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[[in pencil]] Nov 19, 1929 [[/pencil]]

9
with ^[[insertion]] hot [[/insertion]] black coffee after awhile - we had eaten and were ready - and at 6:30 we started, still raining but not hard. This was rain forest in very truth, the trail, where there was any, a deep sponge, or running rivulet, and everything dripping water. In spite of the exertion of climbing it was cold. Serra da Gramma which I climbed with the Rolfs was the only rain forest I had seen before. Everything was covered with ferns, from little filmies to tree ferns. It was wonderfully lovely in spite of the discomfort and weariness. The trail had not been used for two years, the guide said, and he had to do a lot of cutting. It was very steep most of the way and very little going down across ravines, for which I was thankful, we seemed to lose very little by descending. Mrs. M. lagged, she can't climb fast, she said. I stayed near her or ranged between the men and her, for I am terribly afraid of losing the trail, and it was exceedingly obscure in places.