Costa Rica: 24 Oct - 4 Nov

Heavy rains across the Pacific side have resulted in massive flooding. The geomorphologist in me is excited about the quantity of water and sediment that is moving. Footage is amazing. But the loss of life puts a grey shadow on it. In Turriabla where I am living there has been heavy rain, but no flooding.

I left off my last blog by announcing that I was spending the day rafting the Pacuare River.

For those that don't know -- this is the river I hope to do my PhD dissertation research on. The day was fantastic ........ and I was reminded why I want to study these rivers. Their dynamic nature and intense beauty make my soul happy happy happy.

Me -- in the Rio Pacuare

boulder/cobble bar (RB) -- size and composition variety - Rio Pacuare

Waterfall tributary-- Rio Pacuare

Class 2-4+ rapids on the Rio Pacuare (I'm front right .. photo taken by rafting company)

Oct 25-29 -- Spanish language classes. Geomorph reading.

Oct 26 -- zip line and waterfall repelling in the mountains near Turrialba.

Getting my "safety instructions"

Friend Nate coming into the platform on the zip-line

Getting soaked repelling 60 ft waterfall. This was SO FUN!!!!

Oct 31 -- Just a regular day here in CR ..... as they don't celebrate Hallow's Eve.

Nov 1 - Nov 4:
I have found a groove in my weekly routine. Up by 5:15am with the sunshine and the chorus of birds that seems to always greet the day (rain or shine). A quick breakfast with my Tia Gerri because I have to walk to my bus stop to catch a 6am bus into the town of Turrialba. At this time of day there are many school children and workers on the busses -- very enjoyable. Then I walk to my school about 3km south of town, switch into clothes and go for a run through the botanical gardens of CATIE. I take a shower at the school before classes begin (8-12:30). My bus back up the mountain leaves at 3pm -- this gives me time to eat lunch, walk into town, and do a few errands.
Homework and hang time with my tica family is how I generally fill my evenings.
Photos of my Turrialba life:

Housemates:

Angela (madre) and Nico (7 wks) at our casa.

Gerri (gramma) and Nico at our casa

School:

Bench in the botanical garden at CATIE where I do homework.

Turrialba:

Farmer's food market on Friday and Saturday near down town. One the most incredible food markets I have ever seen. This fertile valley with high elevation slopes near the Caribe produce almost everything under the sun.

Logging truck in downtown Turrialba. I have seen more than one of these trucks with huge trees on them.

Sunrise from the balcony of my bedroom -- looking across Turrialba valley towards Volcan Chirripo.

Downtown Turrialba on a clear morning. YES -- that "cloud" attached to the mountain in the background is steam and gas being emitted 24/7 from active Vocan Turrialba. My house is about 10 km up the volcanoe from this stop sign.

I have become quite attached to the town of Turrialba. There are no McDonalds or any such touristy influences here.

Heading to the Caribe coast for the weekend -- visit family. Stay tuned for more pictures soon.

Costa Rica -- las semanas primeras (the first weeks)

Departed Portland International Airport -- October 12, 2010 at 5:45 am.

The sun was setting as I entered Costa Rican airspace.
Smooth sailing all the way to my hotel in San Jose, CR from Portland OR.

I spent 4 nights in San Jose at the lovely Hotel Aranjuez (I highly recommend it for San Jose travelers). While in SJ I met with the director of the Central American School of Geology, and the engineer and design manager for the Reventazon hydro-project of ICE (Costa Rica's national electricity and communication company). All meetings went well!

My family fun connections were with uncle Jim and aunt Jo who were in the city to see dentists/doctors and get supplies not available in their neck of the woods. It was beyond fantastic having some hang out time with the two of them. I also crossed paths at the hotel with a friend I had met previously in CR who is dealing with litigation to reclaim his mother's properties that were taking nefariously by her Costa Rican lawyer (ick .... what a mess). Nice to catch up on his story and to have good company for breakfast at the hotel.

I shuffled my way via collectivo bus to the town of Turrialba on Saturday (Oct 16) and found my way via taxi to what will be my new home for the next 2 months.

