El Toro Trail, El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, May 27, 2023

Arrived at the parking area off PR-186 at 6:50 AM. We hiked 2.2 miles to El Toro Peak. Much of the trail was muddy due to ochre and red clay deposits, with some serious erosion damage in areas. The trail was rugged and not well-maintained. It took us five hours to reach the peak. We searched for birds and admired the plants on the ascent. Going back, I focused on plant photography, taking nearly 800 pictures. Returned to car at 5:50 PM. Adele and I hiked for 11 hours!

Air temp was mid 70's, with a cool breeze at times. No mosquitoes, scattered rain showers. Elfin woods at the peak, with rain forest below that. Whole area is called cloud forest?

road to reach the parking area was narrow and curvy, with many reckless drivers. A beautiful drive through the country. Good birding. Many great plants, but views along the trail are few and far between. The highlights of this hike are the plants, birds and peak. The Trade Winds trail is much prettier. We are very pleased with today's adventure but we won't return in the future.

El Toro Trailhead= 2132 feet
El Toro Peak= 3533 feet

small parking area, no fee

Piptocarpha tetrantha
Casearia arborea
Lisianthius laxiflorus - endemic

由使用者 j-stauffer 在 2023年05月28日 01:00 所貼文