Every winter season, the Mexican "pueblo magico" of Valle de Bravos becomes the end destination for two different migrating species.
The first sort is immensely ecologically interesting: millions of Monarch butterflies clutter the high elevation pine-oak forests, creating a mesmerizing and dizzying display as they flutter around the sunny skies. The second sort is a curious breed in their own right.
Paragliders from much of the frozen Northern Hemisphere (Shout out to the German crew!!) arrive to this mountainous town, two hours west of Mexico City by car, for the same warm, dry weather that the Monarchs favor. We soar around the skies trying to improve our skills as we tag waypoints (distinct topographical landmarks) with the names of divisadero, sacamatate, and Monarca.
One of most easily recognizable waypoints is the Nevado de Toluca, an extinct volcano which, topping out at 15,350 feet, is Mexico´s fourth highest peak. Flying to the summit is the Holy Grail for many skilled cross-country pilots. After viewing its taunting presence from a distance countless times from the sky, some friends and I decided to get to know it from a different perspective.
We prepared our day packs and headed off on a Volcano Safari!
Brian, Andrey, Sabrina and I left at 8am on a Saturday morning. Traveling from Valle at an elevation of 6000 feet to the Parque National Nevado de Toluca parking lot at 12,000 feet consumed a little more than an hour of the morning. Stopping for roadside local breakfast foods to feed the ambitious hikers took another hour.
We wanted to be well fortified for what we were sure would be a daunting and exerting day ahead of us.
Little did we know that going to visit the most visible geological feature near Mexico City, with its total urban population of more than 20 million, the Saturday before Christmas..... would be akin to visiting Disney World during the spring break
We had kitted ourselves out with dromedary bags, trekking poles, and at least a half-gallon of sunscreen per person; whereas, most around us were supplied with fashionable jeans, handbags, and at least a half-gallon of make-up per person.
Despite being situated on the lip of a high-elevation, extinct volcano in an extremely arid climate, we definitely felt like the odd ones out.
Nevertheless, we viewed it as great that so many families were out enjoying one of the country´s fascinating natural wonders and set off to see what there was to explore.
The volcano´s main official attraction is the walk down into the crater around the two permanent water features, laguna sol and laguna luna.
The blue of these two laguna, and that of the barely clouded sky that day, were the only sources of natural color while we were in the crater. The towering rim of the volcano and the desiccated plants varied from grey to brownish-yellow.
The contrast was strong, stark, and eerily beautiful.
Brian, who had been on a paragliding trip to India earlier in the Fall, compared the scene to the foot-hills of the Himalaya..... a far cry from the surrounding countryside filled with Nopal farms (a cactus favored in Mexican dishes).
The unofficial and even more popular attraction were the patches of snow!!
That white stuff, which many bemoan in the US because of its long persistence, is really hard to find in the land of our southern neighbors. Almost everyone we saw climbed around to secure their own tiny swath of the frozen goodness, where they would make their first ever snow angels and snap countless selfies.
The infectious joy of their laughter and merriment, among both young and old, brought us fully into the holiday season. The highlight occurred when we broke away from the crowds and reached a point on the rim at around 14,570 feet (higher than anywhere in the lower 48).
There, we happened upon a group of friends making a snowman and festooning him with rocks, a bottle cap and flowers in lieu of the traditional carrots and coal. That is one of the best way I have been people celebrate the spirit of the season.
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Jacob's favorite hat!
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