Owl Gulch Trail in Telluride, Colorado

On July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Colorado4 Comments

Located right down the street from the Telluride Historical Museum is a the trailhead for the Owl Gulch Trail. It takes you above the town of Telluride and provides wonderful views of the town as well as Bridal Veil Falls off in the distance. Unfortunately, it is also a road that is heavily traveled by 4-wheel drive vehicles, so you often have to step out of the way. It is also exposed to full sun, so be sure to wear sunscreen and take plenty of water with you.

Town of Telluride with the Ski Slopes Behind

We got on the trail at around 11:00 am in the morning and started our leisurely hike that took us east of Telluride. The mountains around Telluride are absolutely stunning and hiking throughout the valley provides stunning views. The trail also gives a chance to see how quaint and small the town of Telluride has remained throughout the years. Although Bridal Veil Falls, which is the tallest free falling waterfall in Colorado, is far off in the distance, it is still quite spectacular. The power plant that sits adjacent to it is also clearly visible.

Bridal Veil Falls, the Power Plant, and if You Look Carefully, All of the 4-Wheel Drive Vehicles

Ingram Falls, Which Can Be Seen from Telluride

We decided to keep our hike short as we had hiked Bear Creek Trail the day before and our legs were a little tired. The number of vehicles with local guides taking people up the road to Bridal Veil Falls also made it dusty and somewhat less enjoyable. Despite the heat and the traffic, we did enjoy getting out and seeing the beautiful scenery. Afterwards, we went back into town and took the free gondola up to the Mountain Village to enjoy a relaxing lunch and a deserved ice cold beer.

View of Telluride as We Hiked Back to Town

Coroico, Bolivia

On May 7, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn South America6 Comments

Located in a rainforest in a valley of the Andes mountains is the town of Coroico, Bolivia. We went to the town after driving down “death road” and hiked to a beautiful waterfall and then enjoyed lunch at local restaurant. Considering how tense the drive down the side of the mountain, with its narrow road, thousand foot cliffs, and no guard rails, it was definitely relaxing to go to Coroico. The town square featured a whimsical fountain with a parrot and a colorful church. The highlight of visiting Coroico was definitely the waterfall, which was extremely dramatic and beautiful.

Nestled in the Valley of the Andes Mountains

We hiked along a trail that was surrounded by plants with coffee beans as well as beautiful flowers on our way to the waterfall. We spent about twenty minutes enjoying the sights and sounds of the waterfall along with several other tourists before making our way back towards our vehicle. Along the way, we saw several coca plantations that are in the area where the coca plants are cultivated and sold throughout the region for medicinal and recreational purposes. While it is legal to grow coca, converting it to cocaine is technically illegal, but it is still a big problem in the region.

After leaving the waterfall, we drove through the narrow streets of Coroico to a resort where we would have lunch. Compared to the conditions that we saw within the town of Coroico, the resort was extremely nice with a pool and incredible views of the rainforest. It was a perfect ending to a fascinating day of exhilaration and adventure. If it wasn’t for the fact that we drove down “death road”, we probably wouldn’t have visited Coroico while we were in Bolivia, but it was certainly an interesting and rewarding experience.

Waterfalls in the Jungle

On February 8, 2019February 8, 2019 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Central America, South America9 Comments

Waterfalls are always beautiful no matter where you see them, but they can be even more dramatic in the jungle. There have been a couple of occasions where we have specifically gone on excursions just to see a waterfall and we weren’t disappointed when we did. The first and one of the most dramatic was in Coroico, Bolivia, which we visited after driving down Death Road. We hiked along a trail that was lined with cocoa trees to a clearing where a large waterfall cascaded down from the cliffs above. You almost always have the opportunity to swim beneath the waterfall if you so desire. Recently, while in Panama, we followed a small stream off of the main river to another interesting waterfall. Although not quite as dramatic as the one in Bolivia, it was still a beautiful waterfall.