Iceland Day Four
Jenya and I had an eight day adventure in Iceland. We knew what we were getting into vacationing there in winter and exploring via rental car. Here's the story of day four.
After the first three days we'd come to expect unpredictable weather and dealt with various road, wind, and snow challenges like pros. So despite seemingly tame alerts we stuck with our plan to check out the Golden Circle - a route that heads towards the interior of the island and loops around various common popular tourist destinations - lake, falls, geysers, etc.
We were in the car before sunrise (at 9am) and braced for slow going as we turned off the ring road and headed inland. The pavement was caked with patches of ice deeper than I'd experienced thus far, but lesser vehicles were coming and going so it couldn't be that bad, right? However after one pass the sky lost its blueness and winds were strong enough to create tentacles of snow blowing across the highway. Visibility was still good and the lake wasn't that far so we pressed on.
I caught up to a caravan of five other cars ahead of me. If they were fearlessly going forward, why not us? I'm sure all the other drivers in this pack felt the same. Plus if we all did end up trapped in the middle of nowhere we'd have enough human meat to last for a while.
Ten kilometers later things went from slightly concerning to completely sketchy. The interior of the car echoed with the sounds of squeaky windshield wipers, wind hammering the chassis, and our increasing panic. Visibility dropped, snow packed onto the road and some of the participants in the caravan began to chicken out and turn around. Frankly at this point it was probably just as dangerous to go back the way we came.
Eventually there was a turnoff - a vista point toward Lake Þingvallavatn which, despite being quite large and right fuckin' there, was completely obscured by the white out. I figured this would be a good place to stop and re-evaluate everything. Not so! I swerved like mad in the deep snow of the parking lot. Fuck this. I got back on the main road plunging further down the Circle following a few fresh cars that appeared in the last minute.
Our fortune changed suddenly as a few moments later like magic an outpost exploded into view - a small building and a parking lot already teeming with cars. This was the Þingvellir National Park visitors center. We claimed one of the last remaining spots and stumbled through the high winds into the structure.
Inside was a small food market, bathrooms, and about 50 fellow travelers of disparate nationalities in the same boat. Quite a surreal scene after being in a frantic situation a minute earlier. A ranger stood at her post offering vague answers to harried questions about travel conditions. Basically the road up ahead was now officially closed and we were stuck here until further notice, at least 2pm. It was noon.
Jenya got a coffee and we stood around warming up. Soon it was clear this would be a while so we got whatever wraps for lunch. The population inside increased over time and I soon became claustrophobic enough to prefer standing out in the cold. That too was difficult as the smokers came outside to cloud up the air.
So Jenya and I decided to wait in our car. We both took short naps in our seats, hats pulled down over our eyes. We ran the engine a bit to warm up. The heavy winds returned, occasionally rocking our car and whistling through all the cracks in its frame.
Arriving drivers entered the lot and parked like idiots, nearly trapping our car. Meanwhile one van was stuck in the snow blocking access forward if I ever wanted to escape that way. So before it got any worse Jenya carefully guided me backwards out of the lot and I reparked on the road. Now when the time came we wouldn't have to deal with that clusterfuck. That helped my mood a bit. So did playing video games on my phone. Jenya went inside to buy more snacks. Hummus and flatbread, bananas, and a small can of pringles.
After 2pm winds relented but still no sign of progress. I used the bathroom if only to break up the monotony. The population inside more than doubled since we first arrived. The ranger exhibited great patience answering pleas for positive updates but she simply didn't have any. One guy whined, "but cars were going down the closed road." She seemed surprised by this and went out to keep others from attempting this foolish behavior.
The weather improved by 3pm but the ranger guarding the road was replaced by a truck blocking all access out of here. Suddenly a snow plow appeared and went beyond the barrier. Yay! I asked about an update since plows were now involved but apparently they were brought in to help cars that got stuck in snow banks. Oh.
Turns out the empty pringles can makes for good hand percussion. Jenya and I used whatever we could find to have a private hippie drum jam in the car. People walking past seemed puzzled by our form of self entertainment.
Other big official vehicles were brought into service. Another plow, an ambulance. And then eventually coming back this way a tow truck. At 4pm we went inside one more time to check out the chaos. Rumors circulated that we will soon be allowed through, albeit led in one big line behind a plow. Fine with me!
And sure enough this became reality! Yay! Everybody rushed into their cars. I felt super smart that my earlier maneuvers enabled me to be among the first trailing behind the plow. However, soon we stopped. Oh right - we have to wait for all the other yahoos to get with the program, including those who were possibly spinning wheels in the snow and needed a push. We didn't get moving again for another 20 minutes.
Clearly we had to bail on plans as we were forced to follow the plow all the way to Selfoss. From there we rerouted towards our booked hotel in Flúðir just after sunset. So much for the Golden Circle!
On the plus side our plans accounted for possible weather issues - so we had time to backtrack and see a bunch of the Circle the next day. On the down side, I soon came to realize only after we left that wintry oasis I left my nice gloves in the bathroom.