The team is about to start hiking up the Vacas Valley. Things were a bit stressful when Karin arrived without one of her bags. When it did not arrive the following day, she went shopping with Chris and the group subsequently jumped in a van for the scenic ride to the small ski resort of Penitentes, located a few miles from the trailhead.
Hazel has been receiving many emails of good wishes on her birthday. What a place to spend your "day in the sun!" Hopefully tonight will see her comfortably nestled in her sleeping bag at the Pampas de Lenas camp about 8 miles up the Vacas Valley.
The trek in to base camp follows a deep, desert valley. The Rio Vacas (Cow River) flows along the trail and will be negotiated by a conveniently placed bridge tomorrow morning after breaking camp. Bunch grasses, small shrubs and the occasional desert flower are the prominent flora of the area. We've seen foxes and guanacos in the Vacas Valley over the years. Guanacos are a large mammal in the camel family, which look like tan or rust colored, small llamas. The tend to stay in the upper stretches of the valley, away from wandering climbers, but we have seen them down low on occasion.
I'll post more when they team calls in from Pampas de Lenas this afternoon.
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