Friendly Fox

We started day four with a light breakfast in a cozy cabin where I also encountered a couple of very friendly foxes.  This last day's hike would be fairly long but, not as difficult as the previous days.  By the end of the day my legs were a bit wobbly but, I had done it.  I hiked the W Trek.  We all agreed it was a lot tougher than we anticipated but, it was an amazing adventure.

Our world is full of adventures.  So, to my students I say: Be glad you're young.  Be courageous.  Find your own Great Adventure and live it!

See you in the classroom.

Winding, Windy and Wonderful: Day 3

They say Patagonia has all four seasons everyday and we saw a bit of everything on Day 3.  Its was up and down, left and right around bright blue lakes and mountain peaks.  All in about seven hours of hiking.  We made our way to a very windy viewpoint in the French Valley.  Then on to our third campsite; where we all gathered around a map to see where we had been the last three days and where we would be going on day 4.

Ferry and Hike to Grey Glacier

The second day was much easier than the first but, still had a few challenging segments.  We also got a chance to get up close with some of the wildlife.  The heavy wind allowed me to have a once in a lifetime encounter with a very friendly falcon once I reached the lookout point for Grey Glacier.  The winds were strong and we even got some heavy rain the last few miles.  It was nice to get back to the camp to warn up and have some dinner before heading to my tent.

Here's a video:

Hike Up to the Towers

The W Trek is in the Torres del Paines National Park and is part of many trails throughout the park. The Towers, however, are one of the most famous landmarks in all of Patagonia. The first day of hiking will take us up, up, up, then up some more to this amazing view. 

I must admit, this first day’s hike kicked my butt. It was much more challenging than I expected. The first part of the trail wasn’t too demanding and was, of course, very beautiful. From time to time we even shared the trail with horses.   As we got a few hours into the hike, the incline became steeper and the terrain became rougher. 

As the trail got steeper, my backpack seemed to get heavier and heavier. Eventually, we stopped to eat our bag lunch. I was mostly thirsty and not really that hungry but, I ate as much as I could; hoping to, at least, lighten the load in my backpack a bit. 

After our short stop for lunch, we packed up all our trash and continued our upward trek. It’s important not to leave any trash. We want to preserve this place so it will remain the same for many years to come; not only for the hikers that will follow us but, more importantly, for all the animals that call Patagonia home. Hikers have a saying, “Take only pictures and leave only footprints.”

I was hoping the trail would get easier after lunch.  I was wrong. It was beautiful but demanding. We were walking through a nice wooded area that offered shade from the sun until the altitude didn’t permit any vegetation.  As I looked through the branches and could see the bare rocks and how much further I would need to go, my heart began pounding more rapidly and I was breathing much harder. I was doubting my ability to make it the rest of the way. It was then that Christian, one of the guides, pointed out an alternative route that was much easier and also offered a nice view of the towers. 

This would be one of those