Day 08 - Monday, March 23, 2015 - Osorno Volcano Hike; Explore Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park; Visit the Petrohue Waterfalls
We woke up to 54 degrees and 96% humidity. After we had bragged on the weather, there was a thick fog and we could hardly see across the street. James was our driver again and Pillar continued as our local guide.
Christian told us the sunny days were great for tourism, but 20 days without rain is treacherous for the land. There are currently many wildfires in Chile. As we continued through the day the smoky haze got worse.
Pillar showed us a map of our travels for the day. She also discussed the weather and suggested by noon we would see the sun.
We drove northeast through the Lago (Lake) Region. There are over 300 volcanoes in Chile as well as geothermal hot springs. When Teddy Roosevelt came to visit, he advocated the area for the first National Park.
By 9:00 the sun had burned through the fog. We could see the Osorno Volcano reflected on Lake Llanquihue. We stopped at Bella Vista Ranch for a view of the volcano and the animals of the ranch.
Although the sun was behind the peak, it was an impressive view. We also saw the Chilean hummingbird, small red deer, llama, and an emu.
When we reached the town of Ensanada, we walked through a small mall, and then we came to the Petrohue Waterfalls site. There was an opportunity to use the restrooms. Our walk was a 45-minute loop to learn more about the Valdivian Evergreen Rain Forest environment.
Fall is a gorgeous time in the Lake Region and we took advantage of the morning to revel in deep green forest with the smell of dry autumn. The basalt from the volcano has intrusions of iron and copper.
Basalt is not very conducive to plant growth. Over the years, lichens, moss, and other small plants have taken hold in the cracks of the rocks. Seeds from larger trees have sprouted.
The Southern Beech that is a pioneer tree is one of the first to grow back after an eruption. Their roots are shallow because they cannot penetrate the basalt.
Therefore, they are very susceptible to wind damage. When the wind uproots them and they fall to the forest floor, more light is available for the smaller plants and by their decomposition more organic material is laid down to make soil.
We hiked to the falls to take photographs. Because this is not only the dry season, but also there has been no rain for over 20 days, the falls were running very low.
James was waiting to take us to the small village of Petrohue where we met Alex Kuschel. Alex took us across the river to his home to meet his wife Rosita and their daughter Javiera.
We enjoyed having lunch with them and being able ask them questions about their remote life on the river. The Kuschel family has owned the land for generations long before the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park was developed.
After our big lunch we drove to the base of the Osorno Volcano at about 2:00. Twelve of us began the steep hike to the first crater. Three decided not to go to the end of the trail and went back to the base camp with Pillar.
The wind was strong at almost 52 mph but it was warm. The challenge was the volcanic dust that was blowing in our faces. When we made it to the crest of the trail we went down to the rim of a secondary crater so Christian could take our photo.
Coming back down was like walking on marbles. It was much more difficult than the ascending hike. Christian and seven of us made it down the volcano at 4:30. It had been a long tough hike but Pillar told us to reach the snow-capped peak of 8,701 feet it would have taken eight more hours.
It was almost 6:00 by the time we returned to Puerto Varas. Dinner was on our own. As we had had a large lunch, we opted to go to the local grocery store and buy fruit and cheese.
The evening was ours to have our snack, finish the journal, pick the five most representative photos, and to pack to leave in the morning’s departure to Chiloé Island.
Accommodations: Solace Hotel - - - Meal: B & L
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Christian Vera
Post a Comment!Oh my word - what a day!!! I wasn't aware how desperate this land needs a lot of rain. Your day was described just like I was there, and I had to get up to dust off several times. LOL I know the shower felt good after writing your journals, & before retiring to bed. TTYL.
Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.
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