I started my hike on an absolutely gorgeous day -- warm by Icelandic standards and brilliantly sunny. Ed and Gloria had decided to rent a car for their last two days in Iceland, so I was lucky enough to get a ride to the trailhead, and more importantly, some good friends to see me off on my journey.

By the time I got everything loaded into my pack, it was heavier than I wanted it to be, but I couldn't think of anything I wanted to leave behind. So off we went.

Skogar to Fimmvörðuháls
12 km

Ed, Gloria and I at the trailhead Skogar.

The trail starts at Skogar, right off Hwy 1, the ring road, at the spectacular waterfall and tourist destination, Skogafoss. It immediately begins to climb upward on a series of steps, paralleling the waterfall. The three of us hiked up the waterfall, then along the river until the grade began to get a bit gentler. Ed went on ahead to check out the sights while Gloria and I continued at a more deliberate pace. When Ed returned a little bit later, it was time to say our goodbyes. A bittersweet parting, as Ed and Gloria headed down the trail, while I turned around and started up.

One beautiful waterfall after another

Here's a photo that Ed took of me in my oversized pack ... note the haze in the background (foreshadowing ... )

For the next couple of hours, the trail was a gentle grade up, with vistas of one beautiful waterfall after another. As I hiked the vegetation got gradually more sparse. And the wind picked up. Before Ed and Gloria left me, we had noticed a haze in the air towards the mountains, in spite of a clear blue sky. While we thought initially that it might be fog from the ocean, it soon became clear that it was dust (or perhaps ash?), and it was increasing as I hiked upward.

I crossed the river and continued on what was now a very bleak and desolate trail. Little gullies became welcome respite from the wind and stinging sand, but each time I got to an exposed area, the wind seemed to have increased in force. It didnt help that my oversized pack gave me the surface area of a small elephant.

The casual dayhiking tourists had long ago dropped away, but I was lucky to have the company of a group of young Icelandic women who were going to be hiking all the way to Þorsmork. They carried light daypacks, so they were faster than I was, but they stopped a lot for snacks or to regroup, so we passed back and forth many times. After a couple more hours, we reached the ridge. They continued on downhill to Þorsmork, while I turned south towards the hut.

One of the Icelandic women snapped this photo of me as we parted ways. Check out my hair and my posture as I try to stand upright despite the gale-force winds!

It was another half-hour or so of hiking across stretches of ash alternating with snow before the hut seemed to be reachable. As I hiked, I was continually grateful for the advice of Larry, who suggested that I stop here, at the pass, rather than continuing on down to the next hut.

I reached the hut at close to 7 PM. I hadn't taken a lot of breaks, and those that I did take were very short. I considered it a 6 hour hike, and I was ready to be done for the day when I arrived.

Weird volcanic sculptures

A sight for sore eyes!

The hut was small, warm, and very welcoming. There were about 10 people in the hut when I arrived, and more followed, including one group that arrived close to midnight. The wind and blowing sand had been a challenge for everyone. I had sand everywhere -- my ears, the corners of my eyes, even my teeth felt gritty. But there was tea and hot water for making dinner, and we all introduced ourselves and settled in. There was one couple from the US (california), but everyone else was from somewhere else -- Iceland, Germany, Spain, France.

By 9 pm, everyone was ready for bed, so we snuggled into our sleeping bags and listened to the wind howling outside. The last sound I heard before I feel asleep, besides the wind, was the soft musical sound of people talking in hushed tones in many different languages.

Hut scenes

Here's where the water comes from ... the ash sinks to the bottom

And here's where the waste goes, carried off the mountain in buckets

Gender-neutral urinal
Not the easiest thing for women to use ...

Two to a bunk (yes, you're looking at a total of eight people here). You're expected to share a bed whether or not you came with someone.