Nearing La Dormida; Rain Starting!
Panama Travelog #16
El Valle, Panama - Tue, 24 Dec 2024. 3pm.
There's good news and bad news on the trail to La Dormida. The bad news is we finished climbing through the stream canyon filled with waterfalls. That should mean the good news is we're almost at the top. But, bad news: the trail got even steeper making it up to the ridge. At least we started to get views at the ridge.
Here's one (above) looking across Anton Valley. Our hotel is out there somewhere, at the foot of the misty mountains toward the left of the frame.
Good news: there's a vendor hut on the trail.
I often joke with fellow hikers, "I sure am ready for that ice cream stand at the top." Good news: here in Panama they actually do things like put ice cream stands at the top! Bad news: no vendors today. (Also, I think they sell fruit here, not ice cream.)
More bad news: it's starting to rain.
"Should we turn around here or keep going?" Hawk and I discussed. I voted to keep going. "We're almost there!" I explained.
Bad news: while we're almost there, the trail keeps getting even steeper. And it's raining on us now.
We keep asking ourselves, "Should we turn around?" And I keep feeling like, "I did not come 98% of the way just to turn around because it's raining."
Besides, it's only raining gently. 🤣 So far. 😰
El Valle, Panama - Tue, 24 Dec 2024. 3pm.
There's good news and bad news on the trail to La Dormida. The bad news is we finished climbing through the stream canyon filled with waterfalls. That should mean the good news is we're almost at the top. But, bad news: the trail got even steeper making it up to the ridge. At least we started to get views at the ridge.
Here's one (above) looking across Anton Valley. Our hotel is out there somewhere, at the foot of the misty mountains toward the left of the frame.
Good news: there's a vendor hut on the trail.
I often joke with fellow hikers, "I sure am ready for that ice cream stand at the top." Good news: here in Panama they actually do things like put ice cream stands at the top! Bad news: no vendors today. (Also, I think they sell fruit here, not ice cream.)
More bad news: it's starting to rain.
"Should we turn around here or keep going?" Hawk and I discussed. I voted to keep going. "We're almost there!" I explained.
Bad news: while we're almost there, the trail keeps getting even steeper. And it's raining on us now.
We keep asking ourselves, "Should we turn around?" And I keep feeling like, "I did not come 98% of the way just to turn around because it's raining."
Besides, it's only raining gently. 🤣 So far. 😰