Snow Dragon is comfortably anchored in Lonafjordur, surrounded by waterfalls and green, snow patched mountains. Lonafjordur is one of five fjords just north of Isafjorudr, known as Jokulfirdir or glacier fjords. This area is one of the most spectacular places to sail and hike in Iceland. Our friend David joined us in Isafjordur and after he got settled we took off for Jokulfirdir. The 20 mile sail across was lively according to David. The wind was variable until we neared the mouth of the fjords when it suddenly increased to 20-25 knots. With the wind blowing straight out of the mouth of Jokulfirdir, we decided to stop at Hesteyrarfjordur, the first fjord in the group.
In the morning we went to shore to inspect an old whaling station and were shyly greeted by two harbor seals as we made our way to the rocky beach. Walking was easy, there was a gentle trail that led along grass covered cliffs with the occasional deep patch of mud that needed to be avoided. The area had not been grazed for years and flowers were abundant.
Old Whaling Station
The station had a strong presence with its tall brick tower and large number of foundations. Unlike other whaling stations that we have seen, this one did not have a sad feel to it. There was very little evidence of whalebone, only scattered bits of machinery and we wonder if it was operational when use of the entire whale was enforced.We returned to the beach and found the harbor seals hauled out on exposed rocks. They watched us get into our dinghy and begin to motor back before diving back into the water and disappearing.
The conditions were right for us to move when we got back to Snow Dragon and we decided to make our way to Lonafjordur. It ended up being a perfect sail and Frances was able to prep dinner as we tacked up the fjord. We kept our tacks short and an eye on the depth sounder once we entered Lonafjordur, which is uncharted. With the steady wind, we did not bring in the sails until were ready to anchor. We were quickly able to find a suitable spot with excellent holding and good protection.
This morning David and Frances took off for an extensive hike of the area. They followed a trail up a valley to a lake and pass overlooking Horn on the other side before setting off on their own route across a mountain ridge to one of the higher peaks in the vicinity. There was enough snow to indulge in a poly-bagging run but not enough to tempt Frances to take her skis. Six hours later they were ready to be retrieved and were happy to find that Krystina had been productive, baking a fruit bread coffee cake while they were away.
Just as we were finishing our tea and second slice of cake, Frances thought she heard a person calling but figured it was just an eider duck making noise until the sound continued. She poked her head outside and found that the voice was coming from a kayaker that had come over to see the boat. He was part of a group of four Americans on a kayak tour with an Icelandic guide. We invited everyone on board for cake and a warm drink. It took a bit of coordination for them to get out of their kayaks on onto Snow Dragon without ending up in the water but everyone was able to make it without going for a swim. We sat around the cockpit exchanging itineraries and laughing about running into each other in one of Iceland's more remote areas.
Kayakers Using The Dinghy To Get Out Of Their Kayaks
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