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Land of Waterfalls

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Gullfoss in Southwest Iceland

In my two vacations in Iceland (2001 and 2013), I have seen literally hundreds of waterfalls. Some, like Gullfoss above, were utterly spectacular. I am sure that the snow melt that occurs during the Icelandic summer, when I visited, displayed the force of the falls at their height.

Below is one waterfall that is not visited so frequently, as it is in the remote Westfjords. I am referring to Dynjandi, illustrated below:

Dynjandi Falls in the Westfjords

The most powerful falls on the island is Dettifoss on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River which flows north from the Vatnajökull Glacier to the Greenland Sea. I visited in during my first trip, in August 2001.

Dettifoss From the East Bank of the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River

I will never forget the roar of that mighty 144-foot (44-meter) plunge of the falls. That was an incredible trip, which began at Lake Myvátn and took us along the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River to the forest at Ásbbyrgi Canyon, then on to Husavík and back to the Lake.

Iceland 2001: Rainbows and Waterfalls

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Rainbow in the North of Iceland

Rainbow in the North of Iceland

We were in the north of Iceland, somewhere between Ásbyrgi and Húsavík. By we, I mean our guide Illugi from Lake Mÿvatn, a group of European twenty-somethings, and me, hobbling around with a cane due to severe osteoarthritis. It was a gorgeous day: Bright sunlight interspersed with rain-bearing clouds. A perfect day for rainbows. It was one of those days when one is likely to behold almost more beauty than a human being can stand.

Iceland does that to me. That’s one of the reasons I am bringing up these photographs from twelve years ago. The image of a place that is at once wild and beautiful keeps coming back to me. On a long bus ride along the famous Ring Road, one sees endless waterfalls cascading down from mountains and glaciers; and the changeableness of the weather makes rainbows frequent and spectacular. Sitting here in Westwood during the endless repetition of foggy mornings and hazy sunshine in the afternoon that is typical of L.A. spring weather, I yearn for the crystalline wide open spaces.

Soon. Soon.

The Falls at Dettifoss

The Falls at Dettifoss

Earlier on the same day that I shot the rainbow above, we visited Europe’s most powerful falls at Dettifoss along the Jökulsá á Fjöllum River, one of Iceland’s largest and longest.