Witness: Cotopaxi

On the short road from Hosteria La Cienega back to the Pan-American Highway, we came upon a lovely, wide view of the Cotopaxi volcano.  Throughout the day, Cotopaxi's snow-capped peak had been hidden mostly behind clouds, with occasional quick glimpses of the snow line.  

But the mountain still had such a presence for us.  It reminded me of Denise Levertov's wonderful poem, "Witness," which she wrote about another volcano: Mount Rainier in Washington.

Witness

Sometimes the mountain

is hidden from me in veils

of cloud, sometimes

I am hidden from the mountain

in veils of inattention, apathy, fatigue,

when I forget or refuse to go

down to the shore or a few yards

up the road, on a clear day,

to reconfirm

that witnessing presence.

Denise Levertov

The "witnessing presence" of Cotopaxi.

 Cotopaxi Volcano

Ecuador

June 2011

The Cotopaxi Climb

After two doses of coca tea and various breaks to get our bodies accustomed to the altitude, we finally made it up to the snow line on Cotopaxi.  From there, we got out of the car and started our climb.  

Here comes the snow!

Our guide told us to carry as little as possible (though our water bottles were a must), so we grabbed our cameras, and I tucked Mr. Hunter into my jacket pocket.  He emerged for a couple of poses, even thought the cold and the wind and the sleet and the snow made taking pictures a bit of a challenge.  Those of us who'd had the tea avoided altitude sickness, but the climb was still strenuous, and we all got quite a soaking.

Standing together at 15,456 feet

GPS proof

Out of the car and ready to start the climb.

Early on in the climb

A snippet of the weather at 15,500 feet:

Brrr!

15,546 feet up Cotopaxi Volcano

(which rises 19,347 ft)

Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

June 2011

Hall of Fame: The Hunter is Hunted

What's going on here?  

Is somebody getting ready to pounce?

Steve suggested I pose Mr. Hunter on the Lake Limpiopungo sign, but of course it was SO windy. It took a minute to get Mr. H to balance there, and even then he was in danger of toppling at any moment, so Steve crouched nearby, ready to catch Mr. Hunter if he fell.  And he didn't realize that the first shot I took of the scene was a wide shot.  

When I was downloading my photos back at the hotel that night, I saw this picture and cracked up.  It looked so much like Steve was getting ready to attack Mr. Hunter.  

Mr. Hunter looks happy,
even if he is about to blow over.

A slightly steadier perch.

Lake Limipiopungo

Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

June 2011

Our Destination: A Little Climb on Cotopaxi

After we drank our second servings of coca tea, we ducked into the small museum nearby and then braved the cold again to look up at what was visible of Cotopaxi.  We were headed for a brief but intense hike up there at the snow line.

Map of Cotopaxi

The museum had some information on the history of the Cotopaxi volcano, as well as some of the creatures of the region that had been preserved.  Mr. Hunter posed with this Andean Condor.

A model of Cotopaxi.

Cotopaxi National Park

Ecuador

June 2011

¡Bienvenidos a Ecuador!

Last month, Mr. Hunter made his first-ever visit

 to a South American country: Ecuador.  Very exciting!

On our first day in Quito, we had a private guide take us out to the Mindo cloud forest.  Along the way, about half an hour outside of Quito, we stopped at an overlook to gaze at the lovely Pululahua Crater.  Pululahua is a long-dormant volcano. Inside the crater, you can see farms and fields, and the surrounding area is a Geobotanical Reserve. It seemed like the perfect spot for Mr. Hunter's debut pose in Ecuador.

Here's a video panorama of the crater:

                     

Can you spot Mr. Hunter among the white stones 

that spelled out a welcome?

Reserva Geobotanica Pululahua

Pichincha Province

Ecuador

June 2011

Flat Mr. Hunter dances on a volcano

First stop on Flat Mr. Hunter's Italian vacation: Sicily.  

Here he is with Steve, posing in front of the summit of Mt. Etna.

Sicily, Italy

June 2006