Gratitude

We left Reykjavik on a flight to Isafjordur early yesterday morning. It was an easy flight with an exciting finish. As we descended out of the clouds into town, the pilot revved the engine and we pick up speed on a really technical approach. The runway is short and crammed in between the fjord and a steep mountainside. The pilots came from the south and took a really sharp bank and then hugged really close to the mountain as they made an efficient but hard landing. I would not want to make that approach in any kind of inclement weather and I was grateful to be safely on the ground.

We met our bike liaison Tyler at the airport and he drove us to his shop to assemble our bikes. This is usually a really quick task but I had quite a few things to work out as I was putting my bike back together. (This is the part where you get out your tiny violin). I have a brand new beautiful Trek Checkpoint with all of the bells and whistles. I’m not used to traveling with such a fancy bike and this also has a new SRAM electronic drivetrain that I’m not that familiar with yet. (Cue sad violin music now). I really struggled with reassembling the headset but finally figured it out. Then, I realized that I needed to bleed both of my hydraulic brakes. Not a technical task but it requires a little patience and takes some time to do it correctly. (Violin crescendos now). I finally got everything together and it was actually a lot of fun working alongside the young mechanics in the shop that played great Reggae and rode their skateboards around the showroom floor. I also just love solving bike problems. It’s part of my new job as a Trek Travel guide and it’s a blast to get more confident working with all of the new bike technology out there.

The bike was finally fully assembled and loaded. It rides like a dream. It’s light, steady and super comfortable. We had a great dinner in town and hug out with the cats that live down by the port. We had a great nights sleep. The hotel served us a huge breakfast and we set out around 7:30 to start our 84 mile day exploring the fjords along our route. Our first stop was the Arctic Fox Center where we learned a ton about these cute creatures and even got to see a live one that lives out back. A huge tour bus showed up a few minutes later and we got back on our way.

The cycling here is just spectacular. The fjords run deep into the countryside. We faced a stiff headwind as we headed south and then caught an awesome tailwind when we turned at the head of the fjords. We stopped for waffles along the way and met some other bike packers from Switzerland. The views were amazing all day and very little traffic on these remote roads. I dare say it was the best cycling I’ve ever done. Perfect temperature, clean and safe roads and plenty of sunshine to keep us feeling great.

You really take a chance with trips like this. You can plan for months and then it sometimes just doesn’t work out that great. Not Iceland. I was filled with so much gratitude today. I just felt so lucky to be in such a remote and beautiful place with a friend. I’m so happy to be fit enough to enjoy these long days and really get to experience a new culture by bike. It’s the best way to immerse yourself in a place. I love hiking trails too but you find yourself isolated in the woods most of the time. Bike packing gets you out in the countryside where you get to feel, touch and smell a place. It’s all the senses at once. A real immersion.

Speaking of immersion! Today’s ride ended in a really special place called Reykjanes Geothermal Beach. They have a hotel, campgrounds and a beautiful 50 meter geothermal heated pool. It was a perfect ending to a great day. We spent several hours soaking in the hot water and then had a relaxing dinner in the campground kitchen chatting with the other bike packers. I climbed into my old Big Agnes tent and felt right at home resting in the long twilight and listening to the birds sing their evening song. So grateful to be able to have this experience and feeling like this is such a great way to be spending my time. More of this please!