The Incan Hike / May 2013              

Powerful Incan ancestor speaking mountains, glazed with fallen snow, high altitude breathe taking, sweetly hot and biting cold, mysterious navy blue laid lakes, gentle horse finding, exhausted leg climbing, 10 hour hiking kind of day!

I walked with a friend from Malchungi to Otavalo in Ecuador for a whopping 10 hour total hike. We walked through the magical mountains of the Andes range which got up to almost 14,000 feet in elevation. Fuya-Fuya is the most well known stratovolanco in this chain of mountains.

In the province of Imbabura a few hours away North from Quito we found Lake Mojanda. Nestled in between a mountain range pregnant with active volcanos are three lakes Caricocha (male lake) or big lake, Huarmicocha (female lake) or small lake and Yanacocha or black lake.

Every bend, every climb we were in awe of as the scenery was filled with every changing clouds, weather surprises and mushroom filled paths. We lucked out with clear weather as many people go to the hike and cannot even see the mountains because its so foggy. We has nothing but sunshine and clear views.

The 10 hour hike was a lot of work, free, and one of the most remember able things I have experienced on my trip. Feeling thankful, blessed, calm and at ease while my time at Rhiannon Community Farm. I am appreciating the off-the-path traveling of farm life and quiet long walks. Did I mention it was free?