Cloud Forest Preserve

The Pan American highway winds through the four mountain ranges that form the spine of Costa Rica and divide the Atlantic and Pacific watersheds. Above 6,000 feet, the uplift of the constant Pacific breezes creates a "cloud forest" environment that is quite different from the coastal rain forests. These areas are almost always in the clouds, and though it may not be raining all the time it might as well be - the moisture seeping off the canopy above drips onto the forest floor almost constantly.

We had arranged to stay at a refuge on about 95 acres of privately owned land. We arrived early enough to get in a hike in the afternoon. There is not a single spot of horizontal land - and as much grows on vertical serfaces as it does on the ground. There were mosses growing on epiphytes growing on palms growing on. . .well, you get the picture. I can't image trying to pick out a jaguar or other elusive fauna in the midst of all of that - you could be standing on top of them without noticing.

The refuge also gave us our first taste of the country's 4WD roads, about 4 km of dirt and a little mud. Not bad at all.