Lago Verde Trail, Parque Nacional Huerquehue, Pucon
By Laura Closkey
1 Apr 2004 2:09 pm
Monkey Puzzle Tree
Big Old Monkey Puzzle
Day 2 in Pucon. No sun in the forcast. I trekked in Parque Huerquehue for the day, where the were no views of the volcano but plenty of water falls, slippery muddy trails and think deep green moss growing on big trees – a perfect day for hugging trees. The forest was mostly beech but higher up we found lakes and the famous Monkey-puzzle trees. Monkey-puzzle trees (Araucanria araucana, pehuen in Spanish) are some kind of remnant from before the glaciers. They look terrifically prehistoric – a early version of conifer perhaps, they look like a cross between a palm and an evergreen. The bark on the older trees is super thick and shape like puzzle pieces and all cover in Spanish moss. It was just too cold and wet that day so we hiked back toward the trailhead and spent the remainder of the afternoon in Refugio Tranquilo. This refugio is the most beautiful. As we sat by the cast iron stove sipping fresh mint tea and eating apple tart I considered asking for the blueprints so that I could duplicate this building at home. Refugio Tranquilo, don`t miss it.
Tags: , monkey-puzzle trees, Pucon, Refugio Tranquilo