Field Trip

The field camps for Fundacion Cordillera Tropical are several hours from Cuenca via progressively rougher roads. When we reach an endpoint that the driver feels he or she will be able to exit from later, we abandon the truck and walk. I've become accustomed to hiking in diary boots out of necessity because there are many wide streams and muddy expanses in the paramos. We continued our journey for an hour more until we finaly arrived at Rumi Loma.

The camp consists of three dormitories, the main kitchen/livingroom building and a bathhouse. Why they space these buildings so far apart from each other on the hillside, is anyone's guess.

Our mission was to monitor the regrowth of plants after a burn. Catherine, the director, is first and foremost a scientist, and siezed the opportunity to collect data. There were 7 random, 100m transects, which we located with the help of a GPS. Every 10m she would place a 3x3m grid on the ground and identify and count the different species. I was the recorder. It's not real exciting work, but I did get to hike around the mountains for 3 days.

From a distance, this part of the Andes reminds me of eastern Washington; but up close the vegetation is very distinct and different from that area.

Although it rained hard every night, we lucked out with dry, cool days;

here's Rumi Loma in the distance (Catherine's the little dot in the foreground).

The last day, we measured the last transect, packed up our stuff (I had to leave the horse skull behind) and hiked up over the ridge (in our rubber boots) toward the other field camp, where the truck would be waiting to take us home.

Thanks to Body Pump (that's an exercise class, guys), I could squat down with a full backpack to take this photo of tiny lichen.

Luckily, Patricio (the field tech) met us halfway down the other side and took our packs. After that, the trail was approximately a 22% grade with 6-12 inches of slippery mud. It was like skiing through slush, and wouldn't have been nearly as much fun with a fully loaded backpack.

"I wonder who those two furless creatures were?"

"All I know is it's creepy how they walk on their back legs."

"Don't look now, guys, but the yellow one is pointing a shiny box at us."