pete woke me asking what time it was. it sounded too silent
with only the occasional light gusts of wind. I felt
post-concert deaf... like that decreased hearing after you've
been listening to something too loud (being super cool and
wearing earplugs at concerts is the solution to this by the
way). 8:18am... hmm... a little later than we were expecting
to get started - guess we tossed and turned so much in the
early night that we slept hard into the morning. we emerged
from the tent and made for a speedy packup, but there were
those pink clouds again, this time glowing with the rising
sun and sooo many mountains - maybe we could just sit here
all day and look around. no, we have 15 miles to hike with
overloaded packs and oh dear... no time for breakfast. we
packed it all up (unfortunately discovering that a rodent had
found our food - which was hung in a tree - and had proceeded
to nibble a hole in nearly every item, clearly he was
interested in the sampler platter, what a smorgasbord he
enjoyed, so before we left we had to patch up all of our
leaking food bags with tape, that was a fun way to delay our
already late morning), then stuffed some graham crackers in
our faces and hit the trail!!
with only the occasional light gusts of wind. I felt
post-concert deaf... like that decreased hearing after you've
been listening to something too loud (being super cool and
wearing earplugs at concerts is the solution to this by the
way). 8:18am... hmm... a little later than we were expecting
to get started - guess we tossed and turned so much in the
early night that we slept hard into the morning. we emerged
from the tent and made for a speedy packup, but there were
those pink clouds again, this time glowing with the rising
sun and sooo many mountains - maybe we could just sit here
all day and look around. no, we have 15 miles to hike with
overloaded packs and oh dear... no time for breakfast. we
packed it all up (unfortunately discovering that a rodent had
found our food - which was hung in a tree - and had proceeded
to nibble a hole in nearly every item, clearly he was
interested in the sampler platter, what a smorgasbord he
enjoyed, so before we left we had to patch up all of our
leaking food bags with tape, that was a fun way to delay our
already late morning), then stuffed some graham crackers in
our faces and hit the trail!!
I really cannot describe what we saw during our next 15
miles, all I know is that the approach we took from the tail
of the Q really meant that as we hiked the park was totally
in your face - prehistoric looking scenery so unique and
beyond massive. jagged mountains and ice fields above, golden
grains blowing in waves with the wind below and charred trees
with mangled branches arising from the summer growth enduring
despite last year's burn - uniquely beautiful in the most
unexpected way.
miles, all I know is that the approach we took from the tail
of the Q really meant that as we hiked the park was totally
in your face - prehistoric looking scenery so unique and
beyond massive. jagged mountains and ice fields above, golden
grains blowing in waves with the wind below and charred trees
with mangled branches arising from the summer growth enduring
despite last year's burn - uniquely beautiful in the most
unexpected way.
we stopped too frequently to take photos... or not frequently
enough if you ask us once we're home. watched in amazement as
a dark stallion trotted by, mane blowing in the wind,
followed by a chestnut female and two gorgeous foals
frolicing playfully behind. chased a guanaco through a field
to get a closer look and try to make a friend (without much
luck). sat on the edge of lago pehoe and took in the
turquoise, wondering how it can be that blue before photo
enhancement. ate a lot of snacks in the hopes of lightening
our packs. and appreciated how lucky we are to be in this
particular place in the world at this particular time.
enough if you ask us once we're home. watched in amazement as
a dark stallion trotted by, mane blowing in the wind,
followed by a chestnut female and two gorgeous foals
frolicing playfully behind. chased a guanaco through a field
to get a closer look and try to make a friend (without much
luck). sat on the edge of lago pehoe and took in the
turquoise, wondering how it can be that blue before photo
enhancement. ate a lot of snacks in the hopes of lightening
our packs. and appreciated how lucky we are to be in this
particular place in the world at this particular time.
lunch was at one of the campsites/hostels (since we are only
allowed fire there and we missed our morning coffee). we
aired out our shoes and dried off in the sun. oh yeah, the
sun!! today was the gift of all gifts from lovely patagonia,
we got blue skies and sunshine all day!! it felt like
summer! more than we could have ever hoped for. made the 15
miles (did I mention we hiked 15 miles?! ;) ), much more
bearable. we thought about taking a dip in the lake midway
through our hike but had enough left to go that we decided
against it and settled with a little slacklining instead (set
up by some other foreigners).
allowed fire there and we missed our morning coffee). we
aired out our shoes and dried off in the sun. oh yeah, the
sun!! today was the gift of all gifts from lovely patagonia,
we got blue skies and sunshine all day!! it felt like
summer! more than we could have ever hoped for. made the 15
miles (did I mention we hiked 15 miles?! ;) ), much more
bearable. we thought about taking a dip in the lake midway
through our hike but had enough left to go that we decided
against it and settled with a little slacklining instead (set
up by some other foreigners).
we hiked on... I need to preface this next part, it is a
little random but you'll see where I'm going soon enough...
you know how in movies the local tribe will see a boat and
think it is an odd iceberg or something else familiar to
them? well today when we came to this viewpoint of a massive
blue grey lake I spotted white things floating on it and
said, look at those strange boats! before I realized they
were actually icebergs - it was totally the mind jumping to
what is familiar - something large and white floating on the
water is a boat where I come from. a chunk of ice is not
exactly what jumps to mind... but yes, on this perfectly
sunny and warm day, there in the lake below were blue white
icebergs!! incredible!!
little random but you'll see where I'm going soon enough...
you know how in movies the local tribe will see a boat and
think it is an odd iceberg or something else familiar to
them? well today when we came to this viewpoint of a massive
blue grey lake I spotted white things floating on it and
said, look at those strange boats! before I realized they
were actually icebergs - it was totally the mind jumping to
what is familiar - something large and white floating on the
water is a boat where I come from. a chunk of ice is not
exactly what jumps to mind... but yes, on this perfectly
sunny and warm day, there in the lake below were blue white
icebergs!! incredible!!
it was a long day and near the end we were exhausted. my pack
felt at least twice as heavy as when we started and we kept
needing more and more frequent breaks to pound goo and other
gatorade energy products promising easily accessible glucose.
