Dog Mountain

Rafa had a plan to go fishing with Derrick last Saturday, So Bella and I decided to hike Dog Mountain in Washington State. It is a 7.1 mile hike that elevates to 2850 feet. Bella and I completed the hike in 4 hours. It was a steep incline for the entire way up because Bella and I chose the most difficult route. It was harder coming down though, since it puts a lot of pressure on the knees. I was certainly tired after the hike, but Bella was still rearing to go; the girl has so much energy! The hike was lovely; sparse and damp forest at the beginning, open, airy, and cold at the top, with fields of tiny flowers. Here are some shots:

At the beginning:



This is the view from near the top:



Small flower:



The last stretch before the summit:



Bella at the top : )

Viva Brasil

Brasilian Family....get ready! We are coming to Brasil!

Viva Brasil! Viva!

Rafa and I will be there from 11/22-11/28 : )

Saddle Mountain

Bella and I drove west yesterday morning to hike Saddle Mountain. The drive is about an hour and and a half from our house beginning with prairie lands and ending with rich lush forest. Beautiful. It is hard to find an unappealing area in Oregon to drive once you get past the urban areas. Even then, we have a such beautiful city. Anyhow, so we loaded up Summer with the essential hiking gear; water, food, and camera and turned on the Retro 80's Country music and put the pedal to the metal. Once we arrived, the hike is a 5.5 mile loop, with a gain in elevation of 1603 feet where you peak at 3283 feet. The climate varies along the way, at first brisk and damp, rich in vegetation, and then once you near the top it is dry, open, and hot (because you elevate above the clouds). It was a quiet day on the trail, which was great, and when we got to the top, Bella and I were the only ones; it was completely silent, with the exception of the few birds and some pesky flies.

This is after the first mile before you fully make your way out of the forest:



Rocky area towards the top:



Trail near the dry and open part of the trail:



A little life amongst the rocks:



At the top, nothing but clouds:

Peru Vacation

Well family and friends, as most of you know already, we made it. It was an incredible trip, one that we may never forget. While the journey was difficult, it was one of the most peaceful and joyful times in our life. We soon learned that the comforts of home, like sleeping in a bed, or sleeping at all, having a bathroom, and taking a shower were soon forgotten, and instead, the majestic of the simple life blossomed before our eyes. On the Inca Trail, we worked hard, shared some tears, felt the spirit of the mountains and the peoples from before, and realized how peaceful life can be in the midst of such a journey, surrounded by a time and place that will never cease to exist. Here is a recap of the entire trip:


IN TRANSIT:

Before we even left Portland!



Us at the Lima airport, TIRED!



Rafa sleeps at Lima airport, I couldn't do it, so I kept guard :)





CUSCO, PERU

Shanti Town for sure. I am not sure this is supposed to be an actual room to sleep, but here is our first hostel and that green sign is supposed to mean that the room is safe in case of an earthquake. Let's not bet on that!



View from one of the highest points:



Archaeological site in Cusco:



Mate de coca, to help with altitude sickness (which neither Rafa or I got)



Lunch at a little place in Cusco.



Hillside living in Cusco:



Hostel in Cusco on night after the trek ended, another little shanty town : )



On the drive to KM 82 (starting point for Inca Trail):



THE TREK:

Day One- Start of the Inca Trail (The Easy Day). Note: everyone is happy here : )



Love these animals:



The kitchen and the cook - food was incredible. We had steak, chicken, pasta, rice, stuffed avocados, cake, and sooo much soup. I ate better on the trek than I do at home.



Donkeys and ruins, they just hang out as if it was normal to be living on an actual Inca city!:



Rafa takes in the view on day one:



View from day 1:



The 1st Campsite, 4 tents (one for us, one for a family of three, one for the guide, and one for the kitchen and dining room):



Trying to sleep, very cold!



Day Two (The Difficult Day):

The hike up...this was 5 hours of straight incline hiking. The guide said for advice "Hike 30 minutes up, take a 5 minute break". Hahaha, funny. We ended up walking 1 minute, resting for 5. It was brutal, the picture does not give it justice.



We made it the top! 4200 meters, higher than Mt. Fuji!



And it was cold up there:



And once we reached the peak, we had to climb all the way back down, 2 hours. It never ends!



View from second day:



Sunset from where we camped on day 2:



Day Three (The Long Day - 9 Hours of hiking):

Rafa and I at archaeological site:



Porters - they were amazingly strong and very friendly.



View from Day 3:



Still day three, on the actual Inca Trail:



Hike down on Day 3, it was 2 hours like this, no joke. It was one of the most exhausting points of the trail because we had already hiked 7 hours at this point.



The trek group, the guide, and the porters on the last evening together, so sad:



Day Four:

Up at 350am to begin the final 2 hour hike into Machu Picchu before sunrise. At this point, we didn't care about the time.



Wanay Picchu at sunrise:



And we make it to Machu Picchu in one piece and with so much love!



Inca Ladies at Machu Picchu, nice photo Rafa!




AGUAS CALIENTES:

This is a little town that is the meeting point before we head back to Cusco, can you imagine living so close to Machu Picchu every day?





These were the natural hot springs pools where trekkers go to soak their bodies after a grueling 4 day trek. There are pebbles at the bottom of each pool for your feet. This is also where locals go to take showers and baths (in the running water, not the pools). I was a little grossed out at first, but then just went with it.



LIMA:

Housing in Miraflores (the nice part of the city):




Religious temple near Miraflores. As we were on the tour, excavators found actual pieces of clay pots. Really cool:



A little Alpaca friend:



Cloudy day along the Pacific Coast in Lima:



Rafa gets his first pedicure in Lima!




And finally, I wrote this poem about by experience during the trek:

I am born as the sun graces the infant sky
An Inca within me and a chance to begin
As the water flows like a God on earth
Streaming down by skin

The mountains as I pass
Paint the horizon with rich colors of grey
A color far to see in the distance
But easily discovered within my heart

Delicate winds pass through my soul
Hand and hand with the spirit and yet I cannot see
Carried along with these clouds
That embraces the earth with desire

The trail leads me to a peace not found in a land of familiar
Carved stones for eternity
Step by step
The power of the purity at my feet, I glide

And to the end the memory enriches my spirit
The destination passes, the journey remains
A soft glow of the moon remains
Until the sun may rise again tomorrow.