Iceland: Hraftinnusker & Alftavatn

Days two and three of the hike: the surface of the moon and the mossy green valley, glacial lake included.  Leaving Hraftinnusker (hraft = obsidian, which was scattered everywhere in postapocalyptic chunks) was almost frightening in its nakedness; barely a living thing, nothing but sulfur and evidence of million year-old explosions from volcanoes past.

Not a glacier, but a snow-covered ravine... 

Tired in my space pants (photo by Don)

(photo by Don)

...until we came upon this valley, at Alftavatn:

Vatn means water, or lake. The entire valley was moist and cool and felt like a sheltered paradise compared to the black starkscape of the Hraftinnusker area. Hraftinnusker is also the highest peak on the Laugavegur trail (around 1095 meters), the ascent of which was all done on day one -- so physically and mentally, we welcomed the mossy, moist change.