I could no longer feel my hips which was good because I knew
they were bruised from the pack, but also worried me a little
because it meant my waist band was pinching my cutaneous
nerves so hard it was literally cutting off feeling. pete had
resorted to tying a fleece around his waist to pad the bones
of his back, which were rubbing and bruised from the enormous
pack... but our feet were faring alright thus far, which kept
the hiking bearable.
felt at least twice as heavy as when we started and we kept
needing more and more frequent breaks to pound goo and other
gatorade energy products promising easily accessible glucose.
I could no longer feel my hips which was good because I knew
they were bruised from the pack, but also worried me a little
because it meant my waist band was pinching my cutaneous
nerves so hard it was literally cutting off feeling. pete had
resorted to tying a fleece around his waist to pad the bones
of his back, which were rubbing and bruised from the enormous
pack... but our feet were faring alright thus far, which kept
the hiking bearable.
fortunately for us, despite our aches and pains, we pressed
on, and Patagonia helped. 1) because the views are so amazing
you want to see more, which means hiking onward, and 2)
because Patagonia provided for us when we asked. when our
water ran out and we were thirsty, Patagonia offered us an
incredible waterfall, cascading down through trees just
beginning to change for fall. the stream rushed past the
trail and we filled our bottles from the mini waterfalls,
drinking straight from the glacier - best water on earth :)
...when we were tired Patagonia provided a bench for us to
sit, scarce this far out on the trail, but exactly when we
needed to rest and right below an impressive tree. and after
dinner, when we were maybe still a bit hungry, Patagonia
said, here's a fellow camper looking to get rid of crackers
and dulce de leche - hey, do you two want this? do we?!
thanks! :) and that is how our day went, ask and receive. and
to say thank you we picked up trash that wasn't ours, even
though it meant packing it out with us. we are believers in
karma.
on, and Patagonia helped. 1) because the views are so amazing
you want to see more, which means hiking onward, and 2)
because Patagonia provided for us when we asked. when our
water ran out and we were thirsty, Patagonia offered us an
incredible waterfall, cascading down through trees just
beginning to change for fall. the stream rushed past the
trail and we filled our bottles from the mini waterfalls,
drinking straight from the glacier - best water on earth :)
...when we were tired Patagonia provided a bench for us to
sit, scarce this far out on the trail, but exactly when we
needed to rest and right below an impressive tree. and after
dinner, when we were maybe still a bit hungry, Patagonia
said, here's a fellow camper looking to get rid of crackers
and dulce de leche - hey, do you two want this? do we?!
thanks! :) and that is how our day went, ask and receive. and
to say thank you we picked up trash that wasn't ours, even
though it meant packing it out with us. we are believers in
karma.
on the map we had seen a bridge just before the campamento
grey site we were going to. when we came to a bridge we got
very excited, but shortly after we came to another bridge,
which confused us a little, until about 17 bridges later,
when we had stopped hoping for the campsite soon after "the
bridge". we finally made it with just enough daylight to set
up the tent and get to the dinner shack before it closed at
22:30 (walking back from dinner we saw the cutest little fox
with a big bushy tail as big as his body who stopped and
regarded us with as much interest as we had about him).
grey site we were going to. when we came to a bridge we got
very excited, but shortly after we came to another bridge,
which confused us a little, until about 17 bridges later,
when we had stopped hoping for the campsite soon after "the
bridge". we finally made it with just enough daylight to set
up the tent and get to the dinner shack before it closed at
22:30 (walking back from dinner we saw the cutest little fox
with a big bushy tail as big as his body who stopped and
regarded us with as much interest as we had about him).
campamento grey is one of the refugio sites meaning that it
has commodities like electricity, bathrooms with running
water, and believe it or not hot showers - which I took
advantage of because why not camp in style if you can? (and
also we had to pay 4,000/person - total $16 us, to stay there
and we were going to get our money's worth!). our campsite
was perfect, under big trees which was nice when the rains
started. we are so thankful for Pete's amazing and very
waterproof tent and we fell asleep almost instantly to the
sound of raindrops on the rainfly - hard to dislike the rain
when it sings you to sleep inside of your dry tent.
has commodities like electricity, bathrooms with running
water, and believe it or not hot showers - which I took
advantage of because why not camp in style if you can? (and
also we had to pay 4,000/person - total $16 us, to stay there
and we were going to get our money's worth!). our campsite
was perfect, under big trees which was nice when the rains
started. we are so thankful for Pete's amazing and very
waterproof tent and we fell asleep almost instantly to the
sound of raindrops on the rainfly - hard to dislike the rain
when it sings you to sleep inside of your dry tent.
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