LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk Winter 2017

LOCALadk Magazine

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58 Winter 2017 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk Elves most commonly live among rocks in the lava fields; to disrupt their habitat is disrespectful and could bring mis- fortune. Construction projects sometimes require an Elf ex- pert to help determine the exact location of Elfin villages. Recently a massive boulder of 30 tons thought to be an Elf church was, at great expense, relocated so the construction of a road could be completed. Trolls too are an elusive being. It is believed they only come out after dark. Should they be caught by daylight, folklore says they'll be turned to stone… This seems a fitting expla- nation for the many odd-shaped rocks materializing out of the frequent coastal mists. While the remaining 50 percent of Icelanders don't not be- lieve in such lore, as Captain Siggi says, "I may not see Elves and Trolls while I'm out in the mountains, but their existence can't be categorically denied." The storm outside is still going strong, so we resign our- selves to card games and pull-up contests. After several hours under deck, the confined quarters feel claustropho- bic and ever yone is restless. Despite the choppy water and impending squalls, Siggi agrees to Zodiac us to shore. Our group is made up of Northeasterners and Alaskans and it is quickly apparent that we have a high tolerance for cold, wet, less-than-ideal conditions. Not a single person complains about the weather or the general discomfort of skinning up- hill while being battered by ice pellets and wind. Rocks poke through the thin snowpack in inconvenient places. We ski past them and over them and no one complains about this either. As we ski higher, the already limited visibility diminishes and now we're navigating purely by GPS. We want to make it to the top of the pass so that we can ski down an adja- cent couloir, but the trail-breaking and navigating are slow going. Then Siggi calls on the radio – we should come back; he's concerned the seas might get too rough for the Zodiac to retrieve us. We transition to downhill mode and I take the lead for our retreat. Our uphill track has already vanished and with- out definition in the snow I make one turn and fall flat on my face. Whiteout skiing is like being blind, or skiing in ut- ter darkness – except that it's white and vertiginous. When I stand up I tr y wiping my goggles off, hoping they were the

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