The Path of Totality
On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will sweep a narrow arc across the northern reaches of our planet, moving from near the North Pole and continuing down across Iceland and the North Atlantic into Europe. The West Fjords will be within the "path of totality".
A total solar eclipse (TSE) is one of the experiences we share with every human before us. A total solar eclipse is a rare event, recurring somewhere on Earth every 18 months on average, yet is estimated to recur at any given location only every 360–410 years on average.
One particular place in the world in 2026 that can provide an extraordinary viewing experience is Iceland, and more specifically the West Fjords, and even more specially, a certain place in the West Fjords. While Iceland’s weather may seem daunting due to its propensity for cloudiness and precipitation, understanding its complex meteorological pieces offers hopeful prospects for observers aiming to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of a total solar eclipse.
We will be there for it, in the West Fjords, having ridden 707 miles across Iceland. We will take 19 days of bikepacking across the land of fire and ice, from East to West, arriving at Svalvogaviti in the West Fjords August 10. We will be riding bicycles designed and built at the University of Iowa.
Our expedition aims to recover an awareness of deep time— planetary awareness— humans as animals— a sense of being in a particular place for a primordial event.
A select group of students from the University of Iowa and the University of North Dakota will meet with the team in the southern highlands at Thórsmörk and then at Svalvogaviti. Thórsmörk is a mountain ridge in Iceland that was named after the Norse god Thor (Þór) and is situated in the south of Iceland between the glaciers Tindfjallajökull and Eyjafjallajökull. Students will image through art and science, the complex blending of land and atmosphere and adventure.
Fingers crossed, per team member Aaron Kennedy, we will launch a high-altitude balloon equipped with specialized sensors to collect data pre-eclipse and post-eclipse (we just need to get a tank of helium to the site)
The photo is from the Central Highlands in 2022, riding North to South across Iceland.
We have a big project to accomplish. We are at the proposal phase, fine tuning the route, logistics and partnerships.