My Turrialba home (on the left side of the photo) coffee farms and the Turrialba Valley below.

Mi casa nueva is located 9-10 km outside of the town of Turrialba along the steep fertile flanks of Volcan Turrialba. The people that own the house I am renting a room from are incredible! The food is beyond delicious and my situation is completely comfortable. I couldn't imagine a better place to have landed. The only inconvenience is that the limited bus schedule way up here requires that I leave at 6am and then have to spend a few hours in town after school before catching my bus home at 3pm.

The weather up in the cloud forest where my casa is located ranges from thick drippy fog to lighting and thunder to clear sunny skies to pounding rain (usually all in the same day). We are high enough up the volcano that there are virtually no mosquitoes -- too cold at night -- and I am sleeping with 2-3 blankets every night.

My current room with a view in my CR home.

Needless to say, the view from the house (and my room) is amazing. It looks south across the vast valley of Turrialba and the coffee farms of the foothills.

AEC Spanish Language School - CATIE, Turrialba

Every week day Monday - Friday (8am - noon) I attend Spanish language class at the AEC School located on the beautiful CATIE campus just 3km south of the town of Turriabla. I usually walk to school from town as my bus schedule gets me there in plenty of time. The teachers are quite good and personable and I have enjoyed the other students. It is the slow season so there were only 5 students at the school my first week (2 medical doctors and 2 university students -- all fulfilling language credits). In my class there was only one other student.

Today (Oct 24) I raft the rio Pacuare. Just a one-day trip but it will feel great to be on the river. Keep posted for pictures!

The Hill -- Oct 2010

Spent last weekend (Oct 9-10) at The Hill celebrating mom and dad's birthdays. The new annual tradition is to help dad get in wood for the winter. Of course, he kicked our asses -- even though it was his 69th B-day. Gabby, Steve, myself and friends Chris D and Arial had a fabulous time getting dirty in the woods with dad while Missy, Griffin, India and mom did cabin-based adventures (pumpkin carving; cooking; Halloween costume making; etc). Damn! life can be so good sometimes.Gab taking a turn on the splitting mal.


Dad bucking up the smaller wood before it's loaded into the truck.

Cabling the bigger stuff up the slopes to the road.

Major highlight: Discovering a coastal Pacific Giant Salamander in the forest. What an incredible creature!

Southwest Adventure -- WEEK 3

Week Three ......... and it felt like it was only just beginning!
I had made it to my eastern-most destination of Cortez/Mancos, Colorado.
Click on the photos for a larger image view

Sept 24: MESA VERDE! I had wanted to stand amongst these Ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings since I was 12 years old. This was the day! Chris and I woke early to meet up with friends and head into the park to explore ruins and petroglyphs. No words (nor photos) can really describe it. The size and number of cliff dwellings that are spread out amongst the high sandstone cliffs was impressive (to say the least). VERY COOL.We were back to town by dusk so that Chris could make the street performance gig with the band (Vixen) that she and her brother Mike play in. the music was grand and it kicked off the annual hot air balloon festival -- which led into late night merriment and silliness for all.

Sept 25: Apple picking in the morning, garden lounging, and talking/laughing with friends and family this day. FYI, I adore the Rasmussen clan and have adopted you all.In the evening was another "Vixen" performance at the old opera house in Mancos. We, of course, all attended.
Sept 26th: After a grand family breakfast and packing up I started the first leg of my trek westward. First stop -- Newspaper Rock and Canyon Lands National Park, Needles area.
Newspaper Rock petroglyphs.

Ran into co-traveler Scott C again just before entering the park.

Afternoon hike across the red rock to Squaw Canyon where we found a high point amongst the many misshapen sandstone pinnacles and mesas. The objective -- finding a suitable location to view the sunset. But the stars and moon that joined us on the night walk back across the desert stole the show.

Sept 27th: Canyonlands (day 2) Hiked into Peekaboo Spring down Salt Creek. An entire day alone in the desert ..... ahhhhhh. Insane landscapes; pictographs; cliff dwellings; coyote and bear tracks in the sand next to mine; quick sand; and precious vast solitude.Made it to Moab before dark and found a campsite along the Colorado River off Rd 128.

