Bill's searches for the Wawa Grande (Ecuador's Bigfoot)

[Bill Ryan]

Just a minor thinking-aloud update here. The rainy season has now kicked in two months early here (go figure!), but there are still a few intermittent good days. After our expedition to the Haunted Lakes (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1252518&viewfull=1#post1252518), where Mara got so freaked out by something quite invisible, and I got VERY uncharacteristically confused about my navigation for a short while, I'd returned to my vehicle thinking: "Well, I'm not going back THERE again."

Of course, strong thoughts like that do tend to wear off over time. I'm now considering a return trip, this time camping overnight to offer a chance to investigate (and experience) further. That would allow plenty of time at that same little lake where Mara was on high alert, both in the afternoon and at night. I think it'd promise to be both very interesting and worthwhile.

It may be unsettling (for us both!), but I can't imagine any physical danger. (However, I've not yet shared the new plan with Mara. :) )

[avid]

Please noooo, you are being prompted, teased, tempted. Surely you don’t want to terrify Mara again. Pleeeease don’t go, there is obviously an anomalous ‘interference’ there. Why tempt fate? The Sirens of curiosity are not necessarily the bravest decisions. This place has been noted for its unusual events, we don’t want to lose you to some stupid personal challenge.
Be sensible on this issue, especially for Mara’s sake.

[Flash]

Just a minor thinking-aloud update here. The rainy season has now kicked in two months early here (go figure!), but there are still a few intermittent good days. After our expedition to the Haunted Lakes (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1252518&viewfull=1#post1252518), where Mara got so freaked out by something quite invisible, and I got VERY uncharacteristically confused about my navigation for a short while, I'd returned to my vehicle thinking: "Well, I'm not going back THERE again."

Of course, strong thoughts like that do tend to wear off over time. I'm now considering a return trip, this time camping overnight to offer a chance to investigate (and experience) further. That would allow plenty of time at that same little lake where Mara was on high alert, both in the afternoon and at night. I think it'd promise to be both very interesting and worthwhile.

It may be unsettling (for us both!), but I can't imagine any physical danger. (However, I've not yet shared the new plan with Mara. :) )

The danger may not be physical, but may have an impact on the physical. And you know this quite well yourself, just a reminder here.

Personnally, I would not go, I have learned through life that for some things, I would have been better off never learning about them, they brought zero evolution to me, on the contrary, they draw me backwards. So much else to do.

You are an adventurer, liking the challenges, of course the desire will be there. Will you comply with it, or do you have to?

I would never do something like that alone, I would have someone else AND Mara, I would have at all time an satellite beacon with me, on automatic (and if possible without needs for batteries since they can flatten out in no time), and yet, I would not do it:frusty::wizard:

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Bill you are an adventurer. I am happy you closely follow your intuition AND critical thinking.
When reading your post, I was reminded of what I was once told "You wanted to touch the stove to see if it is really hot."

I would want opinions about the previous experience from the best intuitives I knew.

[Bill Ryan]

When reading your post, I was reminded of what I was once told "You wanted to touch the stove to see if it is really hot."

No, I never said that! :) Here's what I did say:
Believing that Blue Avians are real isn't the same as believing I'll burn my fingers if I accidentally touch the hot stove.That's rather different. What that means is that I don't have to touch the stove to see if it's hot. I already have a very strong belief about that, that's founded on good evidence.

@avid, Flash, I do appreciate your concerns. Maybe we should start a poll. The options might be


For goodness sake, don't go.
For goodness sake, DO go.
Go if you must, but please don't camp overnight.
Go, but stay tuned all the time and don't come back without a fun video.
Go, but only with a partner, a transponder, and at least one other big dog.
:)

[James Newell]

I'd say #4, but make sure you have better shoes, and some meals for Mara.

[avid]

1 - don’t go

[Flash]

1 - don’t go

I think that if we ever think we will ever stop Bill Ryan to do anything for a challenge and out or curiosity (even if somewhat morbid lol), we are dreaming in colors.

So, my answer would be, remaining realistic:

Go, but only with a partner, a transponder, and at least one other big dog

[avid]

No no no - I have a bad feeling about this, ‘pride comes before a fall’ does not encompass what I mean, or feel.
However, whatever Bill decides.... I pray fervently both he and his loyal Mara will keep safe.

[Mike]

Hi Bill, for what it's worth, I feel both you and Mara will be just fine going back. Just my feeling.

I think whatever dangers you may face on your journey will weigh on you far less in the future than not going at all. Seems to me you're being called back to that location. I'd go!:)

[Ron Mauer Sr]

I think of the adventure as something similar to testing one's limits.

It may be good to go back more than once, in calculated increments, slowly going deeper unless you feel it is time to stop.
If there is a local shaman you can trust, I would ask for advice.
Otherwise your curiosity will never be satisfied.
I like the idea of having a backup dog and a backup adventurer.

[RunningDeer]

https://i.imgur.com/ewyXyVx.gif


I do understand everyone's concerns. I choose not to vote.

I use to keep to my trips to myself, such as the outward bounds, the fire walk and fighting/Tai Chi competitions. I didn’t want to be influenced (programmed) by caring loved ones.

The graphic above depicts my belief and roads taken. It is in no way intended to influence Bill’s adventure. Note: what I use to do is different from what I do now. Once done, the magic no longer needs doin’.

♡

[avid]

Decision/Confusion strikes, I’m not saying it cannot be done, just worrying for the health and safety of Bill and Mara (in this case), and in this circumstance. His choice....

[Chip]

I can only put myself in Bills shoes knowing that there might be something there worth experiencing again.
And I would definitely be going back.
I’m quite envious of all your time available to have these great trips Bill!
Go for it!

[Ron Mauer Sr]

When considering adventures, one should always weigh the risks vs. the potential benefits.


Maybe the potential benefit is simply the thrill of the ride. :-)

[Hazelfern]

When reading your post, I was reminded of what I was once told "You wanted to touch the stove to see if it is really hot."

No, I never said that! :) Here's what I did say:
Believing that Blue Avians are real isn't the same as believing I'll burn my fingers if I accidentally touch the hot stove.That's rather different. What that means is that I don't have to touch the stove to see if it's hot. I already have a very strong belief about that, that's founded on good evidence.

@avid, Flash, I do appreciate your concerns. Maybe we should start a poll. The options might be


For goodness sake, don't go.
For goodness sake, DO go.
Go if you must, but please don't camp overnight.
Go, but stay tuned all the time and don't come back without a fun video.
Go, but only with a partner, a transponder, and at least one other big dog.
:)


Love the idea! Foxie peeled off a little too soon to enjoy your adventures.
The answer is obvious. A combo of 2 and 5. Go if you can.

[Nasu]

Fortune favors the prepared mind. I'm looking forward to hearing how it went and the pics of you and Mara...x... N

[Bill Ryan]

Hey, everyone: thanks for all your comments. (And concern!)

My thought yesterday about returning to the Haunted Lakes this time to camp overnight was really quite an idle one. But the idea did somehow seem attractive, and I kind of crept up on it by taking a close look at Google Earth to see how I might get there a little more easily, and so on.

I was getting used to the idea again, and it all seemed very reasonable. That's despite my determining last time that I'd definitely NOT go back — I remember the decision clearly! — and later joking to a friend that I might possibly take people there as a guide one day, but only for a minimum fee of $1000 each. :)

Well, last night I went to bed, very relaxed, and as usual before I fell asleep I was reviewing the events of the day, large and small. And so I looked again at the Haunted Lakes return trip idea, because the comments (and warnings from avid and Flash) had been so very interesting.

Suddenly, I 'saw' something very dark, and quite big. Malevolent, and definitely not very nice. Very clearly, in my relaxed state. It was like I'd suddenly spotted it and caught it unawares, and this time it hadn't been cloaked.

It was indeed a siren call for me to return. That was totally clear. There and then, I made the firm decision NOT to go back. So — I'm announcing it now, and that decision will definitely stay.

:)

[happyuk]

Thank heavens! I've only had the chance to look at the footage of your last trip and Mara's unease at that one particular moment was clearly evident as much as it was unsettling. I've witnessed the clear intuition that animals have before - my friend and were once walking her dog and we approached someone whom I already knew to be a malevolent weirdo and her dog immediately sensed this and started growling defensively.

[Dennis Leahy]

Possibility #6: Go naked and alone. Smear peanut butter all over your body, and take a large dead animal with you, for bait. Bring a boombox, fresh batteries, and one special song on CD. Make "wounded animal" noises throughout the night.

With the peanut butter smeared all over your body, you are pretty much invincible (if you've ever seen a dog with a teaspoon of peanut butter in their mouth, you'll know why.) When the Wawa Grande, or other creature of the night approaches, hover your index finger over the CD boombox 'play' button, making sure that the volume is turned up to 11. When the creature is within 10 feet (or you can use 3 meters as your guide, as you probably think in metric units), press the play button. Music soothes the savage beast, so if it is a savage beast, it will calm down and you can interview it. If it is not a savage beast, then the music will create a surreal scene, and the critter will either run away giggling or ask you to dance. Either way, a win.

Download the song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4m4lnjxkY). You're welcome.

[Orph]

Smear peanut butter all over your body, ....

With the peanut butter smeared all over your body, you are pretty much invincible (if you've ever seen a dog with a teaspoon of peanut butter in their mouth, you'll know why.)

Except when Mr. Wawa Grande, or Mr. Yeti, show up with two very large slabs of bread and a few gallons of milk. Then your peanut butter theory kind of gets a little sticky.

[avid]

Phew!!!! I had to have a lie down with relief....:bearhug::bearhug::bearhug::dog::dog::dog:

[Flash]

Possibility #6: Go naked and alone. Smear peanut butter all over your body, and take a large dead animal with you, for bait. Bring a boombox, fresh batteries, and one special song on CD. Make "wounded animal" noises throughout the night.

With the peanut butter smeared all over your body, you are pretty much invincible (if you've ever seen a dog with a teaspoon of peanut butter in their mouth, you'll know why.) When the Wawa Grande, or other creature of the night approaches, hover your index finger over the CD boombox 'play' button, making sure that the volume is turned up to 11. When the creature is within 10 feet (or you can use 3 meters as your guide, as you probably think in metric units), press the play button. Music soothes the savage beast, so if it is a savage beast, it will calm down and you can interview it. If it is not a savage beast, then the music will create a surreal scene, and the critter will either run away giggling or ask you to dance. Either way, a win.

Download the song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4m4lnjxkY). You're welcome.

British are still in feet and inches mostly


The pre-metric preferred system of measurement used within the country was imperial units, and though metrication had commenced since the mid–20th century not all aspects of society has undertaken metrication.

As of 2016, the government, industry and commerce have substantially completed their metrication programmes, however imperial units are legislated to be used for only:

Transport: the mile, yard, foot and inch for road traffic signs, distance and speed measurement (miles per hour) and
Trade: the only products that can be sold in with imperial units only are:
draught beer or cider by pint
milk in returnable containers by pint
precious metals by troy ounce.[1]
Imperial units are also common use in the media, advertising, retail (alongside metric units), weather reporting and other areas of society. Imperial units are also often used to colloquially describe body measurements, such as height and weight.

In schools metric units are taught and used as the norm and imperial units that remain in common usage in the UK must also be taught.[a]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Kingdom


So Bill, we will still have you for more years. Thanks

[Stephanie]

Possibility #6: Go naked and alone. Smear peanut butter all over your body, and take a large dead animal with you, for bait. Bring a boombox, fresh batteries, and one special song on CD. Make "wounded animal" noises throughout the night.

With the peanut butter smeared all over your body, you are pretty much invincible (if you've ever seen a dog with a teaspoon of peanut butter in their mouth, you'll know why.) When the Wawa Grande, or other creature of the night approaches, hover your index finger over the CD boombox 'play' button, making sure that the volume is turned up to 11. When the creature is within 10 feet (or you can use 3 meters as your guide, as you probably think in metric units), press the play button. Music soothes the savage beast, so if it is a savage beast, it will calm down and you can interview it. If it is not a savage beast, then the music will create a surreal scene, and the critter will either run away giggling or ask you to dance. Either way, a win.

Download the song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4m4lnjxkY). You're welcome.
Oh that made me laugh out loud and dissipate the tension!😃

[Ron Mauer Sr]

It is sometimes wise to approach satisfaction of curiosity by going slow. But that can be difficult for the impatient like me.

[Flash]

Possibility #6: Go naked and alone. Smear peanut butter all over your body, and take a large dead animal with you, for bait. Bring a boombox, fresh batteries, and one special song on CD. Make "wounded animal" noises throughout the night.

With the peanut butter smeared all over your body, you are pretty much invincible (if you've ever seen a dog with a teaspoon of peanut butter in their mouth, you'll know why.) When the Wawa Grande, or other creature of the night approaches, hover your index finger over the CD boombox 'play' button, making sure that the volume is turned up to 11. When the creature is within 10 feet (or you can use 3 meters as your guide, as you probably think in metric units), press the play button. Music soothes the savage beast, so if it is a savage beast, it will calm down and you can interview it. If it is not a savage beast, then the music will create a surreal scene, and the critter will either run away giggling or ask you to dance. Either way, a win.

Download the song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z4m4lnjxkY). You're welcome.
Oh that made me laugh out loud and dissipate the tension!😃

I don't dare writing any comments on this one, but giggling too.

[Bill Ryan]

With the peanut butter smeared all over your body, you are pretty much invincible

I could smear Mara all over with mustard, too. Wawa Grandes probably don't like hot dogs.

:)

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Pepper spray for physical threats. For non-physical threats, I do not know.

[RunningDeer]

Pepper spray for physical threats. For non-physical threats, I do not know.


http://avalonlibrary.net/paula/smilies/come-from-behind.gif
GhostBusters
m9We2XsVZfc
♡

[Bill Ryan]

Pepper spray for physical threats.

Yep, that too. :thumbsup:

Peanut butter, mustard, and pepper, and anything large and hungry would simply run away.

Add in some marmite, as well, and that would clinch the entire thing.

:)

[Sadieblue]

I really enjoy the video Bill, but I tell you, when you got to that haunted lake,
and Mara got that sense of something unseen, I really tightened up every muscle in
my body, I felt something there just watching the video.

Glad you made the chose not to go back.

[Flash]

Pepper spray for physical threats.

Yep, that too. :thumbsup:

Peanut butter, mustard, and pepper, and anything large and hungry would simply run away.

Add in some marmite, as well, and that would clinch the entire thing.

:)

As a good North American, to accompany a hot dog and a peanut butter toast, plus a marmite, we should add ketchup for some fries (a whip covered with ketchup to whip the demons).

Well, now, if you ever encounter the Wawa face to face, instead of doing in your pants out of fear, you will start laughing and laughing imagining the whole situation as a weird breakfast table, therefore confusing the Wawa grande for not creating fear. He will simply walk away.

I remember my daughter having nightmares when she was a kid, it really looked like Wawa grande were imposing in her dreams. I told her she could chase them away, order them to go away, whatever she wished, during her dreams, since she is stronger than they are. She told me she did, and the nightmares went away. Maybe we should react the same way with the energy-being(s) you have seen, without having to physically see them or go to them. Those have no place whatsoever in our world.

I did the same thing with some humans who sent us bad dreams willingly, they were not very agile in this. Both daughter and I knew what was happening right away. And we both pushed them away from our lives. No place in our world.

[Bill Ryan]

Are there any other stories of doggy-visits to vast oxygen depleting heights? Mara may be the best canine-climber in the world. :Avalon::dog:

It's a great question! I'd wondered that myself. Even at that moment on the summit (let's average it out at 15,000 ft) I'd briefly wondered if Mara was right then the highest dog in the world.

But there are some slightly higher human settlements... though not many. One presumes there are a few dogs there. This is an interesting page:


https://worldatlas.com/articles/the-highest-urban-settlements-in-the-world.html

My pure guess: of all the dogs in the world (estimated population 50 million, see this interesting page (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201209/how-many-dogs-are-there-in-the-world)), there were maybe a few dozen higher than Mara right then. Maybe less.

The highest peak climbed by a dog seems to be Hanuman Tibba (5932m / 19,462 ft) in the Indian Himalayas.


http://blankonthemap.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-dog-who-climbed-mountain.html

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MokXB0RJ0sY/UFXAfa7X1TI/AAAAAAAAEc0/1oWn6dZNzXo/s400/P1000948.JPG

I have absolutely no doubt Mara could beat that. She's in fantastic shape. A wild thought strikes me that maybe we could go climb Chimborazo (in Ecuador, not too far away), which is 6,310m / 20,703 ft. I'd need good snow boots, though, and an insulated jacket and hat, and so might she. :)

https://cdn.britannica.com/s:700x450/55/193755-004-F7B0CCC3.jpg

Chimborazo is an interesting mountain. Although it's lower than Everest in terms of height above sea level, because of the Earth's equatorial bulge the summit is actually the one point on that's the farthest from the Earth's center.

So, for a dog (or a human!), that's kind of impossible to beat. The only dog that would EVER have been higher would be Laika, the dog the Russians put into orbit in 1957, 61 years ago. (Actually, rather a tragic tale. Do read here (https://listverse.com/2017/01/14/10-tragic-facts-about-laika-the-first-dog-in-space/).)

http://projectavalon.net/Chimborazo_highest_mountain.gif



***

Hello, Everyone, and this is NOT about the Wawa Grande (in any way!). But some might find this entertaining.

Today I found myself thinking that maybe climbing Chimborazo isn't quite such an insane idea. After doing some research (a lot of info here (https://www.summitpost.org/chimborazo/150349)), I do think it may be do-able. I'm certain I could do it myself — I've been to that height before, and never had any problems — but the really interesting question is whether Mara could make it.

I had some fun looking on Amazon for insulated doggie snow boots and jackets, and of course they're all right there. :) She could physically do it, I'd be reasonably confident: she's immensely strong, and unlike most other dogs on the planet, goes up over 14,500 ft regularly and runs around like a mountain goat all day. There's a lot of difference between 14,500 ft and 20,500 ft, but I do think it's not impossible.

Ecuador regulations say you have to hire a local mountain guide, but that's not a problem. The biggest challenge might be convincing him that I want to take my dog, and that may be a first. But the protocol (as with any beginner, canine or human!) would always be to watch with an eagle eye for potential problems and then TURN BACK if things start to look not okay. That applies on any mountain, from Everest downwards.

