REGION AROUND PUCÓN (PART II)
The second set of pics around Pucón are in the mountains to the east. For pics on Volcán Villarrica (just south of Pucón) and around Lago de Villarrica, go to Part I. We will go in approximate order of lowest to highest elevation in this set (with abundant clouds in all photos)...

Just east of Pucon were these still leafless deciduous southern beeches (Nothofagus obliqua)...despite an elevation of only 1000 feet (and latitude of 39 degrees South) and the summer solstice only being a month away...



Lots of Scotch broom (an escaped European shrub, Cytisus scoparius) were blooming along roadsides and other disturbed areas around here (note the Monterey pines, commonly planted in the southern half of Chile)...



There were numerous lakes in this region...such as Lago Caburgua (around 1500' above sea level)...



and also Lago Tinquilco (a little over 2000' above sea level)...



Lago Tinquilco viewed from above...



Back down to near the lake level...there were some sheep...



Chilean myrtle (Luma apiculata) with very colorful bark...



Chilean Gunnera (Gunnera tinctoria) in bloom...



A Chilean barberry in bloom (Berberis darwinii)...





Looking towards the higher mountains to the east...



Looking towards the peak of one of the mountains where there are monkey puzzle pines (Araucaria araucana)...



The dominant tree around this area (including up where the monkey puzzle pines grow) is this kind of evergreen southern beech (probably Nothofagus dombeyi, also known as the coihue)



Also, there were many podocarps (Podocarpus nubigenus)...





There were a couple of sizable waterfalls. The first is Cascada Nido de Aguila...



The second is Cascada Trufulco...



A closer look...



A common type of fern (Blechnum chilense), below Cascada Nido de Aguila...



Of course, with all that water, the trail getting between these places is quite muddy!



Lago Chico (where the monkey puzzle pines begin) at around 4000'...





A monkey puzzle pine trunk covered with moss...



Forest with mostly southern beeches (and bamboo) but also a few mossy-trunked monkey puzzles in the background...



Looking up at a monkey puzzle pine in the deep forest...



And finally, Lago Toro (also around 4000'), with many monkey puzzle pines and a snow (and fog) covered mountain in the background...



All of the above pictures on this page were taken in November 2009 by Brandt Maxwell.

Return to the Chile Pics Page