Traveling and hiking around West Iceland was an incredibly eye opening experience for me. While exploring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, I could take in the beauty of the area while also observing some of the effects that tourism has had on the vegetation of these places. One of my favorite stops that we made was at the Buðraun lava field. We hiked along the field to the top of the Buðklettir volcano, and stopped at the beach on the way back down. Looking directly into the crater of the volcano and watching two seals interact in the water made me feel closer to nature than ever before.
During my time in West Iceland, I realized how important it is for people to recognize the impact they can have on the area that they’re visiting. My classmates and I saw many individuals stepping outside of the marked paths to obtain the perfect picture or to just get a little bit closer to the view. We noticed many trails that had been closed off in the past year due to damage to the vegetation. While visiting national parks or any other natural area, it’s necessary to understand that guard rails have been strategically placed for the protection of the fauna.
Another memorable moment occurred a few days after we returned home from the trip. For a long time, I’ve been determined to see the Northern Lights. There’s a website that rates the clarity of the lights every night on a scale of 1-9. Though this site doesn’t factor in clouds, we knew that one October’s night rating of an 8 was going to be viewable to us, and it was. We had seen the lights slightly before, but none as bright and alive as these. One of my favorite things about experiencing the Northern Lights is sharing the beauty with my classmates as we all stand and watch in awe.
Abby MacKenzie