If I can reassure a guide that I do have the experience to do that, he may find it an interesting experiment. We'd simply give it a go, and we'd soon find out if it was working out or not.

One has to start before midnight from a mountain hut at about 16,000+ ft. Then one can get to the summit — some 4,000+ ft higher — and back again before 10 am, important to avoid rockfall once the sun kicks in on the mountain and starts to melt ice holding the loose rocks in place. So it's a long, arduous 10-11 hour day/night push.

I'll see if the idea wears off! But I'll contact the guiding company (https://andeannadventures.com/?lang=en) in a moment to start to float the idea, and just see how they respond. :thumbsup:

[Orph]

Although I'm not too keen on this idea myself, I trust your judgement in whether to do this or not.

[avid]

As usual, would not risk my doggie just for a challenge.....:dog::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

[Bill Ryan]

As usual, would not risk my doggie just for a challenge.....:dog::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

Ha! My doggie might be risking me. :) :P

[Sunny-side-up]

Hey, everyone: thanks for all your comments. (And concern!)

My thought yesterday about returning to the Haunted Lakes this time to camp overnight was really quite an idle one. But the idea did somehow seem attractive, and I kind of crept up on it by taking a close look at Google Earth to see how I might get there a little more easily, and so on.

I was getting used to the idea again, and it all seemed very reasonable. That's despite my determining last time that I'd definitely NOT go back — I remember the decision clearly! — and later joking to a friend that I might possibly take people there as a guide one day, but only for a minimum fee of $1000 each. :)

Well, last night I went to bed, very relaxed, and as usual before I fell asleep I was reviewing the events of the day, large and small. And so I looked again at the Haunted Lakes return trip idea, because the comments (and warnings from avid and Flash) had been so very interesting.

Suddenly, I 'saw' something very dark, and quite big. Malevolent, and definitely not very nice. Very clearly, in my relaxed state. It was like I'd suddenly spotted it and caught it unawares, and this time it hadn't been cloaked.

It was indeed a siren call for me to return. That was totally clear. There and then, I made the firm decision NOT to go back. So — I'm announcing it now, and that decision will definitely stay.

:)

Hi Bill I've just been catching up on this Haunted Lakes return post of yours.
Glad to see you made the 'Not going back' decision :thumbsup:

There is truth in the saying 'Sleep on it' :sun:

[Bill Ryan]

I'll see if the idea [of climbing Chimborazo with Mara] wears off! But I'll contact the guiding company (https://andeannadventures.com/?lang=en) in a moment to start to float the idea, and just see how they respond.

As usual, would not risk my doggie just for a challenge.....:dog::thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:

Yes, :thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown: it is. And the idea is indeed wearing off. :)

I heard back from the guiding company, and the problem is that the ascent needs to happen at night to avoid rockfall when the sun hits the snow and ice. So one goes up starting before midnight, and reaches the summit maybe just before dawn.

The temperature is the factor: the guide who answered by questions 'reassured' me that it's usually no colder than -14ºC/ 7ºF at the summit at night. All told, that's way too cold and stressful even for a strong dog climbing a mountain that's not a hardcore Alaskan husky. :)

[avid]

I radiate with relief Bill, I realise you love a challenge, and really wish I’d never queried the ‘highest dog in the world’ scenario. Your bravery and fortitude are never in question, but to put a giant “quest’ion’ mark over an innocent loving and stoic doggie/bestest friend - is a challenge not worth taking, so well done Bill, we salute you - yet await something else that is fascinating, where you lead, along with the sensible Mara. Perhaps treating adventurers in safer climes.... (not climbs ;))...
An architectural/geological history perhaps, or just advice for ex-pats/visitors in Ecuador on travel to beautiful places safely...
My ‘envelope of care and protection’ keeps bulging to bursting-point with your energy, what a character, so my “phew” is probably short-lived then... 🙄😜

[Ron Mauer Sr]

When planning a new adventure, it is always a good idea to compare and weigh the potential gain and the potential risk.


39649

[Bill Ryan]

The temperature is the factor: the guide who answered by questions 'reassured' me that it's usually no colder than -14ºC/ 7ºF at the summit at night. All told, that's way too cold and stressful even for a strong dog climbing a mountain that's not a hardcore Alaskan husky. :)

Another anecdote that may raise a smile. :) (Prompted by discussions of temperature!)

A short while ago I met two local Ecuadorian mountain guides, Fabian and Jorge Prado, who speak excellent English. They're brothers, and their father was a guide, so they've been in the mountains all the time since childhood.

We exchanged stories about hiking here. The Wawa Grande they believe is a 'fable', because they've never seen it, but they did tell me where to go to see CONDORS. (An expedition for the near future, for sure. :thumbsup: ) I told them about my many trips now to Cerro Arquitectos, the highest peak in the National Park, where to my astonishment they told me they've never actually been. (They live quite some distance away, and their specialist area is Quitahuayco, outside of the park.)

So, here's what this little tale is all about. They asked me if I'd take them there, and they were as excited as kids when we agreed a date. That was two days ago.

It felt like a bit of a challenge, because they're half my age, both in supreme shape. So I felt I was kind of representing Avalon, the gringo expats, British mountaineers, and my entire generation. :) Could I keep up with them?

Well, we had a great day, and Mara and I both held our own just fine. :muscle: It was super-bright and sunny, with a high-altitude equatorial UV rating (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_index) of about 20 (twenty), literally off the chart — and there was the strongest wind I've ever experienced here, like riding a motorcycle at 80 mph.

Mara had trouble walking in a straight line, and I got blown off my feet twice high on the ridge. An 80 mph wind is officially hurricane force 12, and it felt like it. And re temperature, the wind chill must have been fairly close to the -14ºC/ 7ºF to be expected on Chimborazo. (Interestingly, Mara seemed to be just fine.)

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Fabian_Jorge_Cerro_Arquitectos_summit_3_Jan_2019.jpg

BUT — I had no sunglasses with me (OMG), and no sunscreen. That was a dangerous blunder. By the time I got back home my whole face was like a fried tomato, and I'd slightly burned my retinas: I woke up yesterday morning with my eyelids stuck together. (A curious experience!) I spent most of the day in my bedroom with blackout blinds drawn, allowing my eyes to heal.

Even now, they're very sore (I'm wearing my glacier glasses at my desk here), and although it's not yet 9 am I can tell I'm going to have to go retire to sit in the dark again today. I'll be 100% fine :thumbsup: ... but it was an interesting lesson, well learned.

[wnlight]

Well, I surely wish that I had given you my sunscreen last week to take up there! That also would have helped me feel that I was up there with you three in spirit. Nice picture! Mara is posed well. Those two boys look really happy. I am curious how long the ascent took.

[Valerie Villars]

Did you have a camera on a timer? Who took the photo?

[James Newell]

Well Done Bill! It is always good when you can keep up with the young snots.
Did you show them where the haunted lake was?

The devil is in the details on what to bring on those hikes. Resting up in the dark sounds good.

[avid]

I just knew you were ‘up to mischief’ as all had been quiet for a while. You daft lad, no sunscreen or shades, are Mara’s eyes alright? Poor wee doggie, almost blown away!! Ah well, have a good rest, and thank goodness you are both back.
These ‘vicarious’ adventures are not vicarious for me, my nerves are shot again... :facepalm::behindsofa::bearhug:

[Bill Ryan]

Those two boys look really happy. I am curious how long the ascent took.

Yes, they had a great time. :Party: They had dark glasses (and dark skin!), but one of them didn't even bring his gloves with him, so I lent him my spare pair. We got to the top in two and a half hours, fighting against the wind. My fastest time up there, a few months back, was two hours flat.


Did you have a camera on a timer? Who took the photo?

A freeze frame from a very shaky short video... after a few seconds I had to run to rescue the camera quickly, because it was about to get blown away. (Really)


Well Done Bill! It is always good when you can keep up with the young snots.
Did you show them where the haunted lake was?

The devil is in the details on what to bring on those hikes. Resting up in the dark sounds good.

Made me laugh. Yes, we all did fine. :) They know the Haunted Lakes well, said it was a 'very interesting place', and asked me if I'd ever been there. The lakes where the condors are are to the north of there (very remote, a two day trip), but now I know the location (quite a well-kept secret, apparently) that's definitely on my list for soon.

Devil in the details, yes. All good hikers understand that... which is why I was kicking myself. :facepalm: I'm going to order a pair of spherical ski goggles with 100% UV protection but high 65% VLT (visible light transmission). That means they have a wide angle of visibility, let a lot of light through (unlike dark glasses), but also protect the eyes totally.

This is what's on my [late!] Santa list. :) My eyes are too important to take risks with if this happens again.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41BGr6aAWbL._SL250_.jpg

[Ernie Nemeth]

When's your birthday again?:idea:

[DNA]

I just knew you were ‘up to mischief’ as all had been quiet for a while. You daft lad, no sunscreen or shades, are Mara’s eyes alright? Poor wee doggie, almost blown away!! Ah well, have a good rest, and thank goodness you are both back.
These ‘vicarious’ adventures are not vicarious for me, my nerves are shot again... :facepalm::behindsofa::bearhug:


I hear you Avid. There are those who would like to spend their recreational time smoking a pipe and sitting on the porch while taking in the moment, and I'm one of those types. And then there are folks who don't really feel alive unless they are challenging themselves, spirit-mind-physicality exerted in accomplishing something they really enjoy. I think Bill is one of those folks and I think it is important for him to continue this practice until he can't. And you have to shed a smile and feel happy for someone who is able to do such. Even if it is a little rough on your nerves. :heart:

[Bill Ryan]

I just knew you were ‘up to mischief’ as all had been quiet for a while. You daft lad, no sunscreen or shades, are Mara’s eyes alright? Poor wee doggie, almost blown away!! Ah well, have a good rest, and thank goodness you are both back.
These ‘vicarious’ adventures are not vicarious for me, my nerves are shot again... :facepalm::behindsofa::bearhug:

https://www.passpawt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Dog-Flying.jpg

[avid]

Thank you DNA, I have such admiration for Bill and his faithful colleague Mara, but after all these years, I am turning into a nail-biting ‘parent’ totally unintentionally. Yes, it’s brilliant they dash off and do wonderful things, but I am so happy when they are home. Purely selfish, after this being my main ‘family forum’ since first inception in September 2008, I naturally feel nervous if our founder may be captured by something interdimensionally nasty in the nether regions of Ecuador, or something should hurt his doggie... Taking calming tea as I speak, please forgive my weakness, happy to help to buy him safety gear as required, I want them to feel ‘protected’.

[wnlight]

That settles it, Bill. We should spend a night at the Enchanted Lakes. I have the larger dog that you thought of. But we will have to wait until I have built up the strength for the round trip hike. That will be later this year. BTW. Your vision of the uncloaked, but malevolent Wawa Grande was not a siren song. It was your higher self telling you to go back there and clear the experience.

[Bill Ryan]

It was super-bright and sunny, with a high-altitude equatorial UV rating (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_index) of about 20 (twenty), literally off the chart — and there was the strongest wind I've ever experienced here, like riding a motorcycle at 80 mph.

Mara had trouble walking in a straight line, and I got blown off my feet twice high on the ridge. An 80 mph wind is officially hurricane force 12, and it felt like it. And re temperature, the wind chill must have been fairly close to the -14ºC/ 7ºF to be expected on Chimborazo. (Interestingly, Mara seemed to be just fine.)

A different photo, taken by self-timer —>
http://projectavalon.net/Bill_Fabian_Jorge_Cerro_Arquitectos_summit_3_Jan_2019_2.jpg

BUT — I had no sunglasses with me (OMG), and no sunscreen. That was a dangerous blunder. By the time I got back home my whole face was like a fried tomato, and I'd slightly burned my retinas: I woke up yesterday morning with my eyelids stuck together. (A curious experience!) I spent most of the day in my bedroom with blackout blinds drawn, allowing my eyes to heal.

Even now, they're very sore (I'm wearing my glacier glasses at my desk here), and although it's not yet 9 am I can tell I'm going to have to go retire to sit in the dark again today. I'll be 100% fine :thumbsup: ... but it was an interesting lesson, well learned.

An update here, for anyone who cares. :) (But don't worry! All's well. :thumbsup: )

I spent the best part of three days in the dark (during the daytime), emerging at night like some nocturnal creature. And even now, over a week later, I'm wearing dark glasses indoors. Even my computer screen is too bright. It really was a lesson well-learned. :facepalm:

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I tell this story against myself... of course, those stories are always the most entertaining. (For others, that is!)

Just today I learned that the Ecuador Meteorological Service had tweeted out emergency warnings — for that very day — that the UV levels could reach 15. That's ridiculously high for areas where people actually live, a couple of notches higher than 'extreme'. The Education Department was also warning that schoolkids shouldn't be out in the sun without protection for more than 10 minutes, assuming an UV level of 'merely' 11.

That day I was out for 4 hours, between 4,000—6,000 feet higher. Mad Dogs and Englishmen, as the old song went. The UV level was well over 20 up there. And it was a perfect storm, so to speak, because the crazy-high wind meant I couldn't wear my leather hat, which would have disappeared off towards the Pacific Ocean within seconds. :)

So now, I really want to thank the VERY generous Avalon member who's sponsored me for some high-tech UV goggles. Thank you, and you know who you are! :heart: They'll arrive here in maybe 5 weeks' time, and not a moment too soon. I'm never going to make that mistake again: as I wrote a few days ago, my eyes (and everyone's eyes!) are just too precious. They've always been in good shape — I don't wear glasses, never have, and never intend to — but as Janice Joplin sang more recently, you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

I'm just blogging this out of general mild interest. It's NOT serious. And definitely not in the tiniest bit serious compared with some other Avalon members who've undergone mighty travails and challenges, and still are. There but for the Grace of God go we all, etc. My recommendation to everyone reading this: be thankful. For everything you have.

:flower:

[Agape]

Well done Bill, I know you’re superman and your feats are beyond norm usually.
But good you did not notice the UV levels ahead, they’re tricky.

I spent most of last two years in Uruguay, at the coast where UV can get also very high especially during summer but all around the year, it has something to do with ocean surface and super-reflection. The surface to sky reflection boosts the amount of white light spectrum even on colder days.
I spent lots of time in the temple hut but going out can’t be avoided and eventually got used to the amount of light we were getting. On high UV days it felt like being slapped/hit by the Sunshine.
It’s wise to wear hat to prevent headaches.

But eventually I felt there’s an ability in us I was completely unaware of - kind of deflection. I was able to ignore it after some time and unless it was too hot.
Heat was worse, from my perspective AND mosquitoes.

I did not suntain or change colour and same for the family of my friend who are “pale face” of Spanish-Irish-Canadian ancestry. Dunno why.

Can cause bad headaches however.


Miss the Sun, as if the Light was edible( who says it isn’t):)

:sun:

[Bill Ryan]

I had no sunglasses with me (OMG), and no sunscreen. That was a dangerous blunder. By the time I got back home my whole face was like a fried tomato, and I'd slightly burned my retinas: I woke up yesterday morning with my eyelids stuck together. (A curious experience!) I spent most of the day in my bedroom with blackout blinds drawn, allowing my eyes to heal.

Even now, they're very sore (I'm wearing my glacier glasses at my desk here), and although it's not yet 9 am I can tell I'm going to have to go retire to sit in the dark again today. I'll be 100% fine :thumbsup: ... but it was an interesting lesson, well learned.

An update here, for anyone who cares. :) (But don't worry! All's well. :thumbsup: )

I spent the best part of three days in the dark (during the daytime), emerging at night like some nocturnal creature. And even now, over a week later, I'm wearing dark glasses indoors. Even my computer screen is too bright. It really was a lesson well-learned. :facepalm:

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I tell this story against myself... of course, those stories are always the most entertaining. (For others, that is!)

Just today I learned that the Ecuador Meteorological Service had tweeted out emergency warnings — for that very day — that the UV levels could reach 15. That's ridiculously high for areas where people actually live, a couple of notches higher than 'extreme'. The Education Department was also warning that schoolkids shouldn't be out in the sun without protection for more than 10 minutes, assuming an UV level of 'merely' 11.

