Day Two: What a difference a day makes (again)...

Good news: The rain and snow left with Santa and his reindeer. The winds aren't  strong enough to fly a kite. The temperature isn't screaming "Beware of hyperthermia" like on Christmas Day.

Bad news: Fresh White Death clung to the hillsides, the trees and dotted the muddy trail. 

As we progressed east, we glimpsed some streaks of blue above us. Glacier fed aquamarine lakes sat below us. Later on, the clouds parted. A mass of Patagonian mountains and ice fields materialized out of the mist. Wow! They really did exist. There was reason I was wearing fleece, a jacket and and a wool hat in the summer. I guess a little discomfort is OK for this kind of payoff. 

At the Refugio, my fellow backpackers and me scan the high horizon and smile. The Southern Hemisphere sunshine defrosts us from yesterday's White Death chill and damp.

We have no idea on what variety of sociopathic weather will arrive in the next few hours let alone the next day. For the moment, we're all happy. 

I'll take it. 

The weather for the moment is even warm enough for Jenny. She makes me look like an Antarctica explorer when it comes to cold. 

Cheers,

Jeff 

Day One: Christmas Day in Torres del Paine National Park...

It was a sullen mass of would be backpackers on the 3.5 hour bus ride to the park. The coach turned left onto the appropriately named "End of the World Road." From a distance we saw the jagged towers (the reason everyone's here). The closer our hard working bus got to the park the faster the majestic scene went bye-bye. Rain clouds and fog enveloped the would be views.

Meaning: we would all be hiking in rain clouds and fog.

We weren't happy campers.

We got off at the end of the road and began our 10.5 miles hike to the Grande Paine Refugio. A constant drip, drip drip was our unwanted hiking companion. Fortunately the wind took Christmas off. It would have been scary if this were not so. The terrain was mostly flat with a few bumps. My camera never came out of its plastic bag coating. It was an uneventful, underwhelming trudge to our shelter. 

As I write this, there's no reason to dream of a white Christmas. Fat juicy White Death flakes are now issuing forth. Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby would smile. I'm not smiling.

I'm just hoping conditions change ASAP and not for the worse. 

Chilean weather sure has a twisted view of summer.

Which reminds me. Come on Southern Summer! 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night, (You too Jenny). 

Jeff

If you don't like the weather wait...

Uno momento.

Our three hour bus ride from Punta Arenas to Puerta Natales, featured a bleak landscape. Stunted trees raised up from the ground at a 70 degree angle in a partial surrender to the cold winds. Here the survival technique is to bend but not break.  

In Puerta Natales, residents and outsiders are decked out in North Face, Columbia and of course Patagonia winter wear. It's the third day of summer. So strange. 

I feel I'm at the end of the earth, which I am. The next stop is Antarctica. 

Our destination is Torres del Plaines National Park . Its the showcase of Chile's natural playgrounds. The scenery is supposed to be beyond awesome. I think we will earn the views the hard way.

I'm not a bit concerned about covering the 52 mile loop around the iconic towers in a week. I fear the wind, rain and cold. This might be the most challenging hike I have ever done. Once a cold weenie, always a cold weenie.

I hope you all enjoy the warmth of your family and friends this Holiday Season.

Hola Jenny. It's probably warmer in Windsor, Colorado than here! 

Feliz Navidad from 50.1 degrees South latitude.

Jeff.              

The flowers aren't from around here.