Missouri Howell is a well-known outdoorman, blogger, and social media personality from the great Show-Me-State. Recently, he's backpacked the Ice Age Trail, traveled Arch 2 Arch for the National Parks hundredth birthday, and explored portions of Utah during the 2016 Uintas Hike. In 2014, he was kind enough to share a personal story about his time in the Ozarks for my yearly "Tales of Backcountry Terror" that I feature during Halloween, and this year, he's back with yet another story about the Ozark region. Be sure to check out his website, or his social media channels after reading the story to see more of his great content!
Iceland's Abandoned Farmhouses
It is without question that Iceland is the land of ice, snow, and beautiful wilderness expanses. But what people do not know about Iceland is that it is also a land where myth and magic intersect with reality. While Iceland is a sophisticated modern country, it is also a place where long-held traditional beliefs about fairies, ghosts, and elves (Huldufólk – “hidden people”) are still accepted and believed. While there are numerous Icelandic tales that are still believed, the strongest beliefs are reserved for the Huldufólk. Even through the twentieth century, and into the twenty-first century, road construction has been diverted – or altered to avoid disturbing the Huldufólk. While such beliefs may seem odd to many people, all one has to do is journey outside of Reykjavik in order to see that Iceland is a place where such things could exist.