That day I was out for 4 hours, between 4,000—6,000 feet higher. Mad Dogs and Englishmen, as the old song went. The UV level was well over 20 up there. And it was a perfect storm, so to speak, because the crazy-high wind meant I couldn't wear my leather hat, which would have disappeared off towards the Pacific Ocean within seconds.

~~~

A further update. (But this might better belong on the weird, wild weather thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?92384-Weird-wild-weather-floods-freak-storms-giant-hail-record-lows-all-over-the-world).)

I recovered totally. I took a lot of care, and all in all it took maybe 2-3 weeks to get my eyes back to 100%. (One thing that helped a lot was a short water fast (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?101104-Water-Fasting&p=1269650&viewfull=1#post1269650), which triggers autophagy, or accelerated self-healing.)

Then two days ago — OMG! :facepalm: — it happened again. And I'd barely left the house. Go figure.

I'd been for a short half-hour local hike with Mara that morning (my normal routine), and spent the rest of the day at my desk. By about 4 pm, my eyes were really hurting, blurry, and tearing up. I couldn't understand it.

Then, on impulse, I looked up what the UV levels had been earlier in the the day. They'd peaked at 16 (sixteen). Jeez! That's 50% higher than officially 'extreme', which is 11.

The problem had been my room skylight, which my desk is partially under. I'd not even been in the mountains.

Yesterday morning, my eyes were glued together again, and really hurting. It was actually worse than last time. I spent the day in a dark room (again). And I was thinking, "OMG, I've got to do all THAT one more time, for ANOTHER 2-3 weeks." Ooooof.

This morning, they're a fraction better, and I know what I have to do. That's nothing except being mindful and protective, and waiting for my body to do its reliable miraculous healing thing. And at the end of this week, my new UV goggles will arrive. :thumbsup:

Meanwhile, the UV levels are being predicted to increase by a further 10-15% over the next few days (they were at 15 yesterday, but I was in my darkened room), so (a) I'm being semi-nocturnal, (b) I'm not even stepping an inch out the door till tomorrow, and (c) I'm limiting my online time just for the moment.

:)

Food for thought. Times are changing. We're not used to thinking about UV, but there's some kind of major change happening at the moment where I am on the equator. (Ozone hole? Research needed. What's going on must be known.) I'm going to need to wear dark glasses all the time I'm out, just as a new habit, whether I'm in the mountains or not.

Finally: all this is VERY trivial compared with the serious travails suffered and survived by many others. I'm always fully aware of that. But it's just a PS to the interesting little story above, which — as I said earlier — I do tell entirely against myself.

:flower:

[Flash]

I am pretty sure that you are aware that UV protection has to be UVA and UVB wavelenghts, both. For the eyes and the skin. Mentioning just in case. UVA do not go through glass, but UVB do.

Take care of yourself, eyes are important to live by oneself. Well, they are important period.

[Dennis Leahy]

Oh your poor retinas. I wish there was something for retinas like aloe vera for the skin. Darkness (no UV) and time sound about right. When you can, get some eyedrops in, it will help with the crusty crap.

Rather than "heal quickly", I'll say, heal completely.

[Constance]

Oh your poor retinas. I wish there was something for retinas like aloe vera for the skin. Darkness (no UV) and time sound about right. When you can, get some eyedrops in, it will help with the crusty crap.

Rather than "heal quickly", I'll say, heal completely.

I have heard some very good things about the herb eyebright when it comes to healing eyes. You do need to take it internally as a tincture however. Comfrey taken as a tincture internally can also be highly beneficial too.
Anecdotally, I have used castor oil for whenever I have injured my eyes, or I have had any inflammation to the eyes and it has worked remarkably well. It really works well as an anti-inflammatory. (or so I discovered)

https://ndnr.com/anti-aging/castor-oil-age-related-cataract-a-case-for-the-therapeutic-order/



"In recent years, studies on the use of castor oil for eyes have found that it aids in the reformation of the lipid layer of the tear film and prevents evaporation of the existing tear film.11 It also increases the lubrication ability of eye drops and improves meibomian gland function in patients with gland dysfunction.12 Several commercial eye drops today include castor oil as one of their active ingredients. It is well established that a healthy tear film is important for supplying nutrients and oxygen to the eye, preventing infection, and optimizing vision.13 We took advantage of these medicinal properties of castor oil in a topical application for our patient with mild cataract."

[Denise/Dizi]

Food for thought. Times are changing. We're not used to thinking about UV, but there's some kind of major change happening at the moment where I am on the equator. (Ozone hole? Research needed. What's going on must be known.) I'm going to need to wear dark glasses all the time I'm out, just as a new habit, whether I'm in the mountains or not.

Finally: all this is VERY trivial compared with the serious travails suffered and survived by many others. I'm always fully aware of that. But it's just a PS to the interesting little story above, which — as I said earlier — I do tell entirely against myself.

:flower:

I think you may be onto something.. When I had my contact experiences, I asked why they were here, and they said something very curious. They said, "You're getting close to the fire, so we are here to help".. I never knew what that meant.. But perhaps the SUN IS getting closer to Earth. This would possibly explain the GMO's, the chemtrails that are reflecting the light, the drying of the soil everywhere, and the ice melting at incredible speeds everywhere. It would also explain the higher than average uv numbers?

I always thought the "Elite" didn't care much for us, but poison us, and they're also poisoning their own environment, for both them, and their families as well, so there HAD TO BE a better reason than just wanting to kill most of us off. Perhaps the alternative is the we COOK TO DEATH? Maybe they have no option but to use GMO's to make it through what is going on? Have you seen images of the sun lately? Everyone is getting HUGE SUNDOGS in their images, and the sun just doesn't look "Right" anymore.. It would make sense of that statement they made while speaking to me..

I think you really have hit on something here that could absolutely be telling of whats going on in a LOT of other areas as well... I can't imagine those laying down the chemtrails would be doing it if they thought it wasn't absolutely necessary as well.. I can see it now.. "How did you guys figure it out? ".. Um well, BILL KEPT BURNING HIS EYES! Giggle..

But seriously, be very careful that you don't actually cause permanent damage.. That sounds HORRIBLE

[avid]

Are Mara’s eyes equally affected? This is important as animals need to see well to eat/hunt/defend themselves. Is there any research on this? :dog:
Hope you are feeling better soon, glad eye protection imminent. :cool::cool:

[RunningDeer]

Are Mara’s eyes equally affected? This is important as animals need to see well to eat/hunt/defend themselves. Is there any research on this? :dog:
Hope you are feeling better soon, glad eye protection imminent. :cool::cool:

This was a quick search to see what’s available (https://www.amazon.com/Petleso-Dog-Goggles-Sunglasses-Protection/dp/B07CTB4Q8B/ref=asc_df_B07CTB4Q8B/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=248414288605&hvpos=1o5&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15405960651408184397&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003172&hvtargid=pla-451384606046&psc=1).


https://i.imgur.com/icnePm8.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/AvcwieA.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/rAbvXbs.jpg

[avid]

Apart from the discomfort of wearing these goggles, having a doggy who needs to see critical distances whilst climbing makes these goggles potentially hazardous, so just out walking goggles only. It’s the ‘rock and a hard place’ scenario.... ???

[RunningDeer]

Apart from the discomfort of wearing these goggles, having a doggy who needs to see critical distances whilst climbing makes these goggles potentially hazardous, so just out walking goggles only. It’s the ‘rock and a hard place’ scenario.... ???

That was a quick search to see if eye protection was available. There are many styles and sites to research.

Top 5 Best Dog Sunglasses and Goggles (https://topdogtips.com/best-dog-sunglasses/)
Rex Specs - Just Right for Fit and Training (https://www.rexspecs.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrbfyh8604AIVCR6GCh0oMwqlEAAYAiAAEgL1zvD_BwE)



https://i.imgur.com/JLN3MNf.jpg

[Bill Ryan]

Apart from the discomfort of wearing these goggles, having a doggy who needs to see critical distances whilst climbing makes these goggles potentially hazardous, so just out walking goggles only. It’s the ‘rock and a hard place’ scenario.... ???

Yes. :sun: :happy dog: :sun: I was amazed at the doggie goggles that Paula found (doggles?)... I had no idea such things existed. :)

But it's a very interesting question, re Mara and her eyes. I've been watching her carefully, but there've been no signs of discomfort, like rubbing her eyes with her paws, hiding in the dark, not wanting to go out in the sun, etc etc.

I do think she's fine. But logically there has to be a UV threshold where an animal's eyes would be injured. In natural conditions, a wild animal with sore eyes in very bright sunlight would just lay low all day. But Mara, of course, will follow me anywhere, and (like myself) wouldn't KNOW her eyes were being burned until the end of the day, if she's up at 14,000 ft in very bright conditions.

For any meteorologists who happen to be reading: the UV yesterday soared to 17 (Jeez), and today it was 15. The day before it was 16. None of us are used to this UV scale, but 11 is considered 'extreme'. 15—17 are literally off the scale.

The very rough equivalent might be like temperatures of 140ºF / 60ºC... i.e. freakishly abnormal. (And, maybe dangerous if caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.)

All the UV scale images on the net stop at 11. Here's my own adaptation: :)

http://projectavalon.net/UV_Chart.gif

[DNA]

Food for thought. Times are changing. We're not used to thinking about UV, but there's some kind of major change happening at the moment where I am on the equator. (Ozone hole? Research needed. What's going on must be known.) I'm going to need to wear dark glasses all the time I'm out, just as a new habit, whether I'm in the mountains or not.

Finally: all this is VERY trivial compared with the serious travails suffered and survived by many others. I'm always fully aware of that. But it's just a PS to the interesting little story above, which — as I said earlier — I do tell entirely against myself.

:flower:

I think you may be onto something.. When I had my contact experiences, I asked why they were here, and they said something very curious. They said, "You're getting close to the fire, so we are here to help".. I never knew what that meant.. But perhaps the SUN IS getting closer to Earth. This would possibly explain the GMO's, the chemtrails that are reflecting the light, the drying of the soil everywhere, and the ice melting at incredible speeds everywhere. It would also explain the higher than average uv numbers?

I always thought the "Elite" didn't care much for us, but poison us, and they're also poisoning their own environment, for both them, and their families as well, so there HAD TO BE a better reason than just wanting to kill most of us off. Perhaps the alternative is the we COOK TO DEATH? Maybe they have no option but to use GMO's to make it through what is going on? Have you seen images of the sun lately? Everyone is getting HUGE SUNDOGS in their images, and the sun just doesn't look "Right" anymore.. It would make sense of that statement they made while speaking to me..

I think you really have hit on something here that could absolutely be telling of whats going on in a LOT of other areas as well... I can't imagine those laying down the chemtrails would be doing it if they thought it wasn't absolutely necessary as well.. I can see it now.. "How did you guys figure it out? ".. Um well, BILL KEPT BURNING HIS EYES! Giggle..

But seriously, be very careful that you don't actually cause permanent damage.. That sounds HORRIBLE

Great post, excellent connection of the dots. I'm reminded of that Nick cage movie from a few years back the one where the sun fries the Earth except for a few kids who were chosen to continue the species by a hand full of aliens. I would love to hear more about your contacts if there is another thread you have shared them on, if you have not shared them nor do not wish to publicly a pm of your account would be very welcome as well. :)
Good stuff

[Bill Ryan]

A further personal update. I promise, I'm not being self-indulgent here. :) But some of this might even be useful to a few folks out there reading this. (Avalon really is a repository of interesting information about almost anything!)

My eyes were only healing really slowly, and on some days they even took a step or two backwards. I didn't fully understand what was going on, so yesterday I bit the bullet and got to see a local eye specialist. I was concerned some kind of serious damage might have been done.

At first, the only appointment I could get via his secretary was two and a half weeks away. But then I e-mailed him directly to ask him to very kindly let me know of any cancellation, and described what was happening. He got straight back to me and said he'd see me immediately. He spoke excellent English, a very good man.

The upshot is that I have a severe instance of ultraviolet keratitis. I'd never heard of that before, but in lay terms this is really snowblindness. I wasn't actually 'blind', but it was pretty uncomfortable.

The cornea has a thin protective layer over it, 6 cells thick. Mine had just completely burned off. But before it all evaporated it'd done its heroic job, and my corneas and retinas, all shielded behind it, were 100% undamaged.

That was good to know! So all that has to happen is that layer has to regrow. In the meantime, it's a little like not having any skin.

I asked him about animals' eyes, and that was fascinating. He explained that human eyes are much weaker than those of animals. I'd never known that. He said that Mara would have had to endure something 4 times are intense (or 4 times as long) before experiencing any damage. So it looks like doggie goggles will NOT be necessary. :thumbsup:

In the meantime, my own high-tech UV goggles have arrived: :P

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_UV_goggles_sm.jpg

I kind of look like I'm playing a virtual reality game, but I can see really well from inside them and I'm contemplating a mountain trip tomorrow to check them out. (The last few weeks, I've only been going out with Mara locally at dusk, like some nocturnal creature. I'm staying away from the sun, or most indoor lights, absolutely as much as is possible. Even my computer screen is too bright.)

Interesting times. The moral of the story (and I wrote about this a little on the wild weather thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?92384-Weird-wild-weather-floods-freak-storms-giant-hail-record-lows-all-over-the-world&p=1276545&viewfull=1#post1276545)) is that the Earth's magnetic field is weakening, and so UV is increasing. It spiked to 18 (eighteen!!) last week, which is almost unheard of.

This is only really noticeable at the equator and also at high altitudes — a perfect storm, the closest to the sun anyone can get with their feet still on the ground — but in time this will very probably affect more and more of us, even further north and south.

http://projectavalon.net/UV_levels_Ecuador_14_Feb_2019.gif

Don't be afraid to visit Ecuador or Peru! But if you do come here, DO bring your shades. And make sure they're good ones, too. :muscle:

[avid]

A happier birthday with those thingies I hope... AND good news, ‘doggles’ not really necessary, but care needed.
What a carry-on out there.... the good news, then the ‘shiver-me-timbers’ adobe fiasco. Were no wildlife yeowlings/barkings premoniscing this earthly manouevering?
Take care, enjoy your umpteenth birthday :Party::bearhug::happy dog:

[Valerie Villars]

Bill, I was just watching my dog, Doucette, enjoy the cool green grass and beautiful spring day here in the country and I started to think about Mara.

I know you got her as a puppy and that story tickled me. How did you acclimate her to your arduous climbs? At what age did she start to go with you? How did you train her to be queen of the world?

[Bill Ryan]

Bill, I was just watching my dog, Doucette, enjoy the cool green grass and beautiful spring day here in the country and I started to think about Mara.

I know you got her as a puppy and that story tickled me. How did you acclimate her to your arduous climbs? At what age did she start to go with you? How did you train her to be queen of the world?

Mara's very first big hike was this one, almost exactly 4 years ago, when she was not quite 2. I had no idea if she could do it or not, but she acquitted herself with honors.

Enjoy... it's quite good. The video's a trifle over-long (maybe!) — but the music's just great.

:star: :Music: :happy dog: :Music: :star:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prRx2liK-QA





Edit to add: Aaargh! YouTube has muted my video... because the sound track was Led Zeppelin's Misty Mountain Hop. I'll upload the original to the Library. :)

[Bill Ryan]

Edit to add: Aaargh! YouTube has muted my video... because the sound track was Led Zeppelin's Misty Mountain Hop. I'll upload the original to the Library. :)

Here it is. It's worth listening to! :bigsmile: Turn the volume up high, and dance.


http://avalonlibrary.net/Mara's_Big_Walk.mp4 (11 mins, 350 Mb)

[Valerie Villars]

That was OUTSTANDINGLY beautiful. (Hands Clapping).

[Savannah]

From now on I'll think of her as Mara the goat dog:happy dog:

[Rosemarie]

Nice video! When you go hiking you park your car in the rest stops to the side of the highway? That would be the road I take from Guayaquil , no ? Hope to do a hike with you one day. Should be hard but fun for me.

[Bill Ryan]

Calling down the Condors

This long mulri-part post has some beautiful photos, some good news, and some bad news. :flower: The good news is going to come first.

Fabian Prado, the young local guide who I shared my 3 January Cerro Arquitectos trip with (the super-bright UV-spike day when I badly burned my eyes (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1269158&viewfull=1#post1269158)), generously invited me on a long two-day expedition to a very far-flung area way to the north, where he said there were condors.

That was an offer I couldn't refuse. So on Wednesday, Mara the :dog: and I joined him and his cousin Estalin. It was quite some hike: the most strenuous and remote I've been on yet.

Summary: we had to go over a 14.500 ft pass just to start to get there. We camped by a gorgeous lake called Estrellacocha (= "Star Lake"), woke up at 5 am on Thursday under clear starry skies, and then set off at 6 am to head for where the condors were.

That day was the longest mountain day I can remember, even going back a couple of decades or more. By the time we got back to the highway, I was at my limit: but the other two — with a combined age less than mine, OMG! — were also exhausted. So that made me feel just a little better. :)

And yes, I saw the condors. :star: Two huge birds gliding around slowly and effortlessly, clearly much bigger and with a different silhouette than the eagles we often see.

I'd been patiently watching the skies for hours, and hadn't caught a glimpse of them; but then they suddenly appeared for a few moments over a high ridge I was climbing, just (of course!) when I had my camera put away. But all that means is that I'll just have to go back there one more time. :)

The high pass we had to cross took us briefly down (a tiny bit) into the valley of the Haunted Lakes, before we climbed back up and out of it again. But that gave me a chance to ask Fabian about the legends.

He said that there'd been many reports of strange phenomena there over the years. I told him about my own experience (and that of Mara, who'd been very scared of something I could NOT see), and he was most interested.

In turn, he told me of a story recounted by his grandmother, who said that when she was at the Haunted Lakes when she was a little girl, she'd seen a 'door with steps' going down into the ground. No-one had believed her, and she was never able to find the exact spot again. But she stuck to her story till her dying day. So very fascinating.

Here's a map (for you mountaineers out there, or vicarious hikers :) ) — and a few photos from our trip. They're all downsized here from very large images. If anyone wants to look at the high-resolution originals, the links are below each photo.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/condor_expedition_map_sm.gif
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/condor_expedition_map.gif

Enjoy. :sun:

[Bill Ryan]

Here are Fabian and myself at the high pass, with the Haunted Lakes behind us. This was one of the few moments I took off my super-dark glacier glasses in all the two days.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Bill_and_Fabian_at_the_high_pass_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Bill_and_Fabian_at_the_high_pass.jpg

A photo not taken on this trip, but here's the beautiful lake (Estrellacocha) as soon from the summit of Quitahuayco, the highest peak in the area.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/condor_valley_from_Quitahuayco_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/condor_valley_from_Quitahuayco.jpg

Mara at the camp, watching for condors...

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Mara_watching_for_condors_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Mara_watching_for_condors.jpg

... and Mara and myself, both watching for condors. :)

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Bill_and_Mara_watching_for_condors_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Bill_and_Mara_watching_for_condors.jpg

No photos of the condors. (Alas!) But to get to our far point, we climbed UP AND OVER this thing (Jeez!), which is why I had my camera put away.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Diablococha_sm.gif
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/Diablococha.gif

These silhouettes, matching what I saw, are taken from the net.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Birds/New-world-Vultures/Andean-Condor/i-B7vrS9B/0/33c1348b/XL/_U3A0536-XL.jpg

[Bill Ryan]

Returning from our far point, here's Fabian (compete with fishing rod: he caught our dinner for us) and Mara heading down to one of the most beautiful valleys I've ever seen. The cliffs where the condors nest look small here, just to the left of the center of the photo.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/looking_down_the_valley_to_the_condor_cliffs_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/looking_down_the_valley_to_the_condor_cliffs.jpg

Now down at the valley floor — quite a descent — we're looking UP at the condor cliffs. We didn't camp here, but it would have been the most idyllic campsite one could think of, with a flat meadow, a gorgeous river, big rocks, and quinoa trees.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/the_condor_cliffs_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/the_condor_cliffs.jpg

Another view of the valley. Mara's there on the right, sitting in the meadow in the sun.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/meadow_below_the_condor_cliffs_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/meadow_below_the_condor_cliffs.jpg

Now climbing back out of the valley, here we are (small figures to the right of the panorama), with the valley behind and below us. We still have to climb the high pass that's several miles in front of us, on the horizon.

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/the_condor_valley_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/the_condor_valley.jpg

Finally, on our way back here's some more beauty, this time on a micro scale. Just gorgeous. A product, of course, of all the recent rain. You botanists out there, do look at the large image for the detail. :flower:

http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/an_alpine_garden_sm.jpg
Large image: http://projectavalon.net/condor_expedition/an_alpine_garden.jpg

[Bill Ryan]

We had a wonderful trip. Mara was full of energy the whole time... the only one of the four of us who wasn't really tired at the end of the two days.

But here's the sad news.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara's_eye..jpg

Mara's now blind in her left eye. She has a total cataract.

It was confirmed by the vet this morning. He said that as best he knows, there's no surgical solution for this in Ecuador.

I don't believe that, of course, so I've already started investigating whether there's anyone in Quito (the capital, 10 hours to the north), who could fix this.

Mara is totally happy, energetic and agile. But a few days ago, she'd just woken up from a nap indoors and went to the kitchen door to go outside. On her way out, she bumped straight into a stool that was on the left of the door.

At the time, I thought it was cute and funny, like she was groggy and still half asleep. But now I know she was blind in that eye, and never even saw it.

:flower:

It breaks my heart. I tore myself in two this morning for an hour wondering whether I'd allowed her to come to harm. But I do know I hadn't. She lives for the mountains, and she's at her happiest and most exuberant there.

She can clearly do just fine with one eye. The vet said her right eye was 100% okay. But that other eye has to be at risk now. With no eyes, it'd be a different story.

After pulling myself together, I swung into action to check out surgical options. And I also ordered these :) ... they'll arrive here in 3 weeks.

http://projectavalon.net/doggles_sm.jpg

Mara's not a bit upset, so I'm not going to be either. Humans can learn a lot from dogs, who always live in the present. I'm 100% determined to find a solution, and I will do so. I'll report back on this thread in due course.

:sun: :flower: :dog: :flower::sun:

[AriG]

Maybe you can be her “seeing eye human”? This is so heartbreaking- she couldn’t be over four years old? I recall telling you about my “Tara”

http://projectavalon.net/AriG_Tara.jpg

and how they seemed similar in nature. If the UV is so strong there? Maybe you should consider moving North?

[James Newell]

Amazing Photos! What a trek! Mara will come through this in fine fashion. You are in pretty good shape Bill, Well done!

[Rosemarie]

Let me try and help from my end. Contacting a veterinarian that specializes in eyes here in Guayaquil. I do know Quito has the best clinics for dogs. As soon as I know will let you know. Hopefully by tomorrow.

[Bill Ryan]

We had a wonderful trip. Mara was full of energy the whole time... the only one of the four of us who wasn't really tired at the end of the two days.

But here's the sad news.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara's_eye..jpg

Mara's now blind in her left eye. She has a total cataract.

It was confirmed by the vet this morning. He said that as best he knows, there's no surgical solution for this in Ecuador.


Let me try and help from my end. Contacting a veterinarian that specializes in eyes here in Guayaquil. I do know Quito has the best clinics for dogs. As soon as I know will let you know. Hopefully by tomorrow.

Many thanks indeed for the generous offer of support. :flower: But I successfully found a highly competent vet who could do cataract surgery locally, a most wonderful man: clearly quite an exceptional person. (But I guess many vets are wonderful people, actually.) Mara and I went to see him this morning.

But it's not a cataract. He was shaking his head at the first vet. He was totally professional, but I could tell he was very critical.

It's glaucoma, caused by an impact. I think one of the locals whacked her round the head with a stick. That's what Mara seemed to be telling me when I asked her.

It could have happened at any time, and I'd never have known about it. Mara runs free in the fields all the time, and sleeps outside in the long grass. She's never been a house pet.

Some of my neighbors, the farmers who live up the valley, walk down the track near the house with their small children, and the kids can be scared of an enthusiastic, energetic dog — even if she's being friendly. So I think an over-protective parent simply hit her round the head in just the wrong place.

It was an accident, one of those things. Nothing to do with the UV levels in the mountains.

But right now she's blind in that eye, and the vet said the optic nerve will be damaged and her sight can't be saved. The task now, he explained, is to save the eye.

So I have special drops to give her every 2 hours, night and day, for 3 days. Then every 4 hours, night and day, for a week. Then he'll see Mara again. He's fairly confident the eye can be saved.

The eyedrops gradually ease off after that (after 10 days the schedule relaxes to every 6 hours night and day for 2 weeks, etc etc), but he says she'll have to have drops daily for the rest of her life.

"The first week will be hell for you", he said. He was genuinely sympathetic.

"Don't worry, I'll do it all exactly right", I told him.

"I know you will, he said, smiling. "You're British." :)

