In the Shadow of Nevado Cayambe

From 2003 to 2006 I focused much of my photographic effort on documenting the beauty of a small stretch of “cloud forest” in the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve,
near Laguna San Marcos – in the shadow of Nevado Cayambe, the Cayambe Volcano.

This stretch of forest stands 10,000 to 12,000 feet above sea level,
almost on the equator in Ecuador
at a latitude of 0° 4.398’N and a longitude of 77° 54.773’W.

The 100 photos in this collection are but a pale reflection of the natural beauty of the place.

Where I have identified species, I will provide the information.
In this case, I have been unable.
If you know what this is, please pass that information on.

Unidentified

Most of the Coca-Cayambe National Park can be described as "cloud forest."" A cloud forest is a tropical forest with clouds which pass through the landscape.
While rain can sometimes be heavy, it is the humidity in the air that makes cloud forests special. Many plants have evolved to extract water directly from the air.

Berberis goudotii
Gudot's Barberry, adorote, espino, espuelo, tachuelo, uña de gato

Werneria humilis

Cloud forests are extremely high in biodiversity. Coca-Cayambe is host to multitudinous species. Here we get to view only a small fraction of them.

Unidentified

Unidentified (purplish fruit) and Galium hypocarpium (small red/orange berries)

Desfontainia spinosa

Chilean holly, Taique

Puya clava-herculis

Hercules' Club Puya

Puya clava-herculis

Hercules' Club Puya

Puya clava-herculis

Hercules' Club Puya

Puya clava-herculis

Hercules' Club Puya

Mosses of various types are common in cloud forests, and they often cover the ground or vegetation.

In fact, Coca-Cayambe is also classified as a mossy forest.

Disterigma acuminatum

Gentiana sedifolia

Cervate, genciana

Diplostephium hartwegii

Nevado Cayambe is a moody mountain with clouds coming over its shoulders or flowing through the forest and pampas at its base.

Unidentified

Cyrtochilum auropurpureum

Yellow Cyrtochilum Orchid

Cyrtochilum auropurpureum

Yellow Cyrtochilum Orchid

Gaiadendron punctatum

Phragmites australis
Reed grass, Ditch reed, Phragmites, Giant reed, Common reed

Unidentified

Centropogon granulosus

Achyrocline alata

Unknown

Tillandsia usneoides
Old Man's Beard, Spanish moss

It was impossible to capture the photo I wanted here.
Note the light spot in the right-center foreground. That is a culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus), also known as an Andean fox, Paramo wolf, or Andean wolf.
I was walking the path in the misty twilight. He looked up at me and I got one shot in before he turned tail and disappeared.

Fuchsia boliviana
Bolivian Fuchsia

Unknown

Gentiana sedifolia
Cervate, Genciana, Pinjachi

Castilleja arvensis
Field Indian Paintbrush

Unknown

Begonia cucullata
Wax Begonia, Clubbed Begonia

Unknown

Castilleja nubigena

Unknown

Passiflora tripartita
banana passionfruit
curuba, tumbo, tumbo serrano

Epidendrum pittieri
Pittier's Epidendrum (Orchid)

Unknown

Lathyrus unknown
peavine, vetchling

Calceolaria unknown

Vaccinium floribundum
Colombian blueberry, Andean blueberry

Unknown

Geranium sibbaldioides

Huperzia crassa

Gaultheria sclerophylla

Gaultheria myrsinoides

Senecio formosoides
Showy Groundsel, Showy Ragwort

Unknown

Coriaria ruscifolia
Shanshi Quechua
Matarratones Spanish

Salvia unknown
Sage unknown

Oxalis medicaginea
Chulco-Spanish

Chulco

A group of Quechua, or Inca people passing by. If you zoom in you can see that a number of them have noticed they are being photographed and are quite happy about it.

Halenia umbellata

Unknown

Bidens triplinervia
Flor de cuitlacoche-Spanish

This high region includes several bofedales or high-altitude peat wetlands. These unique andean wetlands are often inhabited by andean camilids,
such as llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas, as well as a variety of birds. This is a close-up of a small portion of a bofedal.

Bomarea hirsuta
cardón, puya-Spanish

Hypericum laricifolium
romerillo-Spanish

Unknown

This is Nevado Cayambe at sunset from its other side, the inhabited side.

Indigenous peoples of the Andes revered the mountains as Gods, referring to them as "tata" or father, in quechua.

Tata Cayambe