Picos de Europa, Poncebos - Caín, Spain
May 29-30See photos below
Day 2: We rose with the sun, excited for the day ahead. As our eyes adjusted to the morning light, we gazed through the bedroom window at the stunning mountains that we were soon to be hiking in. I had to pinch myself. This place is like nothing I have ever seen. We got dressed, laced up our shoes, packed our bags, and stopped at the restaurant for our complimentary breakfast before we started hiking. The only other foodstuffs we brought for the trek were a few protein bars and a bag of about twenty PB&J’s. Trail food. We said goodbye to the beautiful hostel, and made our way off the main road to the trail.
We set out with a vengeance, passing nearly everyone that we came across. Ryan would be proud. The trail itself was stunning as it meandered beside the valley, cut right into the hillside. The emerald river below getting closer and further as we climbed and descended the undulating trail. My brain could barely comprehend the beauty. We passed many old, dilapidated structures taken over by goats and grass. An aqueduct ran the length of the trail, perpendicular to where we walked. It was quite a sight as it would seemingly disappear into the mountainside and then reappear right next to the trail. We continued on, crossing bridges and drinking from springs shooting straight out of the mountainside.
As we neared the next small town where we would be spending the night, the trail began descending until we were no more than thirty feet higher than the river. We noticed a small, nondescript path leading down to the water. Since the trail that day was only about eight miles and we had plenty of daylight left, we decided to check it out and possibly take a dip. Walking down, we noticed a French couple who had the same idea. The river split a small canyon about fifteen feet high on either side, just wide enough for a short but narrow jump in. Dipping my feet in made my toes go numb, so I knew I had to just go for it. I calculated my jump and plunged into the ice cold water below. It was a refreshing boost after hiking since the early morning. Ashley wanted to jump as well, but was a little nervous. After a few minutes standing at the edge, and some positive encouragement, she too took the polar plunge. It was a nice way to break up the trail, but it was time to head back out so we could check into our accommodation in Caín.
The rest of the hiking was smooth. The trail took us through a dark and winding tunnel with intermittent holes partially illuminating our path. At times the ceiling got so low I had to bend over to avoid knocking my head. Then we came to a small dam right near a small bridge that took us directly into the small town. It was truly a sight to behold as we stumbled in on the cobblestone road. Small restaurants and vendors had their doors open to greet the grateful hikers with a meal and a cold beer. People were sitting around plastic tables no more than twenty feet from the small river. Cats pranced around in search of food, and sometimes affection. We took it all in, extremely content with our situation and soaking up every second of it as we grabbed a beer and a seat. We walked up the road and checked into our small hotel/guesthouse. It was a quaint room with a queen bed, warm shower, and view of the mountains through an angled skylight. We needed nothing more.
After a much needed shower and a little while to unwind, we walked the few streets that branched off the main road. At this point in time, Ryan was in a nearby village, about to set off on a trail run to meet us. With how fast he is, we knew it wouldn’t take long. After about 30 minutes we see a figure cresting a hill nearby. It’s our guy. We were excited to be able to meet up with him again before he left for the US a few days later. After the initial pleasantries, he began to tell us about a hit and run he stumbled upon between a drunk driver and a motorcyclist in the small mountain roads on the way to see us. The cyclist was thrown off his bike into a ravine ten feet below and the driver took off without a second thought. Ryan stopped and tried to help but the man fell too far down to be retrieved. Ultimately, other people showed up and called emergency services, with a helicopter eventually coming to fly him to a hospital. We were in shock hearing this, and what was even more chilling was the fact that the driver was in our small village, because there is only one road. People blocked the road out of the town and police showed up soon after. It truly felt like we stumbled into the scene of a film. We started walking around, casually inspecting some of the cars parked near the bar where the man most likely was hiding. The front of the vehicle was totaled. The tire was blown off exposing the rim, and the front bumper was crumpled like it had run through a small tree. That probably wasn’t a coincidence. Not being able to do much, we sat outside and watched as police took photos of the car and then left not long after. The whole situation was crazy to witness and be a part of.
Ryan had to head back to his village, so we said our farewells and watched as he trotted away en route to where he would be spending the night. A few hours later we were ready for dinner. Unfortunately the place we wanted to go to was closed, so we settled for the place next door. It was a similar meal of chicken and potatoes that we had in Poncebos the night prior, but this one was better. Finally we made our way up to the room, taking in the sweet mountain air and the star filled skies on the walk back from the restaurant. Our day ahead would be long, so our rest that night was welcomed with open arms.