~~~

British or not, it's a tough one. Although Mara is in pain (the vet told me that: or I'd never have known), she's cheerful and totally active. Just no high mountain hikes for a few weeks. Not only because Mara is convalescing.... but because I'll probably be too tired. (Insert wry smilie here...)

[Valerie Villars]

Will she still be able to be Queen of the World and climb in safety? Will she be able to adjust her depth perception to accommodate the loss of the vision in the one eye?

I had a horse once, a rescue of sorts, who as it turns out was blind in one eye. One night we stayed on an unlit trail way too late and there was no light from the moon. That horse got me safely home on a very narrow trail in total darkness.

I hope Mara will do the same. :)

[AriG]

Nothing his you in the “gut” more than an animal having health issues. nerve wracking! Make sure you keep her engaged. Sometimes they become disassociated from their environment when there is loss to one of the senses. So sorry for your stress and for Mara’s as well. Sending healing thoughts your way!

[Rosemarie]

Sooo good Bill that you found a good vet. Dr Veronica is always here for a second opinion if you need it. When is the pain going away.? The drops are to take away the pressure ? Sending love her way.

[Bill Ryan]

Will she still be able to be Queen of the World and climb in safety? Will she be able to adjust her depth perception to accommodate the loss of the vision in the one eye?

Yes, I'm pretty sure, but thanks: it's a good question. I only first noticed her bad eye when we were way into the mountains at an overnight high camp. For her, the whole hike seemed much easier than for the three humans with her, none of whom were in bad shape. :)

What I did notice was that when I could clearly see a wild llama standing there, very still, about 400 yds away, Mara didn't seem to spot it. Usually, she'd have been chasing after it like a bullet. So just maybe, the llamas in the area will have a slightly easier time of it. :)

But there will be hikes where there's quite a lot of tricky rock scrambling involved, including crossing rivers. Mara usually makes all that seem easy, too.

So I'm aware I'll need to do a little careful experimentation to see if she really can gauge distances well when she's jumping from rock to rock. It might be something that she has to re-learn to do, so we'll definitely take it easy for a while on steep ground with lots of big boulders.

An idea occurs to me as I write this. We could always go back to The Haunted Lakes, and see if Mara gets spooked again. The last time (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1251841&viewfull=1#post1251841) we were there, she was clearly frightened.

She was shivering, and on high alert about something that I could NOT see. If we went back again, and the same thing happened, then it'd add some credence to the idea that whatever she was scared of was actually truly invisible.

[wnlight]

It is my understanding that dogs can have a very good depth perception without the 3-D effect provided by two eyes. But I have no first-hand knowledge watching a dog with one eye. My concern is the pain. Hopefully, the drops will reduce the glaucoma pressure and thus the pain. I am also curious if Mara will act differently around my dog, Pippin. She has always been very protective of Bill.

[Bill Ryan]

Sooo good Bill that you found a good vet. Dr Veronica is always here for a second opinion if you need it. When is the pain going away.? The drops are to take away the pressure ? Sending love her way.

Thanks again! Your kind contact with Dr Veronica is very much appreciated. Meanwhile, the [new] vet here is a totally wonderful person, clearly with a great deal of expertise, and I think Mara's in good hands.

I barely know a thing about this, but I believe from what I can see that the pressure/swelling has gone down. (Yes, that's what the drops are for, also containing a painkiller.) That's important, or she'd be at risk of losing the eye altogether.

Amazingly, I've been doing fine with the two-hourly day/night medication. I dragged a spare mattress into the room next to my workstation, and rather like a firefighter I've been taking 90 minute naps there, fully clothed and ready to jump up and go find Mara in the grass outside each time the alarm goes off.

The vigil has been quite an interesting experience, a lot easier than I'd been bracing myself for. We've been going for our regular daily local hikes as well, and she seems just fine and normal in every way.

When the vet gives her the all clear to go up into the high mountains again, I'll definitely go seek out some big boulders in a non-dangerous place (i.e. not on a cliff edge!) to see how Mara copes with judging jumping distances.

It's a good point, so I do need to be aware. My strong sense is that she'll be just fine, but it'll be fun and interesting to give her the rock-hopping checkout. A little video may be needed. :)

:sun: :dog: :sun:

[Valerie Villars]

I noticed it's on the left side.

I commented to someone once that all the hard hits, both physically and emotionally, that I have taken in life are all on the left side, with appropriate scars.

This person asked me why I thought that was. I replied, "Because that's the side my heart is on."

They can hit us, but they can't lick us. :heart::heart::heart:

[Bill Ryan]

I noticed it's on the left side.

I commented to someone once that all the hard hits, both physically and emotionally, that I have taken in life are all on the left side, with appropriate scars.

This person asked me why I thought that was. I replied, "Because that's the side my heart is on."

They can hit us, but they can't lick us. :heart::heart::heart:

Well, our hearts are actually in the middle of our chests, though tilted slightly to the left. :)

Visualizing what I think must have happened, someone hitting Mara on the left side of her head makes sense if the person was right-handed and Mara was in front of them.

[Valerie Villars]

Bill, the heart thing was metaphorical.

However, I really came here to find out how Mara is doing. An update would be nice. She's such a lovely creature.

[Bill Ryan]

I really came here to find out how Mara is doing. An update would be nice. She's such a lovely creature.

Thank you for the kind thought!



Will she still be able to be Queen of the World and climb in safety? Will she be able to adjust her depth perception to accommodate the loss of the vision in the one eye?I'm aware I'll need to do a little careful experimentation to see if she really can gauge distances well when she's jumping from rock to rock. It might be something that she has to re-learn to do, so we'll definitely take it easy for a while on steep ground with lots of big boulders.


Well, last weekend I had what I thought was a bright idea to take her for a hike up the local river valley. We've been there many times before, and she always loves it. She's a real water baby, and it's not a strenuous high mountain expedition.

After a mile or two, it turns into a steeply forested gorge, with a lot of rocks to jump around on as we both wade upstream. That's the only way to progress, as the forest is so thick.

But it was a huge mistake, OMG. A real error of judgment. :facepalm: At one point Mara was on the other side of the river from me, and she was a little intimidated. I'd discovered she didn't have the depth perception she had, and she was slipping around quite a lot.

It was all safe — the water is only a couple feet deep at the most — but it's fast flowing and very loud with all the waterfalls, and I think she was just unsure what to do at that point.

I had to negotiate some rocks myself, and by the time I looked up again, I couldn't see her. In itself that wasn't a problem, but then I still couldn't see her. And after a couple minutes calling for her, I realized she'd just vanished. I'd lost her completely.

I spent the best part of a very long hour wading up and down the river, yelling for her at the top of my voice above all the noise. I had no idea where she was, but I knew what had happened: she'd climbed UP the steely forested walls, and then, like a cat up a tree, couldn't get down again. I took a 10 second video of where I lost her, to mark the spot, and you can see the problem.


http://projectavalon.net/Where_I_lost_Mara.mov

In the end, I found her... or rather, she found me, having somehow made her way back down to the river, looking very traumatized. And she'd injured her eye again in the forest, the blind one. Aaargh.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_new_eye_injury_sm.jpg

So she had to have an operation, and that was yesterday. The vet, who's the highest quality person, told me that it was successful, and he'd extracted 'a tiny piece of wood' from her eye.

I'm going in to see her right after this, and I'll get the story of whether he thinks this was from her first injury, or the new one. But she must have been in a lot of pain for a while.

I learned my lesson: that was so very dumb for me to take her anywhere near the thick forest. Jeez. I can't believe I did that, never thinking what might happen.

So from now on, it's the open mountains only. And today, I collect the UV doggles (http://projectavalon.net/doggles_sm.jpg) that I'd ordered a while back... redundant now, of course, as we now know UV wasn't the cause of all this. But I can probably adapt them into a protective eyepatch for her, which she's likely to need. A fun photo will surely follow.

:)

[Valerie Villars]

Don't beat yourself up. Mara knows you love her and we all make dumb decisions from time to time. I'm sure you thought you were doing a kind thing for her, by taking her out as she loves it so much.

I will be thinking kindly of her all day. :happy dog:

Much love to you both.

[Praxis]

I really came here to find out how Mara is doing. An update would be nice. She's such a lovely creature.

Thank you for the kind thought!



Will she still be able to be Queen of the World and climb in safety? Will she be able to adjust her depth perception to accommodate the loss of the vision in the one eye?I'm aware I'll need to do a little careful experimentation to see if she really can gauge distances well when she's jumping from rock to rock. It might be something that she has to re-learn to do, so we'll definitely take it easy for a while on steep ground with lots of big boulders.


Well, last weekend I had what I thought was a bright idea to take her for a hike up the local river valley. We've been there many times before, and she always loves it. She's a real water baby, and it's not a strenuous high mountain expedition.

After a mile or two, it turns into a steeply forested gorge, with a lot of rocks to jump around on as we both wade upstream. That's the only way to progress, as the forest is so thick.

But it was a huge mistake, OMG. A real error of judgment. :facepalm: At one point Mara was on the other side of the river from me, and she was a little intimidated. I'd discovered she didn't have the depth perception she had, and she was slipping around quite a lot.

It was all safe — the water is only a couple feet deep at the most — but it's fast flowing and very loud with all the waterfalls, and I think she was just unsure what to do at that point.

I had to negotiate some rocks myself, and by the time I looked up again, I couldn't see her. In itself that wasn't a problem, but then I still couldn't see her. And after a couple minutes calling for her, I realized she'd just vanished. I'd lost her completely.

I spent the best part of a very long hour wading up and down the river, yelling for her at the top of my voice above all the noise. I had no idea where she was, but I knew what had happened: she'd climbed UP the steely forested walls, and then, like a cat up a tree, couldn't get down again. I took a 10 second video of where I lost her, to mark the spot, and you can see the problem.


http://projectavalon.net/Where_I_lost_Mara.mov

In the end, I found her... or rather, she found me, having somehow made her way back down to the river, looking very traumatized. And she'd injured her eye again in the forest, the blind one. Aaargh.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_new_eye_injury_sm.jpg

So she had to have an operation, and that was yesterday. The vet, who's the highest quality person, told me that it was successful, and he'd extracted 'a tiny piece of wood' from her eye.

I'm going in to see her right after this, and I'll get the story of whether he thinks this was from her first injury, or the new one. But she must have been in a lot of pain for a while.

I learned my lesson: that was so very dumb for me to take her anywhere near the thick forest. Jeez. I can't believe I did that, never thinking what might happen.

So from now on, it's the open mountains only. And today, I collect the UV doggles (http://projectavalon.net/doggles_sm.jpg) that I'd ordered a while back... redundant now, of course, as we now know UV wasn't the cause of all this. But I can probably adapt them into a protective eyepatch for her, which she's likely to need. A fun photo will surely follow.

:)

Your poor puppy. I hope she gets better fast

Dont be too hard yourself Bill, there is no way you could have known.

I look forward to seeing Pirate Captain Mara.

[Pam]

I really came here to find out how Mara is doing. An update would be nice. She's such a lovely creature.

Thank you for the kind thought!



Will she still be able to be Queen of the World and climb in safety? Will she be able to adjust her depth perception to accommodate the loss of the vision in the one eye?I'm aware I'll need to do a little careful experimentation to see if she really can gauge distances well when she's jumping from rock to rock. It might be something that she has to re-learn to do, so we'll definitely take it easy for a while on steep ground with lots of big boulders.


Well, last weekend I had what I thought was a bright idea to take her for a hike up the local river valley. We've been there many times before, and she always loves it. She's a real water baby, and it's not a strenuous high mountain expedition.

After a mile or two, it turns into a steeply forested gorge, with a lot of rocks to jump around on as we both wade upstream. That's the only way to progress, as the forest is so thick.

But it was a huge mistake, OMG. A real error of judgment. :facepalm: At one point Mara was on the other side of the river from me, and she was a little intimidated. I'd discovered she didn't have the depth perception she had, and she was slipping around quite a lot.

It was all safe — the water is only a couple feet deep at the most — but it's fast flowing and very loud with all the waterfalls, and I think she was just unsure what to do at that point.

I had to negotiate some rocks myself, and by the time I looked up again, I couldn't see her. In itself that wasn't a problem, but then I still couldn't see her. And after a couple minutes calling for her, I realized she'd just vanished. I'd lost her completely.

I spent the best part of a very long hour wading up and down the river, yelling for her at the top of my voice above all the noise. I had no idea where she was, but I knew what had happened: she'd climbed UP the steely forested walls, and then, like a cat up a tree, couldn't get down again. I took a 10 second video of where I lost her, to mark the spot, and you can see the problem.


http://projectavalon.net/Where_I_lost_Mara.mov

In the end, I found her... or rather, she found me, having somehow made her way back down to the river, looking very traumatized. And she'd injured her eye again in the forest, the blind one. Aaargh.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_new_eye_injury_sm.jpg

So she had to have an operation, and that was yesterday. The vet, who's the highest quality person, told me that it was successful, and he'd extracted 'a tiny piece of wood' from her eye.

I'm going in to see her right after this, and I'll get the story of whether he thinks this was from her first injury, or the new one. But she must have been in a lot of pain for a while.

I learned my lesson: that was so very dumb for me to take her anywhere near the thick forest. Jeez. I can't believe I did that, never thinking what might happen.

So from now on, it's the open mountains only. And today, I collect the UV doggles (http://projectavalon.net/doggles_sm.jpg) that I'd ordered a while back... redundant now, of course, as we now know UV wasn't the cause of all this. But I can probably adapt them into a protective eyepatch for her, which she's likely to need. A fun photo will surely follow.

:)

I'm so sorry about her injury. I lost the hearing in one ear as an adult. It happened in a split second. I can no longer determine where sound comes from. The reason I share this is because the body and senses will eventually adapt to a great degree. What at first seemed very severe and depressing adapted to a minor inconvenience. She will learn the tricks of dealing with her disability. I imagine she will do this much faster than a human would, as animals respect their instincts and survival mechanisms. There is hope that she will be able to adapt to many terrains, but the open areas sound like a really good start.

