Day 12 – Vorsabæ to Laugarvatn (campground or Tjaldsvæði) via the Golden Circle – 58 miles
Had a lovely stay at the farm apartment on the Golden Circle off route 30, about 10 minutes or so northeast of Selfoss. The weather brightened nicely, low 50s by the time we wander outside, with a light wind.
Only two nights left on the road. We plan on visiting highlights along the eastern side of the Golden Circle today on a short route, less than 100mi. A short day is intentional. With good weather forecast, we want to find and set up camp early as a base and dry the gear.
We discussed the F35 to Kjölur in the central highlands. Our host, also a tour guide, says the road surface is good with no river crossings, just potholes. But Steve’s front tire is getting thin and therefore more susceptible to rock punctures. We’ll evaluate later.
We pack up, saying goodbye to our host and the dogs, and take off for Geysir, the namesake for all other geysirs. We watch the plume of steam at the predicted time with the other tourists ringing the area and head back to where we parked the bikes at the info centre. While I pick up an Icelandic wool hat for Christina and some windproof gloves for me, Warren and Steve notice Warren’s bike has a flat rear tire. We see nothing obvious as source for the leak and the sidewalls look undamaged. Though we each carry air pumps, Steve of course has his ready to hand and fills it, hoping it’ll hold up to Gullfoss and deal with it in camp. It does.
Gullfoss is beautiful and short hike in. Again bikes allow us to park pretty close to the trail. It’s larger than some of the other waterfalls we’ve seen and its proximity to the Golden Circle and therefore Reykjavík make it a crowded tourist destination. We then look for a campsite. Geysir has a basic and crowded one with no pool or hot spring within walking distance, so we opt for Laugarvatin which has the Fontana Baths, a rather posh spa with beer and buffet, a short walk away. We set up camp at the buggy site and notice a nice hostel nearer the baths. We book that for the following night, our last night on the road, so we can ensure the gear is dry for the two week passage back to the US. It would get terribly mildewy if anything was remotely damp before packing it in the container.
In camp, we turn our attention to Warren’s rear tire. We find a small metal chip between the tread blocks and fix it with the tire plugs we all carry. Of course, Steve has the trick gear with a “gun” used to place and seat the plug. Given how small that was and how thin the other GS front tire is, we decide against the F35 on our last day. It’s too close to the end, we’re feeling cautious, and to be candid I think we’re all feeling a bit tired at this point. I can feel the low energy level and note how short my journal entry is for today.
Weather holds and we have rehydrated food in camp that night. We plan a short ride around the Circle tomorrow, checking into the hostel early, and spending the rest of the afternoon at the spa.
It’s our last night on the ground…