Patagonia: More Scenery

One of the best part of being in the mountains is the views you get of other mountains.

Facing west, sunset along the Cordillera Salto.  The river we crossed is at the base of those mountains.

View from the early days of the trip.

West, towards the Northern Icefields.

Patagonia... mountain range after mountain range.  Each of the three ridges here is a separate cordillera, or range.

Crystal clear night - a real treat in Patagonia.

And the sky.

Super long exposure sunset with the stars visible.

One of many jagged peaks around San Lorenzo.

Cordillera Salto with typical Patagonian weather.

The tortured face of the glacier.

Camping in the shadow of the glacier.

Another peak of Monte San Lorenzo through the clouds.

Our tent and Monte San Lorenzo reflected in glacial meltwater.

Over the glacier and towards the Pacific, with weather rolling in.

And a final sunset over the NOLS campo near Coyhaique.

Expedition Life: Camp Life

Early days - still below the treeline.

Conveniently located mate stand.  Didn´t have a thermos, so extra-warm sock around the canteen got the job done.    A lot of time goes into finding rocks that resemble the things you are looking for - coffee tables, recliners, chairs...  A little work is well worth the extra comfort and convenience.

We crossed this river the next day.  Waist deep, about the most refreshing a person can do at 8AM.

Meeting for the daily debrief.

Week 2-3.  Above the treeline in rocky terrain.   The mountain range we crossed during the first two weeks is in the background.

Tent life.

Glaciers in the background.

OHO - Officially Hanging Out

Day 1 of Snow Camp - a perimeter established (so we know where we know there arent any crevasses), and a section of snow cordoned off that well use as a source of water.

Mike building and inspecting wind walls.

Mike and Danielle dancing in the kitchen.

Snow camp.  Wind walls around the tents, all the gear in one spot.  Snow can bury gear in less than hour - rule is that everything is either in your tent, your kitchen, or in your bag (assuming you know where your bag is when it storms).

Seth checking gear.

John.

Seth checking tent ties.

Our fearless leader, John Stoddard.  Also known as Chuck Norris.

Who, of course, is an excellent photographer.  John also may be the inspiration for the Dos Equis ¨most interesting man in the world¨ ad campaign.

¨Mama¨ Helen

Danielle laughing with (at?) Mike

Lucas.  ¨Lucho, our token Canadian.

Slackjaw, good way to pass time in the woods.

Someones off to the bathroom (in the background)

Scarlett, proud resident of Cambridge, MA.  Small world.

Tobias, our Chilean mountaineer, cooking up a Patagonian storm.

Raise the roof (oh wait there no roof...)

Captain John ¨Shiver me timbers¨ Stod-arrrrrghd.  

Which of these don't belong together...

Stores at this mall don't make any sense.

Which of these is NOT a real store?

Motorcycle helmets and wall mounted clocks
Camping gear and linen tablecloths
Linen tablecloths, dress shirts and ties
Electronics and perfumes
Luxury handbags, liquor, and mens underwear.

Actually, they are all real.

Killing two hours in a food court. Every shop in this mall is closed from 1230 to 330 for siesta time...

Thursday, 6:11PM

Kei$ha on the radio....at the seafood joint in Puerto Montt.