June 23: Surviving the Wind to Marvel at the Water
I can’t decide what I’m more excited about – surviving some of the strongest winds I’ve ever ridden through or getting to walk behind one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, getting drenched from head to toe. It was a tough call!
Today started off rather inconspicuously, as the weather app showed a mere 30 to 40 percent chance of rain and I loaded up my bike during a lull in the rainfall. Within a few miles of Reykjavik, I realized that today’s ride was going to be much less about enjoying the scenery and much more about surviving the wind.
Enormous gusts of wind from the ocean pounded and buffeted me and the bike, slewing rain sideways, and howling in my ear. If there had been shelter off the road, I would have pulled over. But this bucolic route around Iceland is mostly just one lane each direction with no overhead passes or freeway rest stops. Without a large building to block the wind it seemed unlikely I could pull over without tipping the bike. So, I hunched down as low as I could get on the bike, leaned into the wind, and tried to adjust the speed fast enough to stay upright but not so fast I lost too much friction between the tires and the road.
The only thing more extreme than the wind today were the off-the-charts amazing waterfalls I saw along the way. The first, Seljalandsfoss, is part of the Seljalands River and originates from a volcanic glacier. Dropping 60 meters over a large rock overhand, it undulates in a mesmerizing wave-like motion as it cascades from the top. My favorite part of this natural beauty was getting drenched in its water as I walked around and behind it through a crevice in the cliff. How invigorating!
Just a few miles down the road another waterfall beckoned to me. The Skogafoss Waterfall is also 60 meters high and is approximately 25 meters wide. Surrounded by beautiful moss-covered rocks, this waterfall is especially beautiful from above. After climbing over 500 stairs with all my biking gear on, I was more than happy to spend some time watching the water cascade over the top of the cliff and listen to it pounding the rocks below, spewing water everywhere.
I was able to take the time to get some groceries today. So, after a delicious meal of fresh local salmon served with potatoes and salad, I splurged on some brie cheese and fresh bread in my room at the bed and breakfast in Vic. I’m hoping to get an early start tomorrow as strong winds are forecasted for the area north of here during the middle of the day.
