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Link #4
31 January - 3 February, 2000
Pucón to National Park Huerquehue, CHILE (86 km)
What started as a drizzle in Pucón ended as a downpour on the
summit crest at the entrance of Parque Huerquehue. While only a 35 km
pedal from Pucón, it was one of our toughest legs to date. Halfway
up the road turned to ripio, or dirt & rock road, and about
the same time the rains picked up and wind began to blow. Training for
the Patagonian pampas we like to think.
As we were talking to the park rangers at the entrance gate, three other
cyclists donning trash bag vests pedaled through. Alonso, Miguel, and
Guillermo, mountain bike racers out of Santiago, were also looking for
a place to pitch their tent. Initially, we tried to negotiate a place
that would host all five of us, but when we heard there were hospedaje,
or hostel, beds available ahead, we decided dry was more important than
communal. The trio found beds after riding a few kms along a muddy, rivuleted
road. Nicole and I slogged the road to it's end on the advice that there
were beds available at the Refugio Tinquilco. The refugio was there, the
beds were not.
Pato, the friendly and hospitable host of the refugio, led us to the
wood shed and showed us how to use his outdoor shower with, tah-tah-dah,
agua caliente. Pato also showed us to his best campsite - a small
plot wedged between a couple hugh trees on the bank of a meandering creek.
While Nicole showered and wrapped up her get-warm ritual, Mathias, the
cook's son, helped me pitch our tent on the mossy forest floor. I was
busy going my own ritual of tent buttressing when I realized Mathias pouting
over my shoulder. A smile returned as soon as I offered him a few of his
own stakes to pound. Such a fine job he did on one that I labored for
15 minutes trying to pull it up a couple days later.
That night, we cooked in the refugio's kitchen at the invite of Pato.
With pasta with sautéed onions, garlic, and eggplant on its way,
we couldn't help but buy a bottle of wine to round out our meal. A bit
decadent, but the rain and cold and hard riding made us feel like we deserved
it. We sat with a couple, Paul & Linda, and their friend Bev from
Bend, OR and swapped travel stories. They were finishing a three week
tour through Chile and had just sea kayaked off the island of Chiloe.
Rained all night.
We woke late and cooked up oatmeal, eggs, coffee in the wood shed. Happy
to see the rain lifting, we watched mountain ridges come into view as
the mist rose from the forest floor.
In the early afternoon we packed a light lunch, water, and cameras and
started the highly recommended hike to Tres Lagos. After switch-backing
a verdant bamboo, fern, and moss covered mountainside for about 90 minutes,
you come to Lago Chico - the first of the three and the most scenic. Contributing
to the majesty of the view are the Araucaria trees which form the ridge
lines and dot the valley floors. Monkey Puzzle trees they're called in
English.
While the flora stole the show, the fauna hardly showed. We encountered
caterpillars and moths, but little else. While we often heard the call
of one of the native birds (can't remember its name), we strained to spot
it. A few times, we think we saw it, but we were never sure. It's a small
bird; what it lacks in physical grandeur, it more than makes up for with
its song.
On the trail, we met a couple from Scotland on their way to Sydney to
work for a couple years. Lunched on some warm rocks on the shore of Lago
Verde. Toyed with the idea of taking a dip before the winds picked up
and clouds did away with the sun.
Pristine wilderness. At once we understood and even appreciated the previous
day's toil through the hard rain - the type of downpour places like Tres
Lagos need for life. It's reassuring to know this place, and especially
the Araucarias, are preserved.
While sunning ourselves on the refugio lawn after our hike, the Santiago
cyclists rolled through the front gate. The mini reunion was a happy one
- for the air was dry and the sun warm. Out came the frisbee and soon
we had Pato, his son, the trio, and ourselves whipping it around. Nicole's
dead-on flick was especially appreciated when the men couldn't get within
ten meters of their mark.
After the frisbee session, we worked on our rusty rides for a couple
hours. Miguel and Alonso lent their expertise and we were very grateful
for that. Amazing what havoc a bit of rain and road muck can bring to
a bicycle. The tune-up could have lasted another couple hours had the
sun not set. Still, we managed to break down Nicole's rear cassette &
brake levers and deep-cleaned the derailleurs, chains, chainrings, and
wheel sidewalls.
Ate well and slept like babies that night. Next morning, after hanging
our tent and bags to dry for an hour or so, we headed out with the Santiago
trio. We road the brakes hard on the way down and bounced around quite
a bit. Much more fun than the wet slog a couple days earlier.
We departed ways at a crossroads a few miles out of the park. We all
had the same idea - termas, or hot springs - but Miguel, Alonso,
and Guillermo headed to Termas San Panqui while we went east to Termas
Quimeyco.
After about an hour's soak in the gorgeous baths, we hopped back in the
saddles and cranked back to Pucón.
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