Sept 28th: Stopped by a truly fantastic bookstore in Moab to say hello to a friend of a friend. If you, or anyone you know, is ever in Moab you MUST stop at Arches Book Co and Back of Beyond Books. It is the best! They are locally owned and have everything we book appreciators could ask for from local/regional geology and guide books to best sellers (new and used). And the owners are great people.Since in Moab -- I unloaded the mountain bike to ride the Slick Rock trail. I was surprised at how such a short trail (only 12 miles) could literally kick my ass (rated physically and technically difficult). I had so much fun I can't even describe it. Sadly, I did not have my camera with me ....... pooh, no pics (see this link for info/images).

Another campsite on the Colorado River for the night, but this time I was off Rd 279 -- near petroglyphs and trial heads of interest. Had an owl rest above my tent in the moonlight that night.

Sept 29th: Exploration of petroglyphs and a hike up to Bow Tie and Corona Arch to start the day.

I was very impressed with these arches -- both in size, aesthetics, and the landscape they were located in. And, there were only a few people at the site.

In search of more arches ...... I headed into Arches National Park. This is a very popular park with quite a bit of traffic. Lucky for me -- when I hiked into Delicate Arch there was only a handful of people at the site.

The other features of the park were impressive but the crowds were more than I wanted to deal with.
It was time for me to start my long drive home.

Reached Scofield, UT State Park by sunset. The smoke in the sky from "controlled burns" made for a colorful dusk over the reservoir. The campsites were lame, but there were hot showers. This was a bonus after having the muddy Colorado River as my only "rinse 0ff" option for several days.
Sept 30: The long ride home to western Oregon. Hit the road at 5:30 am -- made it through Salt Lake City by 7am. Once on Hwy 80 heading west traffic disappeared and I was on the move.

Stop to make myself breakfast just outside of the Bonneville Speedway salt flats. Dry, flat, crusty, and beautiful -- a perfect breakfast picnic site.

The towns slipped by as the road miles hummed along. I knew I was truly back in Oregon when I saw the multi-colored bird and plant-rich marshes of Warner Valley and the clean, cold tumbling of Warner River along the southern border of the state. Made it home at 9 pm (PST). That was 16.5 hours on the road.

Today: I am immersed in the lush green beauty of the Pacific Northwest but the warmth and openness of the SW is forever in my bones and skin. There is still soft red dust to wash off of gear and clothing. There are books and maps to sort. There are photos to organize. There are Road Angels to thank. There are notes to transcribe into journals. Then, there is the next trip into the Southwest to plan.
I am filled with the many gifts of gratitude that created this trip. I feel strong, open, alive, clear, and filled with inspiration. It is a privileged place to be -- and I will forever appreciate this gift.

It is through the exploration and adventures of life that we discover not only the vast beauty of this world's landscapes, but ourself within them.

all photos by P. Lind

Southwest Adventure -- WEEK 2

In Kanab, UT I was treated like a rock star by my new dear friend and amazing hostess RA-Lis F. (RA = road angel). .... THANKS again LIS!!! you are the best! I hit the road having been well fed, well rested, and with all my laundry clean.
And so began week two of this incredible adventure (pics and highlights below)
Remember - if you click on the photo you get a bigger jpg view of it.
Sept 18th: Drove from Kanab to Bryce Canyon National Park.Bryce is the land of hoodoos. I hiked to Yovimpa Pass for amazing views south across the Grand Canyon; viewed the grand ampitheater from a hoodoo ledge off Bryce Point; and then ate my picnic dinner while watched the sunset/moonrise at Fairyland Point.

Sept 19th: Woke up before the sun in Red Rock Canyon State Park located near Bryce and hopped on my mountain bike for a morning role up (and then down) the Thunder Mnt trail -- SUPER FUN.
Loaded up and started out towards the north side of Escalante National Monument. The road (Hwy 12) takes one through an incredible landscape of mesas, red rock, farms, canyons, archeological sites, and very small towns. Reached Calf Creek by mid-day and headed up canyon for a swim.

