My Hike through the Mountains

There is a chain of mountains that runs right next to the city and the part the runs next to the city is apart of a National Park. Every time I walk around town you can see the mountain chain and in particular one fairly tall part of it that is about 5 minutes from our apartment. I decided that my mission is to find a direct path from the city to the top. My landlord was the director of the National Park for 30 years and his son is now the director. I called the son and asked him about any dangers I might face trying to get to the top and other than snakes there were no serious threats. He also told me that a group was going to the top last Saturday and I was invited. Thinking that it was a group of park rangers, I got very excited because I could scour the mountains with experienced people. I called him Friday night just to make sure that I had everything I needed and I learned that 160 High School students were going as well and that a bus was leaving at 8:00 in the morning out in front of our apartment. Really confused I got up at 8:00, caught the bus and on the bus I met Al Yates with the Peace Corp who just came to the city as well. Al told me that the mayor was opening a new trail and they wanted as many people to be there as they could to celebrate.

The busses took us on a 40 minute trip to the top of the National Park and we were dropped off on a dirt road and then left. This dirt road lead us past the open pasture that you see in the picture and to a mountain house. It is basically a house with no electricity that they keep in the National Parks for events such as this. We were served lunch our first stop would be a 300 yard long cave that they had open to the public. It was big and worthy of the 20 minute hike from the house up an over a small ridge. After Al and I got out of the cave we headed back over the ridge and waited on the other side and take some pictures.

Hiking a little bit faster than everyone else we asked some people where the new trail was located so we could head on over. After 3 people scratched their head we knew were in the wrong place and hiked back over the ridge to the cave. After meeting the director he told us that the trail continued on after the cave and went down to small village where we could catch a bus on its route, but the group had already left. We were able to double time it and catch up to the group. The key point in the trip took place in the picture below.

The trail hit the road after about 2 hours and the road that goes to the left is the one that goes to the village and the one that goes to the right is a 25 kilometer (16 mile) trail all the way back to the town which we left this morning (yes if you squint you can see it right on the lake)! Well that is the way we went. So after many many many hours of unexpected hiking, Al and I finally made it back to town. Although it went not as expected, it was a fun trip full of beautiful pictures and good conversation ;).