Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The rest of the comments were smacking Boebert like she was a piñata.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Maybe you would prefer that we take Joelle’s side in ALL CAPS?

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

JFC, are there no editors left at that goddamn rag?

The jury literally has a bell they can ring to force Trump to show up on command. Greatest thing ever!

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

The words do not have to be perfect.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

“Just close your eyes and kiss the girl and go where the tilt-a-whirl takes you.” ~OzarkHillbilly

Democrats are back in array!

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Something needs to be done about our bogus SCOTUS.

Ah, the different things are different argument.

Teach a man to fish, and he’ll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.

“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”

You are here: Home / Photo Blogging / On The Road / On The Road – way2blue – Torres del Paine, Chile March 2023 [2 of 2]

On The Road – way2blue – Torres del Paine, Chile March 2023 [2 of 2]

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way2blue

I hadn’t quite anticipated the press of tourist buses in Torres del Paine, even during ‘shoulder’ season.  I’d asked at the hosteria about hiring a guide to seek out wildlife.  The receptionist, not particularly energized, asked:  ‘Have you seen guanaco?’ Yes.   ‘Darwin’s Rhea?’  Yes.  ‘Southern Cara Cara’  Yes.  ‘Huemul?’…  Okay you’ve already seen everything except Puma.  Which you’re not going to see…

We did see significant wildfire damage from the Dec 2011-Jan 2012 fire.  Mainly as widely spaced tree skeletons.  The fire, apparently caused by a camper trying to burn toilet paper, raged for weeks in a park known for strong persistent winds.  Burned 176 sq km (68 sq mi) around Lago Pehoé, Salto Grande waterfall, and Lago Sarmiento.

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Hotel Lago Gray

We visited Lago Gray several times.  In part, because after a hike we could enjoy the resort’s bistro with its huge windows looking out across the lake.  Hence the fancy cheesecake with calafate berry topping & sorbet…

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Lago Gray

The lake had this amazing blue ice berg.  We’d learned during our cruise that the blue color indicates ice which has had the air bubbles compressed out.

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Lago Gray

Closer look at the ice berg.

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Lago Gray spit

The glacier which feeds the lake is at the far end.  Prevailing winds pile up ice debris along a long windy spit which connects the shore to a small island.

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Lago Gray

A ferry circumnavigates the lake, taking passengers close to the toe of glacier.  We opted not to take the ride since we’d already been up close to several glaciers on our cruise.

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Pingo Trail

Besides the island, there were a few other trails to hike near Lago Gray.  Note the tree skeletons on the left.  We walked this trail just above the Pingo stream valley, paralleling the lake till the trail headed steeply uphill.  I’m fine going uphill but hate hiking rough trails downhill as I need to watch.  Every.  Single.  Step.  (New stitches in my right elbow to reinforce the hard-won message.)

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Along trail to Lago Gray

Fun geology.

On The Road - way2blue - TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILE, MARCH 2023 [2 of 2]
Along trail to Lago Gray

A tilted stack of turbidites, I presume, with a few small faults cutting through.

Reader Interactions

12Comments

  4. 4.

    Madeleine

    Thanks for the photos yesterday and today. I should have commented yesterday—those mountains are so strange, strange and beautiful. Today: what a cute little blue iceberg!

  5. 5.

    Yutsano

    Blue iceberg is blue! I love how it’s out there in the lake doing its own thing. But all the scenery is stunning!

  6. 6.

    pieceofpeace

    Looks like miles away from ‘modern’ life as we experience most days.  And right now, that vision from your trip is very inviting.  Your photos give an immediate thought of planning a trip for getting away to nature’s grandeur, and those ideas will be desired often in the coming year.

  10. 10.

    StringOnAStick

    I think we did our W hike very early in the season because we had no crowds and we got snowed on a couple of times.  I got teary eyes taking that ferry back to civilization because I had so loved hiking in such a grand, wild landscape.  It is truly a magical place.

    The damage from that fire is horrific; the Lenga trees are extremely slow growing and are only found in this part of the world.  The guides were still very emotional about what has been lost and the hundreds of years it will take to restore those lost trees.

  11. 11.

    Dan B

    Blue ice is common in glaciers in the Cascades, unfortunately the glaciers are rapidly disappearing even from Mt. Rainier.

  12. 12.

    bjacques

    Cool pictures!

     

    I saw some blue ice once in Snoqualmie Park, WA, off the Mountain Loop (?), 30 years ago. It was a 2 mile hike from a spot where a 1920s grand hotel had burned down, then across a pebbly plain. The ice cave was in permanent shade. I wonder if it’s still there.

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