Sam, I am: Iceland Day 3: Rain, Rain, More Rain and of course Sheep

Skógafoss Waterfall (Leaving as the Crowds Arrive)

Timing is Everything

Skógafoss Waterfall

Day 3 started early as it was going to be a long day including a 35 km track back down Route 1 to see Skógafoss Waterfalls. We wanted to beat the tour crowds arriving in from Reykjavik and other locales. Most start arriving around 10 AM. The weather forecast for the day was not encouraging to say the least. Rain, rain, and more rain; at times heavy.

Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s largest waterfalls, with a height of 60 m (197 ft) and a width of 25 m (82 ft). Skógafoss is on the Skógá River, which is fed from two glaciers: Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. It has a viewing platform and if you have time and the inclination to walk up the 400+ stairs, it has been noted that the view is worth it.

A waterfall this size produces heavy amounts of spray, so rain gear is a necessity (as easily seen in the photos). We had the misfortune of visiting on the rainiest day of the trip. On sunny days, this beauty produces rainbows and often doubles ones. Oh well, so much to see and so little time.

Sólheimajökull Glacier

Sólheimajökull Glacier was a quick 12 km drive from Skógafoss along Route 221. Sólheimajökull means “sun home glacier” and is an ice tongue of the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier. Its locale and proximity to Reykjavik make it a popular spot for locals and tourists. Several quick snaps of the glacier from along Route 221 and we resumed our Ring Road trek to Höfn í Hornafirði.

Sólheimajökull Glacier

View from Plane Wreck Parking Lot on Route 1

The backtrack to Skógafoss and Sólheimajökull added 75 km to the day's travel

Stjórnarfoss and Foss á Síðu

Our next stop, unplanned as most were, was at Stjórnarfoss Waterfall. This is a small but picturesque two-tiered waterfall along Route 203. It was worth the stop. One couple was returning from the waterfall and two couples stopped for a quick look. They were the only other people at this waterfall. The darkening clouds may have played a factor in their quick-look decision.

Stjórnarfoss. Love the atmosphere and rock structure at this waterfall.

A mere 13 km further along Route 1 is Foss á Síðu. Just behind a small farm (clearly marked private) is a high thin waterfall. I should no longer be surprised by how many tourists are incapable of common decency and totally ignored the sign to traipse across the private property to take a selfie.

Foss á Síðu

A highlight from this stop was a friendly dog from the farm playing in the stream, who managed to capture a small fish. Alas, he lost the fish down a crevice. Once over the loss of the fish, he brought a baseball-sized lava rock to play a game of fetch. The lava rock was surprisingly light, and he always brought back the same rock. He was entertaining and sure knew how to work a crowd. Put a smile on my face and when we left, he was onto the next human willing to play with him.

Stjórnarfoss and Foss á Síðu Waterfalls

Foss á Síðu to Höfn í Hornafirði

Weather Rules the Day

Within 5 minutes of leaving Foss á Síðu, the rains started again, and they were heavy for the remainder of the 200 km drive to our hotel. Driving speeds had to be reduced due to poor visibility. We did a stop at Svínafellsjökull Glacier to take a quick photograph, but the rain was so heavy, walking up the trail was a lost cause. We passed spectacular sights but stopping was impractical due to the heavy rains. Lucky for us, we have seen and hiked on glaciers in western Canada and the United States, so while disappointing it would not have been a new experience. Being from Newfoundland and Labrador, icebergs are an annual photography trip for us. Again, disappointing but this was not a new experience (except for bergy bits on a black volcanic beach) and the weather was beyond our control. The Driver was glad when the day was over as he had driven 400 km that day, more than half in heavy rains while keeping an eye out for sheep. The weather forecast for the remainder of the trip was looking favourable.