Day 3 — The Janus Effect (1 July) — 8 miles

The day started off gloriously. Cloudy but with large swaths of blue skies. The temperature was warm to the extent I was wearing only one layer of my lightest Icebreaker long sleeve t-shirt.

We began our hike going uphill to a pass between two pinnacles. The elevation gain was over a thousand feet but reasonably steep — 16% — on a smooth gravel road that cars could traverse. I felt that our training on the outer loop of the Trexler game preserve was proving to be worthwhile. Little did we know that the payoff would be big time on our return path —24% grade — that resembled the grade change of the Lion’s Head trail on Mt Washington. We acquitted ourselves on both climbs.

Here are some images of the uphill climb on the first mountain from the forward and backwards perspectives. At the top, we posed with our Limmer boots. We’ll be sending this image to Limmer’s so that they will know its boots hiked Eastern Iceland.

After we crested the top, we descended into the Brunavik valley which was inhabited until 1944. Unbelievable. We were here in summer; imagine winter. The verdant meadows were soggy; we had to walk carefully through the wetness and mud as well as fording the many streams that criss-crossed the valley. The weather also changed from sunny and partly cloudy to rain and wind. One must be prepared for any weather condition that can change on a dime.

We stopped at the mouth of the main river that flowed through the valley to take our lunch break. In the distance to the right is a small building that serves as an emergency shelter. Though primitive, anyone will appreciate that it is there in a storm.

Among the rocks, our band of hikers chose where to enjoy their lunches. Here is Fabio from Switzerland by the sea. Surrounding him were the mountains that defined the valley.

After lunch, we climbed one of the steepest grades that I have encountered in my walks — in the rain and wind. When we reached the top, Laird had just placed a stone on the makeshift monument signifying a successful climb. Now, downhill and our visit to the island where puffins have their nests.

Just up the road from where we had descended is an island where several species of birds nest. Of course, the most popular bird is the puffin. Who knew ahead of time that this island has the largest population of puffins in Iceland. Apparently, lots of tourists do.

I must admit the little birds are attractive. They appeared non-plussed with the tourists gazing at them and taking photos of them with hand held phones to cameras with long telephoto lenses. Below are some puffin images.

Enough puffins. We were tired and hungry. Dinner was a lightly fried very fresh fish followed by a dessert cup of crumbled cookies topped with a healthy serving of delicate whipped cream. Both winners.

Several of our newly made amigos strode down to the brewery for a nightcap. Another occasion to celebrate the hike and to learn more about one another. The brewery is an excellent place to do so.

Time for bed. Remember the commentary about hiking the back half in the rain and wind. Here is a photo of those mountains at 10:52 PM. Perhaps we should hike at night.