It's definitely an exciting way to start a hike. On an island where the alpha of alpha of the animal kingdom likes to loiter. The hunter of man. The true predator. Aka, the Coca-Cola bear. I've never seen a wild polar bear before. I really want to see one! It sure felt like polar bear country as I crossed the sea ice to get to the mainland. I definitely made sure to wear my hi-viz life jacket to, you know, announce dinner was ready.
I made it to the mainland without incident. Now it was more safe. In prime grizzly country. Forget about the white-sandy beaches and rainforests of the south, and get ready for the open terrain and Arctic chill of the north. In a land far, far north lies another highly scenic trail of comparable length and difficulty. It also shares that not-in-America factor. Norge på Langs. Norway end-to-end. One small detail though. It's not an actual trail. It's the idea of walking the length of Norway. You have to create your own route! Which is no biggie, really. I have traveled to the land of the north, and I have returned with good news. Scandinavia is a legit place for long-distance hiking with an extensive network of trails. I highly recommend the NPL to any Triple Crowner + TA alumnus who's seeking another international adventure. So, which is the better and more scenic trail?
Te Araroa vs. Norge på Langs? TA vs. NPL? New Zealand vs. Norway? Ha! That's my secret. You have to hike both to find out. The land of fire and ice. Mountains of black and green. And one monster glacier that towers above it all. On a kilometer per kilometer basis, the most scenic hike I have ever done. Outranking other epic places such as New Zealand and Norway. Canada and Alaska. In Iceland, it's 360° postcard views everyday and nearly every hour. And best of all? It's flat and easy! Kinda.
The interior of Iceland is deserving of its reputation as extremely hostile terrain. For the experienced, it's not too bad. For others, it might be deadly. Iceland is definitely deadly to the pocketbook though. And chilly to the bone. Still. I absolutely love Iceland! 10/10. It's that time of year again when I live one water source at a time.
Yesterday I was at work. And tomorrow I sleep in the woods. It's a fast transition because I know this lifestyle is finite. At this point in my life, I've found my balance. Work for half a year and then it's fun time. And for some reason, I still define fun as walking a marathon everyday. For half a year. Fun! This year I see my return to Europe. Awaiting me are new countries, new terrain, and a new trail. But that all starts tomorrow. For today, I get to wander the City of Love. It was a glorious day to complete the trail. The sun was out. Blue was in the skies. Unbelievable! This just doesn't happen in the Pacific Northwest. I had gotten quite used to at least 7 days of rain per week. I had to finish today. It turned out to be a glorious day to sit on a rock. By 9:30 a.m., high tide had me stopped at 3 miles. By 2:00 p.m., my map showed I was still at 3 miles for the day. Sigh. But the ocean began to open up. The end was actually going to happen! I threw on the tunes to pump myself up. 2Pac. Luke Bryan. And some T-Swizzle. I shook off the cobwebs and booked it when the beach reappeared. I had to finish today. But night arrived, and I didn't make it. 12 miles was simply too much. I decided to break one of my rules. I night hiked for miles. The end was too close to be denied. Now I need a good excuse to right my conscience. I think I'll go with I was low on TP. I eventually got there. Cape Alava!! The western terminus of the PNT! I took in the amazing scenery the next morning. It was another glorious, sunny day. Just out of control!
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