The outer fringes

4 Enero 2020

Day eighteen, we’ve finally found ourselves at points I’ve been dreading. Our first day at the reserve, we had asked a couple of the rangers about some of the points to get insight on what we’ve gotten ourselves into. When we showed them the points on the Las Cuervas property, they both laughed at the thought of hiking over there. Becca and I knew they needed to get done, but I, for one, was nervous about getting around.

Our goal was to set lines in three of the four trees. We knew the first tree would be relatively easy to get to, but for the others, we would be following property lines and hoping for the best. Shawn gave us a ride through Camarones and as close as a car could get to the points, cutting off a few kilometers of hiking. The first tree was easy enough to get to and we set a line and took off to the other two points.

There was a clear trail to follow, but the trail went up at nearly a 45-degree angle for a distance.

We started below the palms and climbed up to the tree line

We only had the equipment to set a line with us, so the hike was a warmup for what was soon to come. We managed to hike to the other two trees but were running out of time to set a line in either since we had a ride picking us up in the evening. 

If anything, we both are determined to finish these trees in as few days as possible. 

Miles hiked: 6.96

PB&Js eaten: 75

Day nineteen, we returned to the agricultural site. Since we visited the tree on the first day of the year, it was dubbed: new year, new tree (just imagine an excessive amount of New Year's resolution themed jokes and you'll know what Becca had to deal with that day). This was the first tree we attempted to set a line without the Big Shot because it was relatively short. For half an hour, we tried chucking the weight bag over the limbs. No dice. We would have to use our old..."friend" the Big Shot.

The branch Becca climbed in was stable enough that we had a dance break in the canopy.

Nothing but smiles while in a tree!

Now it was time to find the mystery point. Following the property-line was the suggestion. Most of the time, that is easier said than done. That was certainly our situation. As we approached the property line, we glanced to our left and could see the trail descending into the depths of overgrowth.

I think we both screamed a little internally before beginning to hack our way down.  It wasn't too long before the fence and trail vanished. Yet there were still 200 meters to travel.

However, we could see a game trail to a creek.

New plan: follow the creek bed. Before long, we were pleasantly surprised! We walked up to a perfect tree for climbing. A lot of birds were active in the area and the climb was very nice.

Up in the canopy!

To get back, we decided to find a new path. Along the creek, another walking path existed. This trail was much more pleasant. It was a relief to end the day knowing our next visit would not be as painstaking. 

Miles hiked: 3.49

PB&Js eaten: 79

Day twenty; both of us were dreading this day. We would be hiking up what we dubbed as Hell’s hill with all the equipment and it had rained the night before so there was a possibility that the trail would be muddy. In preparation for the difficult day, we both messaged loved ones requesting fun stories/jokes/etc to read on the satellite phone afterward.

Fortunately, the day was not as bad as anticipated. We switchbacked up to reduce the strain on our ankles. Although the hike was long, it was not what we had built up in our heads. We carried on to the furthest tree and the installation went without a hitch.

If you look closely, you can see Becca in the tree

The tree was subsequently named ‘Why can’t it just be flat?’ to reflect our feelings about the hike out (and all hikes here).

We were a little late in the day, but Becca and I did not want to hike up to those sites again, so we prepared to set the line in the next tree.

Do you see how far down that is??

Installation went as planned and though we were running a little behind our scheduled pick up time, I was insanely proud of what we accomplished.

Smiles as we bid this hike adieu

As far as physical exhaustion, this day was on par with our 13-hour day. We both slept very hard that night.

Miles hiked: 5.81

PB&Js eaten: 83

Day twenty-one, we both were hopeful we would complete installation this day. The only points left were in agriculture and were mostly trailed.

Of course, we did not think to grab a key to get into the Finca. So, we awkwardly climbed over the gate.

The first tree had great connectivity and was short enough we could lanyard up. This saved the time and trouble of setting a climbing line.

The downside of being in agriculture - ticks. Ticks everywhere. At one point I looked down at my pants to see hundreds of tiny ticks crawling around. Even though Ecuador is not known to have many tick-borne diseases, it was still a horrifying sight.

Not even mangoes are sacred to ticks

Despite the ticks, we finished tree number 20. Becca quickly got the station installed. With that, we had done it! All 20 CAIPs were up! Both of us were too tired in that instant for the gravity of the situation to sink in, but it is an amazing accomplishment! I can't believe it!

Now to ensure everything is working.

Miles hiked: 5.67

Total mileage: 116.9

PB&Js eaten: 87

CAIPs Installed: 20