Hello again, Blogonauts!

I believe it was Vulcan, ancient Rome's god of fire and volcanoes, that was said to operate a smelting forge beneath the earth's surface. As such, Vulcan was reputedly the source of lava, ash, and Star Trek's Mr. Spock.

Well on Friday, I and at least a couple of hundred other earthly trekkers set out to see the latest addition to Iceland's exceedingly long list of volcanoes. Aeolus, the god of wind, however, had grown a bit envious of Vulcan's time in the spotlight, and sent some heavy breezes to disrupt the day.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.

The Geldingadalir valley and the Fagradalsfjall mountain (the observation point) sit on the same peninsula as Keflavik, the international airport serving Reykjavik. The volcano erupted there on March 19, and at times smoke and even heavenly spewed lava have been observable from both Keflavik and Reykjavik.

When I read on Friday morning (after Thursday's rains) that it should be good weather for making the trek, I slipped on my hiking boots and headed out.

The scenic drive to the trailhead takes about 40 minutes. Along the way, you drive through the small coastal fishing village of Grindavik. Ocean fishing is hazardous, and the village has lost its share of residents to the ravages of the sea. The town has erected a monument to honor those who never returned and their loved ones: A sculpted mother and children sitting on a hillside, looking out to the sea.

About a 10-minute drive beyond Grindavik I came to a parking lot, where folks can leave their car for the pittance of 1000 Icelandic krona (about $8).

EIGHT DOLLARS?! Well, in truth, it's worth it. Since the first eruption, they've had to scramble. A new volcano, so close to Reykjavik, was sure to attract visitors. Cars parking on the roadway threaten everyone's safety, so the landowners and the authorities worked to set up parking and create a more user-friendly trail…one that almost reaches the observation sites.

I didn't measure or calculate it, but the reported distance to the observation point is 4 KM. (For Americans, that translates into 4 kilometers.)

Oh, you want mileage! 😉 That's roughly 2.4 miles one way. There are also some intriguing side trips, such as wandering down to inspect the end of one of the lava flows.

Once on the trail, the hike is neither easy nor particularly difficult. There's an elevation gain of about 1000 feet. At the end of the day, my Apple Watch told me that I had climbed 99 flights of stairs. Walking by the lava field, the temperature rose from about 45º F. into the 60s. But around each turn, the wind seemed to pick up a little more, and then a little more.

The last 100 yards or so seemed the most challenging. The hill there is the steepest climb, but also the trail requires you to find footing on far more unstable dust and rocks. Both outbound and returning my feet occasionally slipped, and I saw others struggle to maintain their footing. One poor fool tried to bring an electric standing scooter on the trail. Predictably he bogged down in the loose dust.

Once at the top, however, the full force of the wind took hold. The gale (estimated to be 35 MPH with gusts topping 50 MPH) was nearly relentless. Standing stationary in the blast required constant rebalancing. And the wind carried with it dust…not from the volcano, but from the surrounding territory.

We were there to see the volcano, but to look at it, we had to stare directly into the wind…and at times it felt like I was looking straight into the nozzle of a sand blaster. (Afterward I found grit in my teeth and ears, and I had been wearing a hooded windbreaker.)

But seeing the volcano first hand was spectacular. The lava flows from the volcano constantly, but the volume fluctuates. One moment it looks like a small stream, and the next like a dam has burst. Some of the experts believe it could continue like this for years.

After about 30-40 minutes, I had reached the limit of my wind endurance. My photos were passably good pics, although not as dramatic as I had hoped. Nonetheless, I consider them hard-won. You can see a few posted in the Fagradalsfjall photo album.

I spent Saturday getting better acquainted with Reykjavik. It was a far more tame experience; the sun was out and Aeolus was no longer caught up in a jealous rage. You can find photos and captions to describe the day in the second Reykjavik album.

That's it for now! On Sunday, I start my journey on the Ring Road around the island.

Blog to you later!