[Valerie Villars]

Bill, how is Mara? Please tell me she is recovering nicely. Give her a big hug from me. The darling.

[Bill Ryan]

Bill, how is Mara? Please tell me she is recovering nicely. Give her a big hug from me. The darling.

Hey, my thanks to everyone for their inquiries and very kind thoughts. :flower:

She's recovering, but it's a struggle. She came home after her operation, but after a couple of days her eye looked like this (ugh) and she was in such discomfort that she couldn't eat.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara's_eye_25_May_2019.jpg

I sent the vet the photo, and he really didn't like that at all. So she's been back in the vet hospital this last week under observation. I go to see her today, and just possibly might be able to bring her back home again. We're both missing our mountain hikes!

[Flyswim]

Excuse me for dropping this link from the Daily Mail (UK Tabloid) but it reminded me of your climbing / hiking adventures with Mara, Bill. I hope that she is now recovered and on the up? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7121155/Mountaineering-springer-spaniel-Genghis-scales-268-Scottish-peaks-new-ex-Army-owner.html

[Rosemarie]

Bill, how is Mara? Please tell me she is recovering nicely. Give her a big hug from me. The darling.

Hey, my thanks to everyone for their inquiries and very kind thoughts. :flower:

She's recovering, but it's a struggle. She came home after her operation, but after a couple of days her eye looked like this (ugh) and she was in such discomfort that she couldn't eat.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara's_eye_25_May_2019.jpg

I sent the vet the photo, and he really didn't like that at all. So she's been back in the vet hospital this last week under observation. I go to see her today, and just possibly might be able to bring her back home again. We're both missing our mountain hikes!

Bill. Hello. How is Mara doing ? Just saw this post yesterday. Are you happy with the treatment the vet is giving Mara ?

[Bill Ryan]

Bill, how is Mara? Please tell me she is recovering nicely. Give her a big hug from me. The darling.

Hey, my thanks to everyone for their inquiries and very kind thoughts. :flower:

She's recovering, but it's a struggle. She came home after her operation, but after a couple of days her eye looked like this (ugh) and she was in such discomfort that she couldn't eat.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara's_eye_25_May_2019.jpg

I sent the vet the photo, and he really didn't like that at all. So she's been back in the vet hospital this last week under observation. I go to see her today, and just possibly might be able to bring her back home again. We're both missing our mountain hikes!

Bill. Hello. How is Mara doing ? Just saw this post yesterday. Are you happy with the treatment the vet is giving Mara ?

Hey, thanks. :flower: It's still a bit of a struggle.

Last week, in the dark, she ran headlong into something sharp on her blind side and stumbled back to the house screaming and trembling. She came within half an inch of poking her blind eye out. There was blood all over. This photo is of the new injury.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara's_new_wound.jpg

The vet (Dr Gustavo Mora (https://clinicaveterinariamora.com)) is a remarkable, exceptional man. The very highest quality human being. He and I are going to go on some high mountain hikes when Mara's ready again, and I'll look forward to that.

Mara will recover fully... we just have to make sure she's safe up there, whatever she does.

:muscle:

[Eva2]

Sending lots of healing vibes to the beautiful Mara - hope she is over the worst and will soon join her "person" on another climbing adventure. No doubt, it is very difficult to watch something so important suffer.

[Bill Ryan]

Well, another update. (And my thanks to everyone for all your good wishes and inquiries. :flower: )

The workmen who've now started to tear the roof off my house (see the Black Mold thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?91913-BLACK-MOLD-symptoms-remedies-treatment-elimination&p=1292467&viewfull=1#post1292467)!) can't come tomorrow, so even though the weather is cold, wet and foul I think Mara and I will head for the high mountains to stress-test how she's doing in body, mind, spirit and sight.

I'm confident she'll be fine now: she's healed a great deal the last few weeks. I'll be wearing full battledress (because of the rain), but she's an all-weather dog, so she won't even notice. I might have a few misty, damp photos to share tomorrow. :)


Edit to add:

It won't be tomorrow (Friday) after all.... the work team have to change their plans and continue on the roof because it'll be raining hard. The forecast is pretty awful, and they're concerned for the house (which is kind of like an open tent right now :) ). So the wet-weather mountain trip will be the weekend, or Monday.

:raining: :happy dog: :raining:

[Bill Ryan]

even though the weather is cold, wet and foul I think Mara and I will head for the high mountains to stress-test how she's doing in body, mind, spirit and sight.

Stress-test results:
:raining: :happy dog: :raining:

—> http://projectavalon.net/Mara_in_the_rain.mp4 (37 seconds, 25 Mb, recommended :bigsmile: )

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_in_the_rain.jpg

[Rosemarie]

I guess she passed the test with flying colors ! So happy for you two. Why is it still raining ?? I thought you had the same timeline regarding the seasons as Gye !

[Forest Denizen]

even though the weather is cold, wet and foul I think Mara and I will head for the high mountains to stress-test how she's doing in body, mind, spirit and sight.

Stress-test results:
:raining: :happy dog: :raining:

—> http://projectavalon.net/Mara_in_the_rain.mp4 (37 seconds, 25 Mb, recommended :bigsmile: )

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_in_the_rain.jpg

Haha!!! Lovely video, Bill! Mara is clearly SO happy to be there with you. Warms my heart :heart::heart:

[Mike]

she's the same master of the mountains she's always been, just a little more heroic now.

great to see:clapping::)

[Constance]

Yay for Mara! :happy dog: You both look well and happy :heart:

I could have sworn those were fairy lights at the end of those conifer branches surrounding Mara!

[Sadieblue]

Ahh seeing her run around happy as can be, just made me so
happy. Glad she is feeling good. YOu both look great.

[James Newell]

She definitely showed us all she's still "Got it"!

[Dennis Leahy]

Mara belongs on the canine version of the cover of a "Wheaties" box! What an amazing spirit to have bounced back to that level of vibrancy after losing sight in one eye. What an inspiration! Mara, thank you! You are personally inspiring and motivating me!

p.s. Bill, just in case Mara has trouble reading that, please read it to her for me.

[Bill Ryan]

Mara, the one-eyed wonder dog: :)

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_mist_panorama_1_July_2019.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Mara_mist_panorama_1_July_2019_lg.jpg)

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_mist_panorama_1_July_2019_zoom.jpg

Taken yesterday at 14,250 ft, on a peak we'd never been to before. She had exactly zero trouble. :muscle:

The next test will probably be this weekend, when we'll venture out to tackle a high ridge, where we have been before, featuring a bunch of large rocks which will require a bit of jumping and balancing. (For us both! :))

[Bill Ryan]

A general recap here, as anyone new to this thread might (justifiably!) think it's all about my dog. :)
:happy dog:

But it didn't start out that way. The thread title is all about Ecuador's Bigfoot, called the Wawa Grande (= "Big Baby" :) ). I set out — with my dog — to track it down.

There had been several sightings — including one impressive, dramatic physical encounter, in which a hiker was hospitalized with deep scratches after an actual one-on-one fight with the thing. And as always, the indigenous people know all about it, hence the local name.

All that is on this thread:


Bigfoot in my back yard in Ecuador (well, pretty close) (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?92551-Bigfoot-in-my-back-yard-in-Ecuador--well-pretty-close-)

To cut the long story short (and the long story is documented in this thread), I've now explored this area near and far, over many trips into very remote and wild back country, never seeing another hiker. And I probably now know it as well as any gringo ever has.

The problem is that there's just not enough for it to live on, unless it can somehow outrun the wild deer, llamas and alpacas. This isn't a dense, rich forest habitat like Northern California. It's a high, rocky, grassy, open alpine area, most of it above the treeline, with few places to hide from sometimes seriously nasty weather or create any kind of shelter — though those do exist: there are some high forested areas, and many large boulders where shelter could be found.

But I've never seen the tiniest trace of the thing. Including no prints in muddy areas near lakes and rivers, where one might presume it would drink.

However, there was one instance, documented here (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1252518&viewfull=1#post1252518), where my dog Mara was seriously frightened and on high alert about something which I could NOT see. It was all a very weird experience, and left me wondering whether this Bigfoot-like thing might not be entirely flesh-and-blood physical.

So I've abandoned trying to hunt it down... and I'm seriously reluctant to return to The Haunted Lakes (where Mara was so scared, and I got uncharacteristically disoriented) — because whatever's there, physical or otherwise, I don't think it means well.

Planned, though, for sometime in the next month or so (with a couple of young Ecuadorian guides who have become friends), is an expedition to a very remote mountain called Diablococha. These guys have never been to the summit. I was honored when they invited me to accompany them.

It'd be a strenuous two-day trip, and the area is super-beautiful, with condors not too far away (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1288851&viewfull=1#post1288851). But one wonders how the mountain got its name.

Dave Paulides (see this thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?88574-David-Paulides-research-over-1600-inexplicable-abductions-in-National-Parks-wilderness-and-urban-areas&p=1247761#post1247761)) has often remarked how the mysterious, inexplicable disappearances he's researched and reported frequently take place near some feature that was named The Devil's something-or-other. Diablococha, of course, is just
one of those.

[James Newell]

In the middle of night while out camping I have smelled a bigfoot but didn't see it, the sulfur smell was overwhelming. Enjoy your adventure, they keep you young. It is really great Mara has recovered so well.

[avid]

Passes an anti-sulphur squirty solution, for a ‘just in case’ scenario, and are there any other squirty solutions advocated?
Be safe, the happy pictures before are wondrous, just BE SAFE ❤️❤️❤️

[Bill Ryan]

Hello, All:

Mara and I went up once more today to the Haunted Lakes overlook, where we were a couple of weeks ago, and I took a great fun video (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1298912&viewfull=1#post1298912) of Mara galloping round in wild circles in the wind and rain.
:happy dog:

Today the weather was almost as foul, and I picked the hike because I knew it well, it's safe, and it's impossible to get lost up there.

Ha.

We made it up to the overlook — which is as it sounds: looking down on to the Haunted Lakes in the valley below, on the other side of the high ridge. I've been up there a couple times, and it always felt okay. Like, a safe distance from whatever it is that lives down there. :)

So we arrived at the high point, and Mara would not go an inch further. Normally, she races ahead of me all the time. This time, she stayed right at my heels. That was a problem, because I wanted to take a photo of her and the lakes below. I had to trick her into a pose, which took about 15 minutes. Here it is:

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_looking_at_the_Haunted_Lakes_sm.jpg

As soon as I turned round, she raced ahead of me again — heading back home. She did NOT like that place.

And here's what happened next... but context here, first. (Do please forgive me, those of you who've heard this before. But it bears repeating, just to understand the strangeness.)

I don't get lost in the mountains, I don't get turned around. I have an excellent sense of direction, and I know what I'm doing up there.

I carry a compass, but I've only used it twice in 4 years — one of those times the LAST time I was down at the Haunted Lakes and got quite disoriented for a few minutes, nearly heading down the wrong valley. (That was such a weird experience, when Mara was totally freaked out at something I could NOT see, that I decided I never wanted to go down to those lakes again.) All that was documented on video, here (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1252518&viewfull=1#post1252518).

But now, today, that happened once more. On my way back, though I knew it all well, I got disoriented again, and suddenly realized I was heading in exactly the wrong direction.

That totally surprised me. So I turned round, and within a couple of minutes I found myself in an area I just didn't recognize. That was REALLY weird.

A few days ago I was listening to David Paulides (http://avalonlibrary.net/Coast_to_Coast_AM_audio/Coast%20To%20Coast%20AM%20with%20George%20Noory%20-%20David%20Paulides%2C%20Hour%201%20(24%20June%202019).mp3) talking about Hunters who've disappeared. Sometimes, those few who've been found again report that although they knew those woods like their own back yard, suddenly they'd found themselves in a place they'd never seen before — similar, but different.


That was exactly what I experienced. I was walking past two small lakes — which was odd, because I didn't ever remember two lakes there before. They were definitely separated from each other.

But I kept on going, as I pretty much had to. I knew which direction I should be heading now. I ended up fighting my way through some thick scrubby bushes, which again I'd never seen before. It was all weird.


Then I emerged on the other side of that, and it felt familiar again. I looked back, and the two lakes weren't there any more... there was just one larger one.

At that point, I really wished I had someone with me!!

After that, it was all very uneventful, and I was back at the road an hour later. All this might easily have prosaic explanations...

...but that was my subjective, very odd, experience. :)

[Ron Mauer Sr]

There must be talented shamans nearby with revealing stories to tell about the haunted lakes.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

My gut feeling, for whatever it may be worth, is that the hidden lakes area is a stargate controlled by the dark team.

[James Newell]

I tend to think you should avoid that area!

[avid]

Some weird inter-dimensional portal, or unusual geology beneath. Were there any differences in sound - ie sudden quiet/no birdsong?
Hopefully never to be revisited :stop::no:

[Bill Ryan]

There must be talented shamans nearby with revealing stories to tell about the haunted lakes.

One story was shared by a local guide who accompanied me to the location of the condors a couple of months ago. He said that his grandmother, when she was a girl, had seen a staircase going down into the ground near the Haunted Lakes. She could never find that spot again, and no-one believed her. But she stuck to the story for the whole of her life.

[petra]

I noticed it's on the left side.

I commented to someone once that all the hard hits, both physically and emotionally, that I have taken in life are all on the left side, with appropriate scars.

This person asked me why I thought that was. I replied, "Because that's the side my heart is on."

They can hit us, but they can't lick us. :heart::heart::heart:

Interesting, Valerie :) A quick survey of myself indicates this is true of me also!
If someone asked me that question, I would have cracked a joke and said "Because the left is the devil's side".
I think your response is funnier, probably because it's true!
Besides. If the left side belongs to the devil, then why the heck is my heart there? :P

[Bill Ryan]

This has just made my day. :bigsmile:


https://cuencahighlife.com/monster-of-the-cajas-wont-go-away-despite-denials-by-scientists-and-park-rangers

‘Monster of the Cajas’ won’t go away despite denials by scientists and park rangers
Oct 28, 2019

Despite the best efforts of Cajas National Park and University of Cuenca officials and scientists, the so-called Monstruo de las Cajas, or Monster of the Cajas, won’t go away.

A 2013 sighting of Wawa Grande was reported in a snowy valley two kilometers from the Cuenca-Guayaquil highway. A three-man television crew from the U.S. was in town in early June, interviewing witnesses and filming high-altitude areas of the Cajas National Park where the monster has reportedly been sighted. The crew was accompanied by Quito tour guide Carlos Castro, who claims to have taken video of the creature in 1997.

“We talked to two retired park employees, one whom has seen the monster, as well as local people who know about it,” said Castro, who assisted the Los Angeles-based crew.

“We asked to see the evidence kept at the University of Cuenca but they continue to deny that it exists but we were able to talk to a former employee who took pictures of plaster casts of the footprints and who has prints of some of the pictures they keep locked in their files.”

A University of Cuenca biology professor who asked not to be identified, describes himself as a monster skeptic. “I am not saying that the witnesses are lying or that they didn’t see something up there, but I think most of the evidence has been fabricated,” he said. “I have seen one the videos and two pictures but these could have been altered. But, maybe not.” He believes the box of evidence that Castro claims the university is keeping from the public doesn’t exist.

“I explained this to the television people from [the television program] Monster Quest in 2009 but they seemed to think I was lying,” the professor said. “I also told them that the area where people say they saw this thing is often foggy and sometimes snowy and that the the high elevation can affect judgment.”

A supervisor at Cajas National Park refused to discuss the monster. “This is something we do not talk about. Wawa does not exist,” he said, referring to the name Wawa Grande ["Guagua Grande"], used by people who live in the Cajas to describe the monster. “There may be something else but I haven’t seen it.”

The most recent sighting was in April 2013, when two British hikers and a Cuenca guide claimed to have spotted the creature during a 3-day trek. The three said that they watched the over-sized humanoid for several minutes in a remote area of the park.

“I have no idea what it was other than to say it was quite large, with light colored fur and had some human characteristics. It was able to stand on two legs but also came down on all fours,” said Sean Worthington, one of the hikers. He added: “I am a scientist by training and not prone to make fanciful claims, so I cannot deny seeing the thing.”

Worthington and his companion, Roger Chrisma and the guide, reported that they watched the creature for several minutes from a distance of about 100 meters. The sighting was reported by a Quito television station and one of the pictures that Worthington said he took appeared in a London newspaper in October 2013.

According to Worthington and Chrisma and their guide, who asked not to be named, the creature had thick, light gray or reddish gray fur.

The monster first made headlines in July, 1988 when a Scottish hiker claims he was attacked by a pair of the creatures. Robert Burns, who sought shelter in a cave from a late afternoon snow storm, says he was mauled by the Wawa and tossed from the cave. Burns was treated for a broken arm, deep lacerations and bite wounds at a Cuenca hospital. His story was reported on television as well as in newspapers in Cuenca and Edinburgh.

In 2009, two Swedish hikers say they saw the creature and reported that it stood between seven and eight feet in height and weighed 300 to 400 pounds. Their story, along with a picture that they claimed to have taken, appeared in a Stockholm newspaper in July of that year.

Except for the fur color, most descriptions of the creature are similar to those of the alleged Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, in the U.S. Northwest.

According to Castro, many Cajas guides are aware of Wawa, either from personal contact or through reports from hikers. “Most people don’t like to talk about it because their friends will think they’re crazy,” he says. “Even if they haven’t seen Wawa, almost everyone who has spent much time in the mountains has seen the footprints.”

A retired national park service biologist, who worked in the Cajas Park when it was established in 1996, agrees that there is an official policy of denial and that park employees are told not to talk about the alleged monster.

“It does not exist. That is what we told anyone who asked about it.” He also says that the science department at the University of Cuenca has some “objects” and photos connected to Wawa, but these are off limits to the public.

[James Newell]

Yes there are No Wawa Grande's or bigfoot ape like creatures that could possibly exist at those altitudes says the museum curator who proudly claims he is going to leave the building one of these days, and go for a walk.

[Bill Ryan]

I've not posted anything here for a little while, mainly because there's not been much of significance to share. And with so many important things happening elsewhere, all this seemed trivial and even a little self-indulgent. Never my intention!

