Really Cold Things = Really Cool Things. Glaciers in Nordjord.

Now that we've tackled fjords, mountains, and waterfalls, let's move onto glaciers. They are everywhere in west-central Norway, and I imagine they only get bigger and sexier the further north you go. People just love gawking at these snow smushed monstrosities, including myself. It keeps my ego in check when I think about the destructive power glaciers have- they literally carve the earth and rock using nothing but patience and pressure. Plus, the ice is punch full of science and things valuable to our earth's existence. 

Get this: Norway has a glacier lab located under the Svartisen glacier in northern Norway, somewhere above the arctic circle. The lab is seven hundred feet underground and the 30-40 foot long tunnels were created using nothing but fancy hot water. Six insanely brave scientists study things like the rising sea-levels, seismic activity, and mineral composition, which is literally a historic map of the earth's formation. Can you imagine?! It's like the ultimate field trip for my kids. But since that isn't really feasible, I plan to take them to the U.S. National Ice Core Lab instead, during our next visit to Colorado. And since I've announced it on the blog, I am committed. Here, they store ice samples in really cool metal canisters to perform studies of similar nature and they offer tours which have to be booked well in advance. 

Anyway. The Briksdal Glacier is very accessible, it is hikeable in under an hour or you can buy a ticket to ride a mini-truck up. You get sprayed by waterfalls, entertained by fat goats, and there plenty of giant rocks for kids to climb on. Plus, it's kind of pretty, and I got to spend some "quiet time" throwing rocks in the water. For those who want more hiking, the Briksdal area has tons of other trails both easy and technical. Unfortunately for us, tummies rumbled and I got outvoted on taking a picnic lunch to tide us over between hikes. 

Approaching the Briksdal Glacier 

Kleivafossen (fossen = waterfall) on the way up.

Briksdal Glacier and runoff (seriously- no filter used)

My tribe.

Bevatnet Glacier, a random stop off as we drove south-ish.

Swimming in glacial run-off is cold.
Where's my trophy?