Nine through Seven

#9-7: I'll missing getting caught in thunderstorms in the Andes with Megan, Anna and Zack.
We had a long weekend in Chile because the Immaculate Conception is a public holiday here, so a group of 6 of us decided to go on a quick backpacking trip in the Andes to enjoy the weather. It had been in the upper 80s for several weeks and most of us packed accordingly....not realizing what was going to be in store.

We rented a car and drove about an hour outside of Santiago to a trail called Yerba Loca. Our hike started around 11am on Thursday, but by the time we hit 2:30 it was clear it was about to rain. Once the thunder and lightning started up, things got interesting. The storm was really close to us and the best we could do was find a big boulder with an outcropping to sit under until it passed. It took about an hour for everything to calm down, but we were finally able to keep hiking.

Another hour into our hike, the thunder and lightning started up again and we tried to figure out a place to set up base camp. Because we didn't have the rain fly for our tent, it was a little bit tricky. Luckily Megan found a cave part way up one of the hills and that's where 4 out of the 6 of us spent the night on Thursday and Friday. It was pretty cozy, but at least it was dry.

Even though it was a short trip, I loved getting out of the city. This was my first real backpacking trip and I loved it! Here are some of the pictures from the trip.

The Steels admiring the waterfall.

Part of our amazing hiking group!

Zack robbing our photo.

Sexy sunglasses.

The glacier we tried to hike to is up on the left corner of the peak.

Our cave!

Anna cleaning up the cave.

#9-7: I can't wait to be back in a culture where exercise and being outdoors is encouraged!
One thing that I've realized being here in Chile, is how undervalued outdoor recreation is by Chileans in Santiago. Even though they have some incredible hiking trails right outside of the city, a lot of people don't take advantage of it. I love that I grew up fishing, camping, hiking etc. because it gives you a reason to take care of the environment and keeps you healthy. It is going to be great to go on a run outside and see other people exercising too!