Yesterday’s stunningly panoramic Hospitales Route reminded me of the Colorado Trail. But today reminded me of hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, the deep river canyon that separates my home state of Oregon from its neighbor to the north. The similarities were uncanny: the hydroelectric dam, the tall gorge formed by the river, the persistent rain, and the gray clouds. Today’s leg of the Camino definitely felt like being back at home. I also intentionally planned a shorter hiking day so I could stay in one of the municipal albergues, which operate on a first-come, first-served basis. This system is always a bit of a gamble for pilgrims on a busy Camino like this one, so I hedged my bets by hiking fewer miles and arriving in Grandas de Salime early.
As I began the day, I was above a valley completely covered in fog with a few small peaks poking up through the cloudsI could see my first challenging climb would take me to a ridge covered in windmills under dark raincloudsAfter 4 kilometers, I reached the village of La Mesa where I felt the pull of a morning café con leche calling meMy fellow pilgrims had the same idea, and we all left our wet backpacks out in the foyer of the sole restaurant/albergue in townAfter my pitstop it was time to head uphill above another fogged in valleyAt the top of the climb and just beyond the windmills, I reached an old chapel so small I wouldn’t have been able to walk insideEven though there was a peek of blue in the sky above, I was heading down through the clouds, and fog settled over the river gorge below.The visibility during the long descent was less than ideaI got to a viewpoint, but it was pretty worthless todayAs I continued to drop below the clouds, I could begin to make out the river in the gorge belowLong swtichbacks dropped me deeper and deeper into the gorgeWith each swtichback, the dark green river (Río Navia) became more visibleThese yellow flowers were in bloom everywhereFinally, I could make out the top of the dam that sat below meAs I made the final turn toward the dam, the Camino deposited me on a paved road.I passed a cool lookout cantilevered above the river gorge, but the perch was locked today. What a bummer. I bet the views were great.Looking down at the power station for this hydroelectric dam reminds me of homeThe Camino Primitivo takes pilgrims along a road over the dam, and I noticed no one seemed to want to walk near the edges.Looking down the spillway as I crossed the damViews upstream in the opposite direction toward the reservoir (Embalse de Salime)A selfie once I make it safely to the far side of the dam, just before I have to put my rain gear back on for more precipitationNaturally, it was time to head uphill again. But this time I was on pavement while I hiked in the rainViews of the dam and reservoir behind it as I hiked back up the 750 meters of elevation I lost to cross the gorgeI was worried about this long road walk with no shoulder, but it’s Sunday, and the only road traffic were a few police carsEventually I made it back up to trail againBut even this pine-needle covered trail reminded me of home in the Pacific NorthwestEntering the town of Grandas de Salime on a quiet, rainy Sunday afternoonThe entrance to Iglesia de San SalvadorThe church’s back half has an entirely different feel from the white stucco frontWalking through the quiet, but vibrantly colored, town of Grandas de Salime in search of a late lunchTonight I’d stay in a 28-bed municipal albergue on the edge of town. I saw several familiar faces there, including the pilgrim walking with her 15-year-old twin sons.
Highlights
The deep gorge cut by the Río Navia reminded me of a miniature version of the Columbia River Gorge, the 80-mile-long river canyon that separates Oregon from Washington in the U.S.
Walking across the hydroelectric dam across the Río Navia. I noticed that most of my fellow pilgrims stayed in the center of the road. But I enjoyed peering over the railings to get a bird’s eye view of the dam’s spillway.
Despite the big elevation loss (and regain), today’s walk was a pretty short one. I spent much of the late afternoon indoors reading and just giving my legs a rest. I’m on track with my 12-day Camino plan and should pass the halfway point tomorrow.
Challenges
The rain and low clouds blocked the best of the views as I made my way down the river gorge. One overlook had a little selfie stand for your phone, but it was worthless today. The fog and clouds obscured all the views.
The long climb back up from the dam had me sweating buckets under my rain gear. It was already a humid and rainy day, and my rain pants felt like a slimy extra layer clinging to my sweaty legs.
As usual, I wasn’t prepared for the challenge of quiet Sundays in Spain, when grocery stores are closed. Luckily, there was a small wine bar in Grandas de Salime that had some fruit, cheese, olives, and other light provisions for sale that I could cobble together to make a dinner.
