¡Vida verde!
El Yunque is the most spectacular mountain I have seen in my life. I have lived in mountains all of my life in West Virginia, yet they do not even compare to the massive expanse that sits in the middle of Puerto Rico. I have been staying on the beach just outside of Rio Grande for the last two weeks. Conveniently located across the street from the end of my road is Portal del Yunque. In less than 20 minutes, I go from a location that receives 1500mm of rain per year to the rainforest which receives 4000 mm yearly.
This forest is commonly known as El Yunque (Joon-Kay), which comes from a Spanish approximation of the aboriginal Taíno word yu-ke which means "white lands". It is obvious why they would call it that, you will almost always see giant white clouds resting on the top of the mountain. The highest mountain peak in the forest rises 3,494 feet (1,065 m) above sea level. As I was on my way to reach the top, I was halted by construction and unable to proceed. Luckily the entire national forest was not closed, but much of it was.
La Coca Falls
Where the road to the peak closed, I was able to park and walk just a few feet to view this magnificent waterfall. I have seen quite a few waterfalls in my time. This one may not be the biggest, but it is still pretty huge. I will say that it is the most beautiful one that I have seen. The vivid greens that surround the dark rocks provide a lovely contrast. Combine that with the sound of the water, the clarity of the high altitude air, and you have the recipe for solitude.
The view from the highest point I was able to reach was insane!
Angelito Hiking Trail
After I left the waterfall, I went towards the only hiking trail that I knew was open. On the way I stopped to see an area full of rocks and flowing water.
A few minutes later I arrived at Angelito. Parked my car, got out, then set off on the short hike.
I noticed that there was a sign that said the trail was partially closed, I went forth anyway due to the fact that I already drove all the way to it.
Almost immediately upon entering, I noticed lots of work in progress projects. Many tools were lying around.
Some work had already been completed, I guess this is why this trail was open unlike many of the others.
Instead of talking about it, I will show you more of what I saw on the trail.
Dead end, I came to the fallen bridge. It looks to be well on its way to being rebuilt.
The hike back was uphill, so it was a bit more strenuous. This was nothing compared to my kayaking experience the other night.
Thankfully I was wearing my favorite shoes, they are the best for hikes. It feels like you are barefoot, but you still get protection.
Beauty Remains
Despite the fact that there was catastrophic damage at El Yunque less than a year ago, it still stands tall. I would love to visit again one day when it is closer to 100%. For now I am happy that I was able to witness what was available. After all of this adventure I was ready to refuel, considering I had been fasting since the evening prior.
Check out what I feasted on afterwards. It was all locally sourced food!
Click the banner to visit my blog about the meal after the adventure.
@daltono
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