Jan. 3, 2018
Buenos tardes, dudes and dudettes!
Your Spanish word of the day for today is: frio. Yeah, it’s not a consistent daily word. Too bad.
This morning wasn’t awful, weather wise. Sort of sprinkling. Sort of drizzling. Not super cold. Of course I bundled up anyways. Fool me once and all that.
I got an early start, leaving the hotel just before 8am. My plan was to fuel up and ride to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. So, I gassed up. Then I got lost.
For some reason I kept misinterpreting a sign and rode in circles all over Ushuaia. So much for that early start. Between that and getting fuel I burned nearly an hour before I finally arrived at the park.
It’s pretty amazing, but I actually had a goal: the end of Route 3 on the other side of the park. Paid my 350 pesos entry fee and off I went.
The rain continued off and on, causing the dirt (clay) roads to be slightly slick. Good thing I had some coffee with breakfast.
Worked my way through the park just meandering and enjoying the scenery. I didn’t know until I saw it, but there is a large visitor center in the park that has a cafe. More coffee sounded good and I needed somewhere dry to check something…
That something? An equipment glitch. The Pinloc on my visor (it’s something that essentially creates a double-paned window to prevent fogging) was having issues and… fogging. The opposite of what it’s supposed to do. So, I took apart my helmet, which I needed to do anyhow to check it out. Reseated everything and it seems better. If it continues I’ll throw it out and use another I have with me (which is currently attached to my clear visor I never use).
The lodge, called Alakush is really neat. Has a museum. A gift shop. Cafe, as mentioned previously. Everyone was very friendly. The girl at reception even stamped my passport, and some postcards I had on me. Excellent.
After that I rode deeper into the park where the scenery got even cooler. Very beautiful. Crossed a few bridges, climbed a few hills, crossed some muddy bits. All good fun.
Eventually I arrived at the end of Route 3. Made it all the way. Had someone take a picture of me to prove it!
There was a huge group of Chinese tourists all seeing the park before heading to the South Pole. How do I know that? A large contingent of them approached me for pictures. Not “take one of me”, but “is it ok to take a picture of you and your bike?” They thought I was some sort of rockstar (not incorrect). Pretty funny. So I posed for pictures, chatted a bit. Offered to trade someone places so I could go to the South Pole. Good fun.
Just before leaving the park I met a guy in a Jeep with Ontario plates. Chatted with him a bit. Turns out he’s been on the road nearly 5 years! All of the America’s. He’d previously been an engineer in Silicon Valley and was able to retire early. Jealous! Super nice guy. Wish I’d swapped info with him. Good luck, my Canadian friend!
After that it was time to hit the road north. Rain was starting to come down and the park roads were turning into slip and slides. Not my favorite, but I managed.
As I worked my way out of Ushuaia the road climbed once again into the mountains. Gorgeous in spite of the rain. And cold. It was getting cold. Forgot to mention, but I’d also taken my balaclava off. Idiot!
As I climbed higher the temperature dipped lower. The mountains that were bare yesterday now looked like they were being dusted with powdered sugar. Actively. As I watched. I mention it was frio (your word of the day!)?
The temps just kept dropping. I actually rode through small snow flurry just before entering the clouds. My dash threw up a snowflake icon, and the readout said 2c. Then it started flashing. So cold.
And the rain never let up. It was cold, pouring, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could deal with the frigid temps, but I also knew there was nowhere dry to stop. Not until Tolhuin.
It’s amazing how one can channel his or her inner Rossi when it means getting out of the cold. I hightailed it to Tolhuin in record time. Dancing just on the edge of what’s possible in the rain. At least for me. Super fun, even if mostly frozen.
As soon as I started coming down the mountain the winds returned, which added another layer of cold. It isn’t because the wind reaches my skin, it doesn’t. It’s because the wind makes the surface of my gear cold, and that robs my heat. Laying as close to the bike as possible is the only way to mitigate the problem.
I had lunch in Tolhuin at what amounts to a truck stop of sorts. My salami and cheese sandwich was just fine. Spent some time getting warm before making the final run to Rio Grande.
I’m staying at a hotel/casino tonight. I haven’t been in the casino, but I can only imagine. It’s still pouring outside so I’ll likely sit tight here for dinner.
Early to bed tonight. Need to leave by 7am. Have to cross back to Chile, then haul buns to catch a boat, which will take me across the Magallanes Stretch again to Punta Arenas.
The final three days start tomorrow. Wow. Wishing this could go on forever.
Gonna go take another hot shower. Night, everyone.
-Ryan
Ryan Cavalier 