at this point. I was so grateful not to have my pack. On the stairway I saw a couple with packs that I’d met at the end of Laugavegar when I’d gone to the hut and was trying to figure out where to go.

 

IMG_7951As you can see the weather was amazing. I talked to a few trekkers about the trail they had just done, congratulating them. I just kept thinking, none of these Skogafoss visitors understand what these backpackers just went through to get here!

I knew there was a hidden waterfall near here as well that I wanted to explore. So I drove to the little museum, which I would have liked to explore if I had more time. There is a little ladder you go up and down to get over a fence. There were a few others heading this way so I followed them, but it was much quieter than Skogafoss. The weather was beautiful as the late afternoon sun shone on the vibrant grass.

You take a beautiful walk to a hidden waterfall, Kvernufoss, which you can also go behind. It was a beautiful, peaceful area with birds and sheep.

 

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And then I saw Nick again. We chatted for a bit and eventually had to get on our way – we both planned to make it to Reynisfjara, the black sand beach, and stay in Vik for the night.

It was a beautiful drive in the later afternoon sun moving toward sunset. I was stopped at view point over the beach called Dyrhólaey with a famous famous rock arch. I followed the other cars to the beautiful site. There was even a bathroom there, to my great relief. Probably one of the best views in the world for a bathroom:IMG_8010 (1)All of the viewpoints were gorgeous. Where you see the three rocks below is where Reynisfjara beach is that I would visit later.

 

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Even the view looking back towards the glacier was amazing.

 

IMG_8036There were lots of people around but it still felt very peaceful with gorgeous lighting.

 

IMG_8031.JPGI thought my hostel reception might close at 8 and it was getting late, so I decided to head to my hostel in Vik to quickly check in and head to Reynisfjara at sunset. Vik is a cute, small, seaside town. My hostel was very charming with a cottage vibe. However, I asked where laundry was and there wasn’t any. This is the first hostel I can think of that hasn’t had laundry. I had somewhat been relying on it. Oh well.

I headed to the beach. It was remarkable but sunset had already moved from 9:30 to 8:30 just since I’d gotten to Iceland. It was absolutely beautiful out. And there was a warning sign for the “sneaker” waves so I avoided getting too close to the water:

 

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This beach is famous for the Reynisdrangar, these unique basalt columns. Everyone has to get their requisite photo with them. I think I even saw someone in a wedding dress here? I ended up seeing several wedding photo shoots in some of the beautiful Icelandic sites. Well, here is me still in my rain gear with no makeup:

 

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There were a ton of birds flying high above. I had heard of people seeing puffins a few days earlier at this very beach. It was really hard to tell but I could swear I saw some orange beaks above me.

I saw Nick again. It’s always nice meeting other solo travelers because you don’t have to explain why you or anyone would travel alone. You already have something in common. It’s kind of it’s own exclusive club. The sunset was gorgeous to watch from the beach, and it was nice to have someone to talk to.

 

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Nick and I were heading to a lot of similar places the next day, but would continue on to the East. The furthest I planned to go was the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon before I’d have to turn back due to time. He had this camper van from a company that does crazy graffiti art on the side. His was a zombie Mickey Mouse (I’d end up looking for it when I stopped at sites the next day but never spotted it).

The sun was basically set by the time I left the beach. I headed back to my hostel, which had a nice kitchen. I lugged various things inside and made some quick pasta with tomato sauce and bread and butter. Most people in my dorm bed room seemed to be going to bed early, so I tried to be quiet as I got ready for bed. It had been a very long day. But it was a nice change of pace to drive and not have to lug my backpack, and I had packed in everything I’d wanted to see. Exhausted as ever I fell asleep easily.

Iceland Day 6: Laugavegur Trail to Þórsmörk

I was excited for my final day of the trek. I knew I had a bus to catch by 6:00 pm, but was confident based on the other days that I could finish the final 9.3 miles in good enough time to head to the restaurant. Yes, that’s right, there was another restaurant at the end of the trail.

Of course, it was raining again in the morning when I woke around sunrise (5:30 or so), so I had a similar dilemma to the previous day. I was able to make breakfast, then packed up my tent during a brief stop in the rain. I set off on the trail in the rain around 8:10 am. Once again, overall elevation gain was a loss this day – and I kept hearing it was “mostly downhill” from here. There was more up and down as we started, and lots of black sand and stunning scenery.

 

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There was a fairly steep downhill section in the sand where I fell on my butt. It was not a dangerous section, but it made me use caution and approach the downhills very slowly.

As I was slowly going down a hill, I saw one of the British chaperones who had helped me with my pack. “This is hard for you, isn’t it?” she said. And yes, I was definitely challenging myself. But I knew I could do it, even if I had to slow down to a half pace. We chatted a bit before she forged ahead.

 

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There was a bridge section that included a built in grip as you climbed up a steep section. This was actually less stressful for me as the structure in place than some of the very steep up and downs of the first day. The British woman had used the word momentum that first day, and I kept thinking about keeping my momentum up hills.

 

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The rain had cleared up by 9 am, and it ended up being a gorgeous day with lots of sun. I met some guys who had also camped the night before, and had a Garmin GPS with weather. I guess it said the rain would stop at 9 am so they went back to sleep, woke up, and packed up at 9. And the weather prediction was right. This holy device said rain would start again around 3 – probably when we would all be finishing up the hike (and rain didn’t start until 2:30, so it was pretty close).

