Iceland- Day 7 - In Which Our Hero Puts His Life At Risk

 

Day 7 - October  3

When I woke up, my back was so sore that I needed to use a trekking pole to get out of bed. Not exactly the best way to start a day that's supposed to involve hiking. I checked the YouTube live feeds of the volcano, saw no lava activity. Not exactly the best way to start a day that's supposed to involve seeing an active volcano for the only time. So, yeah...this day didn't start out in exactly the best way.

I went on my adventure, regardless. What the adventure it was! We went to a location where we could hike up a mountain and see an active volcano. As you know, I'm not quite in hiking shape. I kept wanting to give up. For willpower, I recited the Green Lantern oath again and again. (It's something I do.) I started to look at different points and tell myself "I'm going to reach that point" and kept going to each one.

If the steepness of the mountain wasn't bad enough, the loose terrain and high winds were. Once again, my trekking poles saved the day. This time wasn't just about relieving some of the physical stress of the hike. They literally helped me keep from getting blown off of a mountain. I got to a point (not quite halfway up the mountain) where I honestly felt that the wind was going stronger than me if I tried to go much further. My willpower didn't keep me from going further. Nature did. It was as if the Norse god Njörðr (god of wind) was telling me that I have to turn around.

My volcanic adventure didn't end with my walking down the mountain, though. (It should be noted that the wall down was easier on my heart but harder on my balance.) I went to the valley, which was filled with a new lava field. In March, this volcano erupted. So, this lava was magma mere months ago. About a foot of hard rock hid the lava from view. There were fissures where steam broke free, though. It wasn't exactly something people should get up on. So, naturally I joined in with the idiots who got up on it! Nobody told me it was illegal, but the cops drove by in a jeep and flashed their lights to tell us to get down. Just because something is potentially deadly doesn't mean that it's illegal. This just happened to be one of those times when the two crossed paths.

[As many of you know, my motto is "I have life insurance." As you can tell, it's not just something I say in jest. When I do things like hike a windy mountain, stand on young lava rock, stand near the edge of a cliff for a photograph, etc, I do it with the knowledge of the risk I'm taking. Why not? I flunked out of college. I've been single for a decade. I can't work. My mental health is likely to have a severe decline, someday. Why not do something stupid? If I didn't exceed the weight limit, I'd skydive and bungee jump. I'm 29 and I honestly feel that I've lived more than most do in 100 years.]

But I digress...

After this, we made a few more stops. We stopped at a pond that had potential to erupt but just turned into a pond, instead. We stopped by an area where volcanic gasses and hot water pushed through clay, creating steam and hot springs. We stopped by a lake that is freshwater on top and saltwater on the bottom (the ocean comes in through cracks on the bottom.) We also stopped at a place where fish that were stripped of everything by their head, tail, and bones were hanging out to dry. Our driver wanted to teach us a little about the history of the fishing industry in Iceland. That was one stop that I decided not to get out at. I'm not a fan of the smell of fish.

My adventure began at about 10 AM and ended around 4 PM. It was short but brutal. I feel comfortable in saying that this was the most dangerous day of my life. Even more dangerous than the time a drunk guy tried to murder me, in Tennessee (long story, but a true story.) I definitely deserve rest. It's been a long week.

Lance J. M.