Day 15, April 16th: Today we hiked Mt. Etna to 5,800 feet. It was amazing, exhilarating, and a beautiful experience.
The clouds over Mt. Etna cleared just in time for our visit.
There are unique birch trees that have one root and are only found at the foothills of Mt. Etna. They are Betulla aetnensis. See:https://epod.usra.edu/…/betulla-aetnensis-on-mount-etna…
Our group hiked on the lava sand to the top of a dome. It was actually snowing sideways when we were at the top with wind gusts of 25 to 30 mph. Notice the person, not from our group, at the top.
Peter on the ascent. Mary was wearing six layers on top, two hoodies, with hat and gloves. It was nippy, but exhilarating.
There is a lava bomb hole that is 17 feet deep.
There are many vineyards at the base of Mt. Etna. They say the volcanic sand is very fertile.