But in summary, Mara's coping perfectly with her one eye, my own eyes are doing perfectly with good glacier glasses, and my knees are perfectly strong again. (See this thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?107978-Joints-inflammation-and-all-that-stuff) for an interesting discussion of all kinds of good remedies for joint issues.)

Retrospectively, here are some photos from recent hikes:

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_on_the_high_ridge_26_July_2019_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Mara_on_the_high_ridge_26_July_2019.jpg)

And the same ridge again on a second trip, without the great weather:

A 360º panorama: (the same mountain on both sides of the photo)

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_360_panorama_9_Nov_2019_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Mara_360_panorama_9_Nov_2019.jpg)

Soon after, it got really murky:

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_on_the_rocks_9_Nov_2019_sm.jpg

Then Mara found a trophy: :)

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_finds_a_trophy_1_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Mara_finds_a_trophy_1.jpg)

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_finds_a_trophy_2_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Mara_finds_a_trophy_2.jpg)

And at the end of the day, a solitary llama on the horizon, with the clouds below. :sun:

http://projectavalon.net/Llama_with_the_clouds_below_5_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Llama_with_the_clouds_below_5.jpg)

~~~

Here on our own, the day after tomorrow, Mara and I are heading out on Christmas Day for another big hike. We'll take a large bone and a tiny Christmas cake with us to celebrate between us. :)

[Pam]

:happy dog:

Have a very merry Christmas Bill and Mara!!! With love, Pam, Bodhi and Booh.

[wnlight]

Have a fun and safe adventure in the Cajas Christmas Day, Bill. What is your destination?

[Bill Ryan]

Have a fun and safe adventure in the Cajas Christmas Day, Bill. What is your destination?A high sawtooth ridge, several miles long, that I've done once before a couple of years ago. The route is from right to left, then (at the left hand end) down the steep slope to the valley floor and then back to the right to return to the jeep. It's quite steep and rocky and slippery when wet, so if it rains I may find a way down early. We'll see. :)

http://projectavalon.net/The_long_ridge_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/The_long_ridge.jpg)

Our combined Christmas treats are a bag of bones (not for me!) a small moccaccino, a tiny chocolate cake, a Cornetto (which may not survive! :) ), a bunch of dates, and some home-made chocolate, which looks a little weird only because it's got blueberries in it.

http://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara's_Christmas_treats.jpg

That's a ton and a half of sugar, but it's a long energetic day. I'll start hiking before dawn with my headlamp, and if all goes to plan I should be at the right hand end of the ridge at about 8 am, ready to start the traverse. I'll report back on Boxing Day. :P

[Gracy]

Looks like Mara's going to be eating more than you Bill. Lucky dog, those bones look meaty and delicious! :)

[Bill Ryan]

Hello, Everyone: all rather trivial here — compared with serious events in the world, and also among some well-loved members in the Avalon community — but I figured some readers might enjoy hearing about our Christmas Day hike. It was a long, strenuous, but fabulous day. :sun:

In this and the next two posts are a bunch of high-resolution panoramas. If anyone has the time and interest, it's well worth opening them in a browser and zooming in to take a good look. There's a little video, too. :)

I was up at 1 am, left the house at 3, and started hiking in the dark at 5. By 7 am, an hour ahead of schedule, we were up high at the start (the north end) of the long ridge. Half way up there, we were greeted by the Christmas morning sunrise. Mara can just be seen in the long grass to the right.

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/sunrise_panorama_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/sunrise_panorama.jpg)

This is what the ridge looked like, a sequence of rocky peaks that needed quite a lot of care. Here's the view looking back to where we'd come from, our start point at the rounded mountain on the horizon to the north.

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_1_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_1.jpg)

Then the mist started to come in. The next two photos were taken in the same place, looking south towards where we were heading next. Concerned about the weather, we started to go a little more quickly.

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_2_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_2.jpg)

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_3_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_3.jpg)

[Bill Ryan]

But then the weather cleared again, and we really started to have fun. Here's Mara, the one-eyed wonder dog, figuring out how to descend a steep little rock step. :)

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara's_descent.mp4
http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara's_descent.mp4

Here's an arrow showing where she was:

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara's_descent_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara's_descent.jpg)

But then the next peak we had to descend, I could NOT find an easy way down. In the end, I did a tricky controlled slide half way down a steep 40 foot V-shaped gully, and encouraged Mara to follow me. But no matter how much I cajoled her, she flatly refused. (Smart dog! :bigsmile: )

So I had to climb back up again, which wasn't at all easy, and we retraced our steps back down the other side of the peak to circumnavigate it a couple of hundred feet lower. That took an extra half hour, but was absolutely the right decision.

Here's what Mara refused to descend:

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_4_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_4.jpg)

And here's Mara looking back at the peak. :)

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_6a_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_6a.jpg)

Here's the a view to Cerro Arquitectos to the west (where we've been a number of times), looking down on the clouds below us to the left and right.

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_7_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/panorama_7.jpg)

It was pretty hot, so we rested up for a few minutes in the shade of the rocks to the right of the photo. There, to my amazement, we were visited by a beautiful hummingbird... the height was 14,400 ft. :flower:

[Bill Ryan]

Finally, we reached the south end of the ridge, and the time was 10.30. We'd been going pretty quickly. I'd planned that would be our synchronized lunch stop at 12 noon US eastern time. But there was the most idyllic of all idyllic tiny lakes, and so we stayed there for a full two hours.

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/the_tiny_lake_sm.jpg
(large image http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/the_tiny_lake.jpg)

I'd shared earlier that we'd be there at noon US eastern time, in case anyone out there wanted to join us vicariously.

One Avalon member, anonymous by request — who I knew was a healer and a talented psychic — told me the next day that they'd 'seen' a very clear image of where we were. They described it exactly:
"A tiny, beautiful lake below steep rocks, very high up, with the water either blue or green... I couldn't quite tell which color it was."
Above, you see the water is blue. And in this photo, too.

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara_in_the_tiny_lake_2_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara_in_the_tiny_lake_2.jpg)

But it all depends on the angle to the sun and sky. Here, it's green — so our psychic friend was 100% right on all counts. :)

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara_in_the_tiny_lake_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/Mara_in_the_tiny_lake.jpg)

http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/the_green_lake_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_Christmas_hike_2019/the_green_lake.jpg)

We waited till noon to break out the Christmas goodies, and I planned to make a little video. But then my camera failed :facepalm:, so I'm afraid I have no visual record to share. Apologies!

I tore myself away from this most beautiful place at 12.30, descended to the valley below, and we were back at Pandora, my old jeep, at 3 pm. Our hiking time had been 8 hours.

What I was particularly pleased (and surprised!) about was that while it was a long strenuous day, with a ton of climbing and scrambling up and down as well as the long distance and the altitude, I'd actually found it easier than the last time I did the same hike, two years ago. (I cannot account for that! :) )

For anyone who's worked through these three posts, thanks. I do very much hope you enjoyed it. It was the most fun Christmas Day I've had for many years.

:sun: :happy dog:

[Bill Ryan]

Hello, Everyone: this post isn't about the Wawa Grande (at all!), but about a little adventure I had with Mara the dog a couple days ago.

I almost started a new thread called Maybe it's Safer in Lockdown. :) The interesting part starts after the four intro photos below.

(For newer members: The Wawa Grande is Ecuador's Bigfoot, which has been sighted and reported (http://cuencahighlife.com/another-monster-sighting-in-the-cajas-mountains-british-hikers-and-guide-debating-whether-to-release-photos) very credibly a number of times. One hiker was even attacked by one, and was hospitalized with deep bites and scratches. The local name it has translates as "Big Baby".

So I set out to explore the remote high mountains where it's supposed to live, and this thread is all about my various adventures. Some of them have been pretty interesting, and I did have one very strange experience (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1251841&viewfull=1#post1251841) in which my dog was highly alarmed and frightened, for quite a period of time, at something which I could NOT see. But apart from that, I've detected no trace of it.)
So this thread gradually evolved into a kind of personal mountaineering blog. For any new visitors, there's definitely no need to read any of it! But you may enjoy flicking through the many photos. It's gorgeous, remote, high country, and I've almost always traveled on my own.

But now because of the Covid-19 lockdown, I've not been able drive to the high mountains. So instead, I've been hiking locally, straight out of my front door. I'm highly fortunate inasmuch as I live in a very green rural river valley and it's quite easy to hike to some fairly remote areas here, as well, though it's all thickly forested and below the treeline.

So with that preamble, here's what happened a couple days ago, on Thursday.

First, some photos I didn't take on my last hike. These were from a similar hike on Tuesday, following a high Inca trail that sticks to the ridgeline at 10,000 ft. I can do a 4 mile circuit from my house that takes a couple of hours, first going high, then dropping down to the river and following that back home.

Here's the ancient trail, climbing up to the ridgeline. It's become so eroded over the years that it's about 10 feet deep... you can't see over the top of it.

http://projectavalon.net/The_high_Inca_trail_2_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/The_high_Inca_trail_2.jpg)

But up on the ridge, this is what it's like.

http://projectavalon.net/The_high_Inca_trail_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/The_high_Inca_trail.jpg)

Then, I circle down through open trees and meadows. This was such an astonishing photo that at first I stared at it thinking it had to be a weird double exposure. But it was actually the real thing.

http://projectavalon.net/Mara_in_a_green_wonderland_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Mara_in_a_green_wonderland.jpg)

Then, here's this big meadow looking up the forested, deep V-shaped river valley. My house is a couple miles downstream, to the right of the photo. The Inca trail follows the far left skyline, going for miles and miles.

http://projectavalon.net/looking_up_the_river_valley_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/looking_up_the_river_valley.jpg)

So, I'm truly blessed, as all this is just a couple miles away form my house. I just walk out my door and there it all is, without anyone else around.

Well, almost nobody else! Those photos were taken on Tuesday. On Thursday, when I went to repeat the same hike, I'd reached the large meadow above — and there was a local farmer, who wasn't happy. He seemed drunk, and was shouting at me, waving his machete around. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he was clearly very angry at me. I guess he owned that land.

So I apologized profusely (as best I could!), and backed off quickly. But now I had a problem, because I couldn't follow the trail any more. And I didn't want to climb 1000 feet steeply back up to the ridgeline.

So I bushwhacked my way to fight through the very thick forest to see if I could somehow get straight down to the river. I had a 100 foot cliff right below me, but the undergrowth was so dense there was little risk of falling. I was just carefully traversing the top of the cliff. You can kinda see it in the distance to the left of center (the V-cleft of the river valley) in the last photo above.

But then I turned my ankle, stepping over a log.

I could feel the ligaments go crunch, inside. OMG. :facepalm: Nothing broken, but it was a bad sprain.

Unbelievably (to me or anyone else), in all these many years of being in the mountains and forests, often on my own — all over the world, in some very remote places — I've never once hurt myself even the tiniest little bit. But I knew what I had to do.

If you sprain your ankle in the mountains far from anywhere, and you're on your own,


You do NOT take off your boot (or else you may never get it back on again).
You keep on walking as fast as you can and DO NOT STOP, because you have a rapidly closing window of maybe an hour before it gets so painful you can't go any further.

So, that was a new and interesting problem. And I still had the 100 foot cliff right below me. but I managed to navigate that and 15 minutes later I was down at the river, with my foot really beginning to swell up and hurt.

So I waded through the very cold water of the river, soaking my boot and socks, and that relieved the pain a little. Where I'd descended looked quite impressive, so I reached for my little camera, which had been clipped to my backpack shoulder strap. But then I realized that I'd lost it in the thick forest. OMG again. I wasn't going to go back up to look for it!

All I had to do then was wade down the river till I regained the proper trail, on the other side of the meadow where the machete-waving farmer had been. And after another 45 minutes, I hobbled through my front door, going exponentially slowly. :) But all was well.

I'm now shuffling around my house rather like the 99-year old British Army Veteran (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/04/15/coronavirus-99-year-old-army-vet-raises-8-million-britain-nhs/5136182002/) who did 100 laps of his garden on a zimmer frame to raise $16 million for the health service. :) I'm applying a ton of homeopathic cream, and it's mending very quickly. So all will be fine.

But this really gave me pause for thought. I realized how very fortunate I've been all these years. For anyone unfamiliar with this thread, you can flick back through the pages and see some of the terrain I've often covered with Mara the dog, always moving fast and light.

But if I'd ever sprained an ankle up in some of those rocky places, I'd never have made it back down to my vehicle without crawling most of the way. And this is the first time I've ever sprained an ankle doing anything, even playing soccer when I was a kid. It doesn't sound like much — but I discovered it's really not just a silly trivial thing.

So that's why I nearly started a new thread called Maybe it's Safer in Lockdown. (A deliberately ironic title!)

And that gives pause for thought as well, because one can't lead a rich, fulfilling life without risk.

It's just impossible. We can NOT eliminate risk from our lives. Risk is PART of life, whether one's hiking in the mountains, ocean sailing, starting a small business, emigrating to another country, or moving in with a new partner. And all the unknowns we navigate every day are precisely what make life so very much worth living.

:sun:

[Deux Corbeaux]

Thanks for sharing your story.

As you are a homeopathic user and mountain cruiser, you should carry those two little items with you, next time you go hiking. It’s often those little critters biting, or the ankles ..... at least for me 😉


43410

The Arnica (ankles) as well as the Apis (bites) will help immediately (no swelling).
They will easily fit into a shirt-pocket. 🙃

[TEOTWAIKI]

Wow!
That's an incredible hiking trail. I really envy your lockdown location.

Maybe a little gift of food to the machete-waver would have gotten you a trail permit.

A while back I was hiking through the fields just outside Ollantaytambo and the farmer appeared and wasn't very happy.
I just smiled and walked over to him and gave him two pieces of fruit I was carrying.
He smiled and gave me permission to continue through his field.

[Lilybee8]

WOW!! This is the best read ever! (Hiking was my passion) started with most recent events, then I saw Mara! :heart: (fur mom of6 myself) then I HAD TO know what happened to her and that you guys were ok (Thank God you are) I ended up with happy tears with Mara’s video celebrating her recovery lol :happy dog:
But THEN I read about your experience on the spooky lakes and Wawa Grande OMG! Can’t wait for the next post!! :sherlock:

[Bill Ryan]

Wow, 6 months with no updates on this thread. I'd never realized it was so long. It's been quite a year. :facepalm:

The reason for that is that for a while I was locked down here (but that's changed now, as Ecuador's lockdown is over (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111959-About-Ecuador)), and then Mara badly injured herself (see this thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111548-Mara-s-travails)), needing surgery on both hind legs. So although I did venture out on one or two solo hikes, there was nothing really worth reporting here on this interesting thread.

But now there is. :)

Some of you may remember our highly strange and unsettling experience at The Haunted Lakes a couple of years ago, when I became inexplicably disoriented for a short time, while Mara was shivering and growling with fear, staring fixedly for a good 15 minutes at something which I could NOT see.

I described it in detail here (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1251841&viewfull=1#post1251841), and this is the real-time video I took. (Quite a long one, but many of you found it quite riveting.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ol5ALBqDD8
I'd written:
Sierra just asked me if I'd ever plan to be going back there. The answer is NO. :)I promised myself I'd never return. It was all the general area where highly experienced local mountaineer Wilson Serrano mysteriously disappeared (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1246080&viewfull=1#post1246080), whose body was never found after 664 people, including indigenous trackers, had searched for a whole month.

Well. Someone living locally whom I know a little, and who I went on one short hike with a couple of months ago, just wrote to me to tell me that his mother had suddenly died — asking me to please please take him to The Haunted Lakes, as he needed to clear his head and get away from town. (I'd shared my strange experience with him, and he'd been fascinated.)

And he wants to go on Halloween. OMG. :) He's having a tough time there, and so I really can't refuse him. And the weather should be okay, but Mara, still healing, has to stay at home. (A vulnerability, as of course we'd not have all her doggie senses to warn us of the presence of whatever the heck invisible thing lives there.)

At least I now have a personal locator beacon (http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_personal_locator_beacon.jpg), registered with NOAA. (David Paulides (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?88574-David-Paulides-research-over-1600-inexplicable-abductions-in-National-Parks-wilderness-and-urban-areas) very strongly recommends them, and if Wilson Serrano had had one at least his body might have been found.) And it may help to have another human there as well, even with no dog.

I'll document whatever happens on camera. :thumbsup: Stay tuned.

:popcorn:

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Maybe a good idea to consult with some local shamans.
They may or may not have useful information.

[RunningDeer]

9 1/2 hours! Amazing stamina, Bill. Hats off to both of you. http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/hat-tip.gif

Thanks for sharing. ♡

[Elainie]

Wow, 6 months with no updates on this thread. I'd never realized it was so long. It's been quite a year. :facepalm:

The reason for that is that for a while I was locked down here (but that's changed now, as Ecuador's lockdown is over (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111959-About-Ecuador)), and then Mara badly injured herself (see this thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111548-Mara-s-travails)), needing surgery on both hind legs. So although I did venture out on one or two solo hikes, there was nothing really worth reporting here on this interesting thread.

But now there is. :)

Some of you may remember our highly strange and unsettling experience at The Haunted Lakes a couple of years ago, when I became inexplicably disoriented for a short time, while Mara was shivering and growling with fear, staring fixedly for a good 15 minutes at something which I could NOT see.

I described it in detail here (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1251841&viewfull=1#post1251841), and this is the real-time video I took. (Quite a long one, but many of you found it quite riveting.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ol5ALBqDD8
I'd written:
Sierra just asked me if I'd ever plan to be going back there. The answer is NO. :)I promised myself I'd never return. It was all the general area where highly experienced local mountaineer Wilson Serrano mysteriously disappeared (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1246080&viewfull=1#post1246080), whose body was never found after 664 people, including indigenous trackers, had searched for a whole month.

Well. Someone living locally whom I know a little, and who I went on one short hike with a couple of months ago, just wrote to me to tell me that his mother had suddenly died — asking me to please please take him to The Haunted Lakes, as he needed to clear his head and get away from town. (I'd shared my strange experience with him, and he'd been fascinated.)

And he wants to go on Halloween. OMG. :) He's having a tough time there, and so I really can't refuse him. And the weather should be okay, but Mara, still healing, has to stay at home. (A vulnerability, as of course we'd not have all her doggie senses to warn us of the presence of whatever the heck invisible thing lives there.)

At least I now have a personal locator beacon (http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_personal_locator_beacon.jpg), registered with NOAA. (David Paulides (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?88574-David-Paulides-research-over-1600-inexplicable-abductions-in-National-Parks-wilderness-and-urban-areas) very strongly recommends them, and if Wilson Serrano had had one at least his body might have been found.) And it may help to have another human there as well, even with no dog.

I'll document whatever happens on camera. :thumbsup: Stay tuned.

:popcorn:


Where to buy one of these beacons? Amazing Bill!!!

[Bill Ryan]

Where to buy one of these beacons? Amazing Bill!!!

https://amazon.com/Artex-8110-Personal-Locator-Beacon/dp/B07H8N9TD3

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41KrRxCrozL._AC_SX425_.jpg

It's very neat. Only 3x2 inches, fully shockproof/waterproof, weighs just a few ounces, and has a battery life of 8 years.

If ever activated, it sends a 24 hour emergency signal to a NOAA satellite which pinpoints its location by GPS. Each one has a unique identifier, so NOAA would know it's mine. Then they'd swing into action with details I've registered with them, like who to contact here to initiate a search. It works anywhere in the world.

It cost $300 (ouch!!), but I have to say I'm quite pleased I have it now. Anyone following this thread will probably have seen it's quite a high remote wilderness up there, with no other people anywhere. It lives permanently in my backpack, but when I go to the Haunted Lakes this next trip I'll probably transfer it temporarily to my jacket pocket. :P

[RunningDeer]

http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/popcorn.gif

I meant to add kudos on the production and post-production. It’s a time consuming affair. Like when we watched Mara, You and Cracker Jack Shoes walk far away and out of sight, then you three had to double back to grab the camera.

http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/hug-hi-five.gif

[Strat]

Where to buy one of these beacons? Amazing Bill!!!

https://amazon.com/Artex-8110-Personal-Locator-Beacon/dp/B07H8N9TD3

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41KrRxCrozL._AC_SX425_.jpg

It's very neat. Only 3x2 inches, fully shockproof/waterproof, weighs just a few ounces, and has a battery life of 8 years.

If ever activated, it sends a 24 hour emergency signal to a NOAA satellite which pinpoints its location by GPS. Each one has a unique identifier, so NOAA would know it's mine. Then they'd swing into action with details I've registered with them, like who to contact here to initiate a search. It works anywhere in the world.

It cost $300 (ouch!!), but I have to say I'm quite pleased I have it now. Anyone following this thread will probably have seen it's quite a high remote wilderness up there, with no other people anywhere. It lives permanently in my backpack, but when I go to the Haunted Lakes this next trip I'll probably transfer it temporarily to my jacket pocket. :P

Now THAT is cool. 3"X2" is tiny! I have a bad habit of buying expensive gear I don't need like search and rescue flashlights (I have a thing for flashlights, they're neat). Would fit well in the Off The Grid section of the forums.

[Constance]

ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

[Sirus]

Wow, 6 months with no updates on this thread. I'd never realized it was so long. It's been quite a year. :facepalm:

The reason for that is that for a while I was locked down here (but that's changed now, as Ecuador's lockdown is over (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111959-About-Ecuador)), and then Mara badly injured herself (see this thread (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111548-Mara-s-travails)), needing surgery on both hind legs. So although I did venture out on one or two solo hikes, there was nothing really worth reporting here on this interesting thread.

But now there is. :)

Some of you may remember our highly strange and unsettling experience at The Haunted Lakes a couple of years ago, when I became inexplicably disoriented for a short time, while Mara was shivering and growling with fear, staring fixedly for a good 15 minutes at something which I could NOT see.

I described it in detail here (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1251841&viewfull=1#post1251841), and this is the real-time video I took. (Quite a long one, but many of you found it quite riveting.)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ol5ALBqDD8
I'd written:
Sierra just asked me if I'd ever plan to be going back there. The answer is NO. :)I promised myself I'd never return. It was all the general area where highly experienced local mountaineer Wilson Serrano mysteriously disappeared (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1246080&viewfull=1#post1246080), whose body was never found after 664 people, including indigenous trackers, had searched for a whole month.

Well. Someone living locally whom I know a little, and who I went on one short hike with a couple of months ago, just wrote to me to tell me that his mother had suddenly died — asking me to please please take him to The Haunted Lakes, as he needed to clear his head and get away from town. (I'd shared my strange experience with him, and he'd been fascinated.)

And he wants to go on Halloween. OMG. :) He's having a tough time there, and so I really can't refuse him. And the weather should be okay, but Mara, still healing, has to stay at home. (A vulnerability, as of course we'd not have all her doggie senses to warn us of the presence of whatever the heck invisible thing lives there.)

At least I now have a personal locator beacon (http://projectavalon.net/Bill's_personal_locator_beacon.jpg), registered with NOAA. (David Paulides (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?88574-David-Paulides-research-over-1600-inexplicable-abductions-in-National-Parks-wilderness-and-urban-areas) very strongly recommends them, and if Wilson Serrano had had one at least his body might have been found.) And it may help to have another human there as well, even with no dog.

I'll document whatever happens on camera. :thumbsup: Stay tuned.

:popcorn:

Listen to your gut feeling on the day and ignore any sirens call...

[Ewan]

http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/popcorn.gif

I meant to add kudos on the production and post-production. It’s a time consuming affair. Like when we watched Mara, You and Cracker Jack Shoes walk far away and out of sight, meant you three had to double back to grab the camera.

http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/hug-hi-five.gif


I was wondering about that when I watched it but I reached an alternate conclusion. He actually had a film crew up there with him, just somehow slipped his mind to bother mentioning it. :wink:

(Don't go without Mara Bill! #Wait)

[Bill Ryan]

9 1/2 hours! Amazing stamina, Bill. Hats off to both of you. http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/hat-tip.gif

Thanks for sharing. :heart:Well, thanks to yourself and everyone else for all these good wishes. (And appropriate urging of caution!)

We're going on Monday. It's going to be super-sunny (though that's not always a good thing), and it's also the Mexican Day of the Dead (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead) — which sounds very ominous, but it's a traditional celebration of all those we know who have passed. And Michael's mother, who died a week ago, was part-Mexican. So it's very fitting. :flower:

(But going to The Haunted Lakes on The Day of the Dead does sound like the setup for a bad teenage movie. :) )

It won't be a 9 hour trip this time. (And I'll be wearing proper boots, my old beaten-up crackerjack shoes (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1254411&viewfull=1#post1254411) now long retired. :muscle: ) I've figured out a shorter and easier way to get in there, which should be half the time and effort. But I'm not actually making light of this: I really did vow never to return, and so my Spidey Senses will all be on alert, especially as (a) we have no early-warning dog, and (b) Michael is an inexperienced hiking novice.

I also know all this is very trivial compared with important world events affecting so many people! So I'm really just offering a morsel of diverting entertainment for anyone who might need a little relief.
:happy dog: :popcorn:

[RunningDeer]

I also know all this is very trivial compared with important world events affecting so many people! So I'm really just offering a morsel of diverting entertainment for anyone who might need a little relief.

The ordinary and trivial are the shock absorbers from the lunacy and folly, so we can dip into the endless fields of possibility.

Enjoy the adventure, Bill and Michael. http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/flower-daisies.gif


http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/Love/Michael-Mom.jpg

♡

[Gwin Ru]

...



:victory:

(He made it back :cheer2:)

[Bill Ryan]

He made it back! :cheer2:
He did indeed! :P

It was all sunny, pleasant and utterly benign. I had my antennae fully extended at the Haunted Lakes, but whatever was there last time definitely wasn't there today at all. It felt totally different.

Michael very much appreciated the day: at the 14,000 ft high point overlook, with a perfect view of the Lakes, he built a little shrine and laid some of his Mom's ashes, lit a candle and some incense, and left some flowers. He was really really happy about it. :heart:

A few photos tomorrow! A warm and sincere thanks to everyone for your care and interest. :flower:

[Bill Ryan]

To follow up on my placeholder above, here are a few photos. It was a strenuous, very hot day, over 6 hours, but we started early and took it slowly. (Whatever the thing is that lives at the Haunted Lakes may have been taking a long siesta. :) )

First, here's the view looking back to where we'd come from — some way beyond the lake on the right, which isn't haunted at all. :) (The prominent peak on the left is Quitahuayco at 15,000 ft, which I've climbed several times with Mara, my dog.)

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_6_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_6.jpg)

That photo was taken at our high point at just over 14,000 ft. It was the Mexican Day of the Dead (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead) (sounding a little scary, but actually a celebration of all who have passed), so Michael had taken some of his Mom's ashes, and created a little shrine for her, leaving some flowers. Here he is:

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Michael's_Mom's_shrine_1a_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Michael's_Mom's_shrine_1a.jpg)

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_1b_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_1b.jpg)

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_1a_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_1a.jpg)

The Haunted Lakes can be seen down to the right of center. It's a lot further down there than it looks, but Michael really wanted to go all the way there. (I'd been secretly hoping he might be too tired. :P )

So we headed down the long, steep slope, which was quite easy, and arrived at the lake (the distant second one, not the nearest one) where I'd had my strange, unsettling experience two years ago. But it was all totally benign and pleasant. The feeling couldn't have been more different.

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_4_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_4.jpg)

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_5_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Haunted_Lakes_panorama_5.jpg)

Then of course we had to climb way back up again, which for Michael was quite a fight. But kudos to him, he managed it admirably.

I might have some photos of myself — for anyone who cares! :) — as those were taken by Michael, and I've not seen those yet.

Of course, all this is super-trivial compared with what's happening in the rest of the world today, particularly in the US and Europe... but at least it may offer a little light relief. :flower:

When I got home, Mara was super-glad to see me (it was the longest I've left her since she had her two leg operations), but all was well. I'm still aiming for my traditional Christmas Day mountain hike with her.... 7 weeks to get her back in good enough shape, and I think we can do it.
:happy dog:

[Ewan]

Of course, all this is super-trivial compared with what's happening in the rest of the world today, particularly in the US and Europe


What's happening in the rest of the world is theatre, what you shared is real.
(Acknowledging theatre can be quite dangerous when millions take part).

[Harmony]

Glad to hear all went well on your return to the lakes and that beautiful place is now peaceful. I can imagine Mara back there swimming in the lakes enjoying herself. It would be great to see the photos that Michael took too when you get them. ☺.

[Bill Ryan]

I might have some photos of myself — for anyone who cares! :) — as those were taken by Michael, and I've not seen those yet.

(more trivial light relief if needed)

Well, one person very kindly PMed me to ask if I might possibly post something. :heart: Those following this thread know that I rarely post my own photos, but here are a couple... plus one of my shadow. :)

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Bill_3_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Bill_1_sm.jpg

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Bill_2_sm.jpg

[Stephanie]

http://projectavalon.net/Haunted_Lakes_2_Nov_2020/Bill_2_sm.jpg

It almost looks like you are using a measuring tool in this photograph!

Thank you for sharing your photos and adventures.....almost feel I’ve been too!

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Bill, if you do this again and feel something negative, it may help to start laughing and say to this energy "Go home and tell your boss 'I have failed.' "

[Bill Ryan]

Hello, Everyone (and particularly to new members, who may not know about this thread).

It was originally about Ecuador's Bigfoot, called the Wawa Grande — it does exist! — and my various adventures in extremely remote, rarely-visited areas trying to catch sight of it. But I never did find or see anything at all, though I did have a highly strange experience one time at an infamous spot called The Haunted Lakes.

So the thread gradually evolved into a kind of hiking blog, though every time I'm out there I do keep my eyes open and a camera on hand at all times. I've not posted anything here for a while, though, because Mara, my one-eyed mountain dog, has been a little lame after surgery on both her hind legs last year, so my [non-strenuous] rehab mountain hikes with her were all posted on the Mara's travails (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111548-Mara-s-travails) thread.

But that also meant that I've not been to the highest mountains myself for a while, and I was really missing them. I was also a little concerned that I might be getting a little out of shape to go high and far.

So yesterday, Mara got to stay at home (she'll get a Mara-scaled mountain hike of her own in a few days' time), and with an early start I ventured off to a peak I'd never been to before, a high (14,500 ft) brooding black thing called Cerro Negro. It overlooks the Haunted Lakes (see the Google Earth tilted-perspective screenshot below), but it's a safe distance from them. :)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Google_Earth_Cerro_Negro_sm.gif
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Google_Earth_Cerro_Negro.gif)

Here's a panorama on the way up, just to the south of Cerro Negro (to the center of the photo, but actually just out of sight) For anyone who cares to take a good look, the tiny images here don't do it justice: the full-size ones show a huge amount more detail. :)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Panorama_just_south_of_Cerro_Negro_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Panorama_just_south_of_Cerro_Negro.jpg)

At the summit, it was pretty cloudy, though it never once rained. I waited a while for it to clear just a fraction, and here's the best view I had down to the north down towards the Haunted Lakes. (They can just be made out, left of center.)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Haunted_Lakes_from_Cerro_Negro_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Haunted_Lakes_from_Cerro_Negro.jpg)

And here's yours truly, happy to be there. It was a long, strenuous day, but I was totally pleased and had a great time from start to finish.
:happy dog:

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Bill_on_Cerro_Negro_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_Cerro_Negro_9_April_2021/Bill_on_Cerro_Negro.jpg)