Calf Creek is a spring fed tributary to the Escalante River. It hosts trout and an oasis-like valley floor that twists through high sandstone canyon walls. (can you see the animal in this photo?)
The swimming hole destination was Lower Calf Creek Falls -- a 125 ft tall waterfall of cold refreshing serenity.

Sept 20: Saw small rain clouds moving fast across the plateau this morning so checked at the BLM office for a weather report before heading down Hole in the Rock Road (Escalante Nat Mon) to explore slot canyons of the north Escalante.
Weather report was OK but road conditions from August flash floods limited my access to the slots that were more than 40 miles down the rutted gravel/sandy dirt road.
But I was not disappointed in the least by the slot canyons I could reach. Peekaboo, Spooky, and Coyote Gulch were like an adult playground to climb and squeeze through. Bliss day!
The high cliffs & narrowness of Spooky made it almost impossible to get photos.
That night I found the "best" road-side campsite off the Burr Trail Rd where the fattening moon lit up the white sandstone cliffs that encircled me.
Sept 21: Sunrise hike/climb up the white cliffs; breakfast at Hells Backbone Grill (decadence) in Boulder; a weather check at the BLM office; then off down the Burr Trail Rd for more canyon exploration.NOTE: The Burr Trail Road has the most insane road-side landscape views I have ever witnessed.Did a 15-16 mile day of hiking the Upper Muley Twist just off the Burr Trail located at the southern most end of the Capital Reef National Park.
Beyond the beauty of the canyon itself (arches, cliffs, slot canyons, rock features, etc) a short trail east offered a view of one of the most amazing geologic fault exposures I have ever seen -- the Waterpocket Fold. Made me giddy to stand on the sheer cliff edge of it.
Left the trailhead just before dark and headed south towards the north rim of the Colorado River. Found a closed BLM road to camp on located on a high plateau over Lake F(P)owell -- as thunderstorms were suppose to move in over night.
Sept 22: Sunny morning. Crossed Lake F(P)owell via car ferry at a shore-town called Bull Frog. Once on the other side of the lake I was en route to Natural Bridges Nat Park. While driving I spotted an unmarked Ancient Pueblo ruin in the cliffs just a short walk through a dry drainage and up the cliff-side.Castle ruins

Heavy rains with crashing thunder finally hit just before I arrived at Natural Bridges (10:30am). The soggy touring group of motorcyclist in the visitor's center didn't look as excited as I was about the rain. To me -- rain meant that I would finally see these water-shaped landscapes wet instead of dry (very exciting to a geomorphologist).
It also meant that I couldn't walk the river trail through Natural Bridges (flash flood issues) -- instead I walked each trail from the road down into the canyon to each bridge. The walls of the canyon dripped and sang with the movement of water across them but the rains did not make the river's below swell. Small pools and connecting rivuletes formed. The bridges were breathtaking. Talk about "meander scars."The weather broke (or so I thought) as I came up from the last bridge hike. There I bumped into a familiar face (RA-Scott C) from the road and we decided to try our luck doing a short hike to see some Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings about 10 miles out of the park.
On top of the white sandstone cliffs near the ruins is where the thunderstorms really hit. In minutes, waterfalls formed everywhere and I was standing in the middle of true Hortonian Overland flow. I could not have been happier. When my hair stood on end (yes even when wet) we quickly moved downslope to reduce the chance of being a static conductor for a lightning strike. In minutes a few inches of water turned into a few feet of water -- a true flash flood. And I was loving it! Then, just 15-20 minutes after the rain stopped, the gullies, waterfalls, and washes went from gushing torrents to quiet trickles to wet sand.

I arrived at the home of my dear dear friend RA-Chris M and family at 8pm where hugs and warm soup awaited me. BLISS DAY!

Sept 23: Had a shower the night before and slept well. Chris took me up to part of the freshly snow dusted Rocky Mnts in SW Colorado known as the San Juans.

Windy Pass, CO.
* all photos by Pollyanna Lind