An aptly-named cloud forest
Trip Start
Sep 10, 2006
1
40
59
Trip End
??? ??, 2007
Gracias,
Honduras
Thursday, December 14, 2006
12/11- We had a relaxing morning and then took a walk out to some ¨hot¨ springs. It was about an hour and a half walk along the road to get to the springs. We paid and then felt the water, this was our mistake. The water was luke warm at best. We were told there were some other pools up the river a bit, so we walked up to them. They turned out to be just a bit warmer but more crowded also it was another set of pools entirely. With a separate entrance fee, so we went back to the ones we paid for and sat in the tepid water for a bit and then made the walk back to town. The area itself was beautiful but the pools were not all that great, I guess we are both spoiled when it comes o good hot springs
01 On the way up
. Back in town we figured out how to get up tho the park, bought some camping food and did some errands. Exciting I know. 12/12 - This morning we waited on the corner for the school bus to pick us up. I felt like I was back in school. We got a ride most of the way to N.P. Celaque from in a bus for a bilingual environmental school for local kids. Sounds like a very cool school. Walked the rest of the way to the park entrance and visitors center, this was just an empty building with two guys sitting out side of it. The trail was very steep and it was misting and raining all day, but the hike was through a great tropical pine forest. So green and dense very cool. Pine and palm forest a cool combination. I was thinking how hard it would be to teach forest ecology here, there are hundreds of different types of trees unlike the forest were we have been teaching were there are 8 or so. From the visitors center to our camp site we gained 2,100 feet, good hike. There was a very dilapidated cabin that we camped next to. We got here early in the afternoon and decided not to go to the next site, which turned out to be a great decision. We set up camp just before the rain started so we got in and chilled with our book and cards. Cooked some pasta for dinner and relaxed after a great day.
12/13- Another great (not really) breakfast of oatmeal and we were off on our day hike. Today we gained 2,640 ft in elevation and topped of at 9,405 feet
02 Our wet camp site
. Just a bit higher then were we lived in Keystone Colorado. The hike today was very wet but very amazing we crossed into the cloud forest and everything was greener and lusher and mossier than below. Very pretty. The trail was very steep and some pulling ourselves up with the help of tree roots was involved. We were very glad we did not have to do this with our big packs on. We got to the top and saw nothing, we were completely socked in. We knew this would most likely be the case but it still was a bummer. Had some lunch and headed down. Steep and slippery on the way down made slow going. By the time we got back to our site our boots were completely waterlogged and our feet swimming. Chilled for awhile to rest up before cooking some soup and mashed potatoes in the rain. It was a great day we both love hiking in this type of environment! The cloud forest is so cool!12/14- Oatmeal again. We really need to find a new breakfast to cook while camping. We packed up right as it started to rain and headed down the mountain with wet cloths and soggy boots. We descended by another trail to see some views which of course were fogged in. We hiked all the way back to town, which was quite a hike. Got back to the hotel pulled our boots of and relaxed. Our room looked like a disaster area with all of our camping gear spread out to dry.
What a great few days hiking in the Celaque National Park