I was seeing the start of fall colors all over the landscape (and I love the deep red in the rock below):

 

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And I think I started taking photos just to show how steep and up and down I had to go:

 

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It even felt warm enough with hiking and the lack of wind and rain to remove my layers. This might be one of my favorite photos, with the “unicorn” mountain in the background:

 

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The landscape flattened out again, for some more long walks through black sand, observing fall colors and the glacier. I continued to meet up with people I’d seen all along, including the British chaperones, the Utah group, and the Israeli couple.

 

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It was amazing to see sheep in what felt like the middle of nowhere:

 

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There started to be trees and the landscape started to change. And we were not to the last uphill yet, as you can see from the trail below. Luckily the beautiful vistas were worth it.

 

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Soon we would come to a big river crossing, the biggest yet. Whenever I got to a river crossing, it helped me to know that lots of other people were around. This one had several parts to get through, the deepest being knee deep. A lot of people really struggled with the cold temperature. And also tried to cross in the narrower parts of the river, making it more difficult. It’s hard when your feet are in pain from cold to remember that the widest part of the river is best, even though it looks further and harder to cross. I felt proud that I did well at this part that many struggled with. I struggled a lot with the fear of falling and heights, but did better with the crossings. You have never been gladder to put on your two layers of socks (toe sock liners and wool socks) and boots then after your feet have been through this river.

 

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And suddenly, you are in the forest. After a nearly completely treeless hike, it was strange to be among the green trees, with hints of orange and red signifying the beginning of fall.

 

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And then there was a sign indicating Thorsmork was near, and multiple destinations were at the endpoint. And guess what. MORE UPHILL.

 

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But then I reached the peak started to descend, beautiful scenery all around. Walking toward a black ash field and the glacier and green-black mountains. And then I reached the post labeled “LV 1” and the sign indicating the official end of the hike (or start for those going the other direction).

 

IMG_7805At this point, I cried with joy. And emotion. Pride in myself. I had never done anything like this. And I did this hike in the wind and rain, went up and down steep hills with frightening drop-offs, crossed rivers of glacier runoff. All by myself. It was around 3 pm at this point, so I’d done the whole thing in around 7 hours this time.

I was overjoyed and followed the signs to Langidalur. I made it to the huts with a beautiful glacier backdrop and volcanic fields, with buses driving around the huge black rocks. I saw one of the British chaperones and we chatted, and I finally got use a bathroom.

 

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I then asked the warden how to get to Volcano Huts. Volcano Huts are in Husadalur, 2 km away. Either place you catch the Sterna bus is a 2 km walk. I tried to think of how much 2 km was (it’s 1.2 miles) and wanted to cry. I thought I was done. She assured me I didn’t have to go back up those stairs and it was a fairly flat walk.

Thinking of the restaurant and friends that awaited me at Volcano Huts, I set off for more hiking. “This freaking hike doesn’t end,” I ranted to myself as I walked and walked before finally getting to Volcano Huts.

I entered the restaurant and saw my Israeli couple friends, Tal and Or. I approached them, and then some people sitting next to them said hi. I blinked. These were my Canadian friends I had seen at the bus the first day. We all made it!

There was a buffet lunch with lamb stew, salad, lots of delicious bread, and coffee and cakes. It seemed really good or maybe I was just starving after backpacking 33+ miles. I sat with Tal and Or and we enjoyed such luxuries as not just food and indoor heating, but electricity and WiFi. We had a couple of hours at this point until the bus came.

I ended up seeing my Utah friends as well and chatting with them. Trekking the Laugavegur Trail is like being in a club. No one else can really understand what you have been through, or the beauty you have seen, which can’t really be captured in photos. I bought a patch that said “Laugavegur Trail” (I kind of wanted a t-shirt with the trail on it but it was like $40 USD).

Eventually we boarded the bus and the bus ride started incredibly. We crossed many, many, rivers through the volcanic wheels on a bus with gigantic wheels, the glacier and beautiful mountains still looming in the background. Someone on the other side of the bus said they spotted an Arctic Fox (they are scared of people but I’d read of people spotting them in Thorsmork).

Eventually we got to more normal roads and stopped quickly at a waterfall, Seljalandsfoss. This was on my itinerary for my drive, so I knew we must now be close to the Ring Road.

It was a sleepy bus ride back in the rain to Reykjavik. Back to Harpa, and then a bit more trekking along the flat sidewalk to Kex. I felt odd in my unshowered, backpacker-y state as there was a hip-looking comedy show (people laughing at a woman speaking Icelandic on stage) that night in the basement and locals were around, dressed up for the evening. There is a fast food joint across the street that was still open (around 10 pm maybe?) so I got a hot dog and fries, which I devoured before taking the best shower ever. Kex has individual little rooms for showers, and the standard in Iceland seems to be waterfall showerheads. Plus our Snaefellsnes tour guide told us the shower water in Iceland was heated geothermally, so you can feel a bit less guilty about using up hot water.

The Laugavegur Trail was extremely hard but very rewarding. I couldn’t help but smile at the scenery around me even as the rain and wind poured down. At some parts I thought, can I do this? I had to put all of my focus into believing in myself. I thought maybe I would be slow as I often seem to be in Colorado hiking, but I managed a decent pace somehow, even with all my photo stops. People have talents, and hiking and backpacking do not come easy to me. People say the trail is technically easy but weather makes it difficult (I guess??? Not for me). What a remarkable experience. I still cannot believe I did it sometimes.