Wolverine Hikes

People who know me know that I belong on the Trail. I've thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (three times, now),the Pacific Crest Trail and the mighty Continental Divide Trail. I've hiked many of the long trails here in Michigan including being the first to hike both the Ironwood Trail and the Great Lake To Lake Trail. In 2017, I hiked the Israel National Trail and the Golan Heights Trail. I was the first to hike the Baja Divide Trail in Mexico but failed miserably to thru-hike the Bruce Trail in Canada. In 2019, I hiked the TEMBR in Ecuador and 1,150 miles of the North Country Trail as it runs through my home state of Michigan.

The purpose of this blog is to keep anyone who is interested informed of my progress and to encourage those who are able to support me in these endeavors.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Hiking in Ecuador: The Good and the Bad

I covered about 800 miles over eight weeks  hiking the Trans Ecuador Mountain Bike Route (the TEMBR). I started in Tulcan in the north (near the border with Columbia) and hiked to Vilcabamba in the south (near the border with Peru). These were my impressions:

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1mHkGmqaesV3a2tle6UXI57o8k3uLfj2N

The Good:

- The weather. Ecuador stays about the same temperature year-round and, in the mountains of central Ecuador, it’s perfect for hiking and camping. I had a few chilly mornings (in the 30’s) way up in the mountains and a few sweaty afternoons at lower elevations but mostly, temps were in the 60’s and 70’s. I planned this hike for June through September because I had read that this was the ‘dry season’ but I found that it rained at least as often as it seems to in the States. Sometimes for three or four days in a row. You’ll need a waterproof shell and lots of ziplock baggies if you want to be comfortable hiking in Ecuador. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1p3x88x3bIlsmBPIXgOKJsWGR2e8ZsyAd

 - No bears, no bugs. Honestly, not even ants!  I got a few bites from tiny black flies at lower elevations and I saw a few Tarantula Hawk wasps (we have them in the Southwestern United States, too) but, essentially, no bugs. I saw both a skunk and an opposum but they didn’t bother me. I didn’t even see any mice. Maybe it was the elevations at which I was hiking but I was glad for it. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1oopUBHqZybIn8IVBrvTbLYvyWdIx3-CA

 - The Currency: Is good ‘ol US dollars! And the dollar goes a long way down here. A small hotel room near the airport was only $31. A liter of water or soda is about $.50. The bus ride from Quinto to Tulcan was $6. I could easily resupply for 3-4 days on less than $10. I would suggest, however, carrying lots of small bills. If you pull out a $20 bill in a tiny tienda, they are not going to have change for you. Also, they are very fond of the $1 coin which, while convenient, weigh a ton. I always had to remind myself to get rid of all my change before leaving town lest I looked like Kramer going to pay for his calzone. Keep in mind, too, that very few businesses take a credit card down here and ATM’s are only located in bigger cities so you have to plan accordingly. 

- The Scenery. Hiking past (or climbing up!) 20K’ asl volcanoes like Cotopaxi and Chimborazo is an unforgettable experience. Central Ecuador is the start of the Andes mountain chain and amazing views are to be had every day. I just wish the camera on my iPhone could have captured them better. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1QPEf8EjeSm7-WdNfy848atibUQoPO7Iw

- Navigation. I used the Map Out app with GPS waypoints (plotted by bikepacker Cass Gilbert) that I found at Bikepacker.com. His trail is actually a combination of two routes: one called the Dirt Road Version and one, the Singletrack Version. The TEMBR Dirt Road is easy follow, runs at lower elevations and has a few more towns along the way. The Singletrack version is occasionally more difficult and runs at higher elevations. The two coincide and diverge often enough that you can pick which one you want to follow every couple days. My hike wound up being a combination of the two. Overall, Ecuador was very easy to navigate. I also carried National Geographic maps (just in case) but only used them for ‘big picture’ planning. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ClfCEJ8WhJQIWIO1Hzoc1_8izcSLXDMx

 - The People. Overwhelmingly very friendly. I wrote about them in a previous blogpost but I was humbled by their generosity and impressed by their work ethic. If only I spoke more Spanish, I could have gotten to know more of them better. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1ZjgE0fPGsNDDIOt6W7omdFN0uaSygK8h

The Bad: 

- Dogs. I didn’t think any country could have more stray dogs than Mexico but, Holy Smokes, the streets of Ecuador’s small towns are filled with packs (of up to 10 animals) of barking, pooping, traffic blocking, ownerless dogs. They just have a different view toward pet ownership down here so, if dogs scare you or if the sight of  mangy, badly injured dogs bothers you (or seeing dogs feeding upon one of their own), think twice before hiking in Ecuador. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=195eUBvgh3M98cNjiX5K2nwRcHOWpxXvc

- Wind. I think this is true if you’re hiking above 10K’ asl anywhere in the world but sustained, heavy winds can make everything more difficult and much of this hike is above 10K’ asl. Winds strong enough to knock you off your feet. Hats blow off, sunglasses blow off, maps get ripped from your hands and setting up your tent can be very frustrating. Be ready for it. 

 - Camping. This topic could go in either category: the good or the bad. Some  nights I was able to find a peaceful, flat spot with four inches of pine needle duff and a fresh water source nearby. I’d set up my tent without the rain fly so I could see the stars and sleep like a baby. Other nights, I’d find myself walking faster and faster, desperately looking for a spot, through fenced-off farmland that seemed devoid of even a few square feet of flat ground, let alone something that wasn’t obviously private property. As the sun sank, I wondered if I’d ever find somewhere to camp. Sometimes I’d settle for lumpy, uneven ground right by the side of the road or sometimes I’d breakdown and ask a farmer if I could camp on his property (I’d offer a few bucks, of course). At least a few times, I’d pick a spot that I thought was ‘stealthy’ enough only to be ‘discovered’ by the property owner. I’d try to explain who I was and what I was doing in my broken Spanish and they’d let me stay. I was never once told to leave. Figit and Neon of Her Oddesy fame used the (more practical) technique of asking for a ‘room to rent’ in the nearest small town. Their hosts were often very generous but, for me, I prefer to sleep outdoors. 

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1iuAiYazRR8ZhA0ARtDG3oMVgyYvJh8Mq

Want to hike the TEMBR? I think it’s a fantastic trail (one of my top three hikes) that could be done by even a novice hiker. If you are comfortable with international travel, speak a little Spanish and don’t mind camping in some weird places, give it a try! Contact me first; I always love to talk about hiking!
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=16lY5ZUcZu3zk3AH62bjMBpLXsR7U-31y

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Wonderful. Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

A thorough and entertaining wrap up as usual. Congrats on another great adventure well documented. From Mavis.

Candice Stacy said...

Great read, and very informative. I like that there are hardly any bugs...lol. Thank you for sharing your adventures! 🙂

Erika Sandoval said...

Always so amazed of your adventures. I am not surprised you met friendly speaking people and glad to hear you are practicing your Spanish! love reading your post and these wonderful pictures!! Keep it up

Peru said...

beautiful photos

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