~~~
This is all very trivial compared with the many very serious things happening in the world right now. I'm absolutely aware of that. But it's kind of light relief (we do have one or two light relief threads!), rather like my taking a day away from my desk to re-connect with nature — something that may be important for every one of us, whenever we can manage to, in whichever one of many various forms it might take.

[Axman]

You are a lucky man to get a break with a view like that my friend.

I agree to take a break and stop with the propaganda. I try!

The Axman

[Harmony]

Thanks for sharing your adventure Bill. What a fabulous place and I see the water is running into the lakes. The full size images are great to look at, the terrain is quite rocky, even the unique wild flowers are seen blooming.

I'm wondering how you took that photo of yourself on the cloudy summit?





From Bill:
I set the video going in my little camera, and then captured a still frame. A self-timer wouldn't have worked... it took several minutes to get there.
:)

[Anka]

https://i.postimg.cc/d1wPXfNh/Bill-on-Cerro-Negro.jpg


Well, dear Bill ... you touched the clouds !!:flower:

I think it's a volcanic area too ... or maybe a little further North ...:flower:

The atmosphere really looks like a mosaic of rocks and flowers and choirs of springs, offering space, grandeur, tranquility, harshness, friendship, generosity, joy, rediscovery, contemplation, no wonder the Mountain calls ...:heart:
It looks very cool there, like a kind of world above the world.:sun:

It seems that, almost touching the earth there, at the top, it really seems a possibility to permanently expand the human limits and a way to have the mountain in a sublime escape in the middle of the unlimited borders of consciousness.

It is enough to see the picture to know why you miss the mountains, the passion for the mountains is a desire in the world of heights, a rough and beautiful world, born from the turmoil of the planet, caressed by clouds and rudimentary carved by the hand of sculptors with immeasurable power: the sun, water and wind.

It's just magical, and I'm glad you enjoyed Bill!:flower:

I think you are in good shape, and I wish you a lot of strength and youth forever, to be able to always climb this stone to eternity with the power of this earth in the portal of the mountain universe.:flower:

We wish you much, much health and joy dear Bill, for you and Mara!:happy dog:

Oh, and the most "Annapurna" hug for Wawa Grande :bearhug:
A&A

[Bill Ryan]

Hi, Folks: for newer members who may not know what on earth this thread is about, it all started off with my expeditions into the remote local mountains here to search for Ecuador's Bigfoot, called Wawa Grande ("Big Baby") by the locals.

Not a joke: this thing really seems to exist. It's been sighted a number of times, and back in 1988 a hiker was actually physically attacked by one and had to be hospitalized with deep scratches. (The fascinating account is included in this local news article here (http://cuencahighlife.com/another-monster-sighting-in-the-cajas-mountains-british-hikers-and-guide-debating-whether-to-release-photos).)

So I set out to see what I could find. I'm quite an experienced mountaineer, and with my dog Mara I ventured into some very remote areas, but never found any signs — although I did have one bizarre and unsettling experience (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Another-vicarious-adventure-and-another-Avalon-Cairn--for-the-Wawa-Grande-this-time-&p=1251841&viewfull=1#post1251841) when Mara became freaked out and very frightened by something that I could NOT see, despite bright sunshine and perfect visibility all round.

With no photos of the Wawa Grande to share (alas!), over time this thread has drifted into a kind of mountaineering blog, detailing our adventures in what is a very high and extensive wilderness. But I've never once forgotten about the Wawa Grande, and I do always carry a camera which I can whip out pretty quickly.

Then the other day, wondering where we might go for another hike, it occurred to me that there was a high and remote lake, which I've seen on Google Earth but which isn't on the way to anywhere and which I;ve never even seen with my own eyes from any angle. Here's where it is, in the big bowl just to the right of center.

http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/The_invisible_Hidden_lake_from_a_distance_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/The_invisible_Hidden_lake_from_a_distance.jpg)

It even occurred to me that this might be a perfect place for the Wawa Grande to hang out, where no humans could ever look in to see it. So yesterday Mara and I set out to explore.

Alas — again! — no Wawas were there. (Or if they were, they were definitely hiding. :) ) But the entire place was idyllic.

http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/The_Hidden_Lake_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/The_Hidden_Lake.jpg)

With no Wawas to be found, we set out to climb the prominent peak to the right of center. Here's Mara at the summit, just a tiny bit short of 14,000 ft...

http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/Hidden_Lake_peak_summit_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/Hidden_Lake_peak_summit.jpg)

... and here's [part of] the panorama that greeted us there. (For anyone who's really interested in all this, do open the large image on a big screen.)

http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/Hidden_Lake_Peak_panorama_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/Hidden_Lake_Peak_panorama.jpg)

Again, for those who may not be aware, Mara's been having a tough time the last couple of years. In 2019 she lost an eye (someone whacked her with a stick when I was away and she was back at the house on her own), and last year she fell out the rear window of my Jeep into heavy traffic (aargh! :facepalm: ) and needed surgery on both of her hind legs.

It's taken a full year for her to heal 100% from all that. I documented our progress on this members only thread, called Mara's travails (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111548-Mara-s-travails), and after a successful high mountain hike a couple of weeks ago (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111548-Mara-s-travails&p=1433670&viewfull=1#post1433670), I was confident she could tackle the Hidden Lake and the peak above it.

And she acquitted herself fabulously. For those who've been following all this over time (and I know some of you have! :heart: ), Mara the one-eyed Wonder Dog is BACK.
:happy dog:

http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/Mara_on_the_rocks_sm.jpg
(large image: http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/Mara_on_the_rocks.jpg)

And here we are. We had a good time. :) It's just SO GREAT to know that Mara can once more accompany me on strenuous high mountain trips, and lead the way, as well. She's 8 years old now, but despite all she's been through she's lost none of her energy, enthusiasm or agility. And she still loves every minute of it, just the ideal companion for yours truly out there.

http://projectavalon.net/Hidden_Lake_hike_24_June_2021/Mara_and_Bill_sm.jpg

:sun:

[avid]

Excellent news, she looks amazing. Well done Mara :happy dog:

[Adi]

Looks fantastic - and Mara looks like she's really enjoying the nature! Great job, Bill!

[Eva2]

Great to see Mara in such top form and doing what she loves - she should write a book!!

[Rosco1]

Looks like Bill did catch a Wawa Grande in this photo.
Post: 408
I put the picture through a filter and had to crop Mara out of picture as it would not load otherwise.
Then put a red circle round the being.
It is near top left of picture.
Big foot is known to be interdimensional and can go invisible at will, as long as it remains still.
Humans also have the same abilities.
It looks like it was almost invisible but not quite there.

Or could just be a case of pareidolia on my part. :bigsmile:46879

[Bill Ryan]

Looks like Bill did catch a Wawa Grande in this photo.
Post: 408
I put the picture through a filter and had to crop Mara out of picture as it would not load otherwise.
Then put a red circle round the being.
It is near top left of picture.
Thanks! I don't think you're right, though, as that's a pretty big mountain and that "little" band of cliffs there would be about 50 ft/ 15m high. I'd guess the terrain height of the whole frame of the cropped photo to be about 1000 ft/ 300m. (Either that or it's a really huge being, and then we're all in trouble. :) )

[ZenBaller]

Beautiful thread Bill, thank you. I've been reading the stories every now and then and looking at the photos. A small part of me feels like it was right there on the mountains with you.

I'm writing this comment because of Mara's health troubles, just in case it helps her in the future
or anyone else who has a dog or a cat. It's about arthritis in pets and an amazing treatment with gold implants.

I have a beloved cat who had serious arthritis. When she was about 9 years old, she reached a point where she was limping with both her front feet and couldn't walk more than a couple of meters, just for her basic needs. I had to take her for anti-inflammatory injections for a while, but they only brought a few days of relief before she started limping again.

At that point, the vet's father who is also a vet suggested a new kind of treatment that involves gold. It's an easy procedure in which the vet adds very small implants of gold in the joints of the animal. It cost 250 euros (in Greece) which is not a huge amount considered gold is used. I'm far from a technical expert but I believe gold doesn't rust and for some reason it helps the movement in the joints. The surgery is only needed once and the impact lasts for a life time.

The results were amazing. As the veterinarian said, it took her a few months for the body to adjust. The progress was slow and steady. In about a year she started playing again normally, even running in small spurts. Right now she is 14 years old and her joints are great considering the age as well as her overall health. Since the surgery five years ago, she has only limped 2-3 times because she exhausted herself by playing too much and taking too long walks in the backyard (which involves going up and down a two floor staircase). But she recovered in a couple of days and never limped again.

I actually asked the vet if the gold treatment is used for humans, because of the unbelievable results for arthritis. He didn't know.

[James Newell]

Great Picts! Looks like a great hike! Glad to hear Mara is back again!!

[wondering]

ZenBaller, That's great information to have...any day we are able to relieve the suffering of our fur family is a good day. Thanks for sharing. Diane

[Bill Ryan]

Another little adventure, the day before yesterday. Super-hot in the direct sun, with an icy wind, quite a good combo for hiking.

No llamas (or Wawa Grandes!), but at mid-day we encountered a bunch of icicles draped over a big rock, which astonished me because in all these years I'd never seen that here before. The previous night must have been exceptionally clear and cold. I took a whole huge bunch of photos, so forgive me for sharing a few of them here: :)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_1_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_1.jpg)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_3_sm.jpg
(large image:https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_3.jpg)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/icicles_panorama_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/icicles_panorama.jpg)

We continued to a high peak, very rocky, and (as last time) Mara negotiated all that just fine. It's very hard to show the whole horizon-to-horizon vista, but here are a couple of panoramas that (if anyone cares!) really deserve to be viewed on a large screen.

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_1_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_1.jpg)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_2_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_2.jpg)

Mara was exhausted when she got back, but she's all back to normal today and while the weather is this good we'll be off up there again pretty soon.
:happy dog:

[RunningDeer]

Bill, I don’t comment much because your photos and stories say it all. Know that I enjoy it when a new post pops up.

Mara is a happy camper; an eight year old, Smiley-Buddha-Pup.
http://paula.avalonlibrary.net/smilies/dog-terrier.gif ♡

[jc71]

Hi Bill,

Like RunningDeer, I don't comment much on this thread either, but always enjoy seeing you and Mara on your adventures.

I thought you might enjoy this story I just read in the UK:

https://metro.co.uk/2021/07/08/man-takes-dying-dog-up-his-favourite-mountain-in-a-wheelbarrow-for-one-last-walk-14892773/

Maybe you have even climbed these mountains (you might refer to this particluar one as a big hill rather than a mountain, but they feel like mountains if you don't live in a mountain area :bigsmile: )

All the best.

JC

[Bill Ryan]

This new article (below) seemed appropriate to share. :thumbsup: Much of this has been posted before, but I'm happy to update the thread... it's a phenomenon that isn't going to go away.

A personal note: I'm still exploring the high mountains regularly, but I've not updated this particular thread for a while as I've almost completely given up searching for the Wawa Grande, which seems inexplicable and very elusive — while I'm convinced it's also something that is somehow all too real.
Quite a few recent photos and accounts have been shared on my Mara's travails (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?111548-Mara-s-travails) thread. That was started separately after Mara (my dog), injured herself quite quite seriously 18 months ago. But she's now 100% fine, with zero signs of any problem and is able to do absolutely everything in the mountains that she always used to.
:happy dog:


https://cuencahighlife.com/monster-of-the-cajas-wont-go-away-despite-denials-by-scientists-and-park-rangers

The ‘Monster of the Cajas’ won’t go away, despite denials by scientists and park rangers

Despite the best efforts of Cajas National Park and University of Cuenca officials and scientists, the so-called Monstruo de las Cajas, or Monster of the Cajas, won’t go away.

A three-man television crew from the U.S. was in town in June 2021, interviewing witnesses and filming high-altitude areas of the Cajas National Park where the monster has reportedly been sighted. The crew was accompanied by Quito tour guide Carlos Castro, who claims to have taken video of the creature in 1997.

“We talked to two retired park employees, one whom has seen the monster, as well as local people who know about it,” said Castro, who assisted the Los Angeles-based crew. “We asked to see the evidence kept at the University of Cuenca but they continue to deny that it exists but we were able to talk to a former employee who took pictures of plaster casts of the footprints and who has prints of some of the pictures they keep locked in their files.”

A University of Cuenca biology professor who asked not to be identified, describes himself as a monster skeptic. “I am not saying that the witnesses are lying or that they didn’t see something up there, but I think most of the evidence has been fabricated,” he said. “I have seen one the videos and two pictures but these could have been altered. But, maybe not.” He believes the box of evidence that Castro claims the university is keeping from the public doesn’t exist.

“I explained this to the television people from [the television program] Monster Quest in 2009 but they seemed to think I was lying,” the professor said. “I also told them that the area where people say they saw this thing is often foggy and sometimes snowy and that the the high elevation can affect judgment.”

A supervisor at Cajas National Park refused to discuss the monster. “This is something we do not talk about. Guagua does not exist,” he said, referring to the name Guagua Grande [Wawa Grande], used by people who live in the Cajas to describe the monster. “There may be something else but I haven’t seen it.”

The most recent “sighting” was in April 2016, when two British hikers and a Cuenca guide claimed to have spotted the creature during a three-day trek. The three said that they watched the over-sized humanoid for several minutes in a remote area of the park.

“I have no idea what it was other than to say it was quite large, with light colored fur and had some human characteristics. It was able to stand on two legs but also came down on all fours,” said Sean Worthington, one of the hikers. He added: “I am a scientist by training and not prone to make fanciful claims, so I cannot deny seeing the thing.”

Worthington and his companion, Roger Chrisma and the guide, reported that they watched the creature for several minutes from a distance of about 100 meters. The sighting was reported by a Quito television station and one of the pictures that Worthington said he took appeared in a London newspaper in October 2016.

According to Worthington and Chrisma and their guide, who asked not to be named, the creature had thick, light gray or reddish gray fur.

The monster first made headlines in July, 1988 when a Scottish hiker claims he was attacked by a pair of the creatures. Robert Burns, who sought shelter in a cave from a late afternoon snow storm, says he was mauled by the Guagua and tossed from the cave. Burns was treated for a broken arm, deep lacerations and bite wounds at a Cuenca hospital. His story was reported on television as well as in newspapers in Cuenca and Edinburgh.

In 2009, two Swedish hikers say they saw the creature and reported that it stood between seven and eight feet in height and weighed 300 to 400 pounds. Their story, along with a picture that they claimed to have taken, appeared in a Stockholm newspaper in July of that year.

Except for the fur color, most descriptions of the creature are similar to those of the alleged Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, in the U.S. Northwest.

According to Castro, many Cajas guides are aware of Guagua, either from personal contact or through reports from hikers. “Most people don’t like to talk about it because their friends will think they’re crazy,” he says. “Even if they haven’t seen Guagua, almost everyone who has spent much time in the mountains has seen the footprints.”

A retired national park service biologist, who worked in the Cajas Park when it was established in 1996, agrees that there is an official policy of denial and that park employees are told not to talk about the alleged monster. “It does not exist. That is what we told anyone who asked about it.” He also says that the science department at the University of Cuenca has some “objects” and photos connected to Guagua, but these are off limits to the public.

[Patient]

Another little adventure, the day before yesterday. Super-hot in the direct sun, with an icy wind, quite a good combo for hiking.

No llamas (or Wawa Grandes!), but at mid-day we encountered a bunch of icicles draped over a big rock, which astonished me because in all these years I'd never seen that here before. The previous night must have been exceptionally clear and cold. I took a whole huge bunch of photos, so forgive me for sharing a few of them here: :)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_1_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_1.jpg)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_3_sm.jpg
(large image:https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/Mara_and_the_icicles_3.jpg)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/icicles_panorama_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/icicles_panorama.jpg)

We continued to a high peak, very rocky, and (as last time) Mara negotiated all that just fine. It's very hard to show the whole horizon-to-horizon vista, but here are a couple of panoramas that (if anyone cares!) really deserve to be viewed on a large screen.

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_1_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_1.jpg)

https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_2_sm.jpg
(large image: https://projectavalon.net/Bill_and_Mara_high_peak_icicle_hike_5_July_2021/high_peak_summit_panorama_2.jpg)

Mara was exhausted when she got back, but she's all back to normal today and while the weather is this good we'll be off up there again pretty soon.
:happy dog:

I have seen a few pics from people here on Avalon showing the areas near their home and the back yard itself.

Bill, you are in the running for best outdoor neighbourhood for sure!

Keep you eyes and ears on alert for the Wawa Grande. :)

[Bill Ryan]

An interesting (though tragic) local update. :flower:

Readers with long memories may remember that I posted here, (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Bill-s-searches-for-the-Wawa-Grande--Ecuador-s-Bigfoot-&p=1250685&viewfull=1#post1250685) back in 2018, about the disappearance of highly experienced mountaineer Wilson Serrano, hiking on his own in bad weather in the area of the mountains where I go with my dog Mara all the time. 664 people, including indigenous trackers, army and police searched for him for 30 days before they gave up. His body has never been found.

Connected with that (maybe!), I also posted here, (https://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93672-Bill-s-searches-for-the-Wawa-Grande--Ecuador-s-Bigfoot-&p=1386163&viewfull=1#post1386163) 2 years later in 2020, about my own solo visit to a place in the same area called The Haunted Lakes, where in perfect weather and excellent visibility I unaccountably became disoriented, and found myself very tempted to go down absolutely the wrong valley on my return journey home. If I'd made that serious mistake, I would have ended up in a very difficult, remote wild area, thickly forested with no trails, hard to get out of and many miles from any people or road.

Fortunately, I sensed that something was way wrong with my normally excellent sense of direction, so I got my little pocket compass out to check for sure which way I should go. And meanwhile, while I was figuring all this out, Mara (who back then had perfect eyesight) was staring fixedly at something that I could not see for minutes on end, growling and shivering with fear, all her hackles up.

There was nothing there that I could see myself, and I captured the whole thing on video. It was all pretty freaky. It was a long day, but we made it back without incident and I vowed never to return to The Haunted Lakes alone ever again.

~~~

So now to the present. Back on 7 September, 10 days ago, two local mountaineers also disappeared in bad weather, having gone to climb Quitahuayco, a high local mountain which Mara and I have been to many many times. I know that whole area extremely well, and though separated by several high rocky ridges it's just a couple of miles from The Haunted Lakes in terms of straight-line distance.

The two mountaineers, Wilson Bustillos (aged 68), and Diego Pacheco (37) also knew the area extremely well. But unaccountably, just like Wilson Serrano back in 2018, they never returned from their day's hike and so a search was launched.

They were found 5 days later, on 12 September, way down in the exact wild and remote area where I'd somehow been tempted to head down to when I became disoriented at The Haunted Lakes.

Clearly, they had no compass. (iPhones can have a compass app, but that's no use without a GPS signal or with a dead battery.) And though they were on a day hike, it seems they just didn't enough with them to cope well with several nights out in the open.

https://hartsport.com.au/cdn/shop/files/hart-default-title-silva-7nl-compass-14-104-33126688718937.jpg?v=1729490077

All this is old-style Mountaineering 101. These days, many hikers think that as long as they have their phone with them, all will magically be well. It doesn't always work that way.

And also, I should say, they had no PLB (Personal Locator Beacon), which ever since Wilson Serrano's disappearance I now carry everywhere I go. When activated it sends an SOS signal to a NOAA satellite which pinpoints the PLB's location to within 10 meters, and also notifies the local authorities. It weighs a few ounces but is a guaranteed life-saver if one is ever badly lost or injured.

https://oceansignal.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/OS-homepage-PLB-HAND-banner.png
~~~

Pacheco, aged just 37, survived his 5-day ordeal. But Bustillos, who was older, was very weak when he was found. The tough terrain made it extremely hard for the rescue team to evacuate him quickly. He died in their hands before they could get him to hospital.

~~~

The moral of the story, as I've written on these pages quite a number of times: you just don't mess with these mountains.

:flower::flower::flower:

[Ravenlocke]

Very sad story..especially that one of them did not survive after he was found.
I found a news clip about them here,

From UnsionTV

Auto-translated by Grok
Confirmation of Hiker’s Death in Cajas National Park

After five days of searching, the death of Wilson Bustillos was confirmed, who got lost along with Diego Pacheco. Although they were found alive, Bustillos could not withstand the fatigue.

#ParqueNacionalCajas #Excursionistas #RescateEC #TragediaEnLaMontaña #SeguridadEnMontaña #WilsonBustillos #DiegoPacheco #UnsionNoticias

https://x.com/UNSIONTV/status/1967725120169943377

1967725120169943377


Also about Wilson Bustillos he was one of several hikers that had gotten lost and went missing for a while last year in November 2024 according to this news bit on X.

RTP Ecuador 96.5 Fm

Nov 4, 2024
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In the early hours of, November , a group of lost hikers was rescued in Cajas National Park, in #Cuenca, after several hours of searching.

The alert about their disappearance was issued by family members on Sunday night. #WilsonBustillos, one of the hikers, recounted that the group changed their route “at the last moment,” which complicated their journey for more than 30.

All the hikers are in good condition.

🔵Follow us:
@rtpecuador

#RTPiciasultimahora #noticiasecuador #E

https://x.com/RtpEcuador/status/1853478529628831761

1853478529628831761



Also this news bit which names the area of the national park where they went missing.


La Voz del Tomebamba

Sep 11
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Wilson Bustillos, 68 years old, and Diego Pacheco, 37, went missing on Sunday,

September 7, in the Lagunas Pampeadas sector of Cajas National Park, while they

were on a hike and engaging in photography activities.

According to their family, the weather conditions would have caused them to become disoriented and head toward Molleturo.

Renato Puruncajas, Bustillos's son-in-law, requested support from security entities to expand the search, including the use of thermal drones and personnel specialized in rescue.

🎥Watch the full interview here: https://shorturl.at/Yus11 👀

https://x.com/tomebamba/status/1966174103720833096
1966174103720833096

[Ravenlocke]

Info-Notas

Sep 13

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🚨ATTENTION ‼️
Dramatic Moments of the Rescue of the Two People Lost in the Cajas⛰️

Cuenca: The high mountain guide, Cristian Albarracín, who participated in the rescue along with community members, ETAPA personnel, and the Police, shared the details of the operation.

https://x.com/infonotascuenca/status/1967057140109242523

1967057140109242523


Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador
@FFAAECUADOR
·
Sep 13
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Armed Forces join in the search for missing persons.

#Chimborazo|The Armed Forces of Ecuador, in support of the National Secretariat for Risk Management and Emergencies, joined the search and rescue efforts to locate and rescue Diego Pacheco, 37 years old, and Willian Bustillos, 68 years old, who disappeared in the #ParqueNacionalCajas.

Fortunately, Diego was located and rescued in the #Huigra community, where he remains under observation and medical supervision.

Communeros from the Palmas sector, #Molleturo canton, provided information about Wilson Bustillos, who would be in a difficult-to-access location; the rescuers managed to reach the site in the early morning of this Saturday.

As a result of the efforts, they managed to recover the lifeless body of the 68-year-old adult, which was taken by the rescuers to the Huigra sector, where it was handed over to DINASED for the corresponding legal procedure.

#FFAAContigo
#EcuadorUnaSolaFuerza

Follow us on our official social media 👉

https://x.com/FFAAECUADOR/status/1966876449320612295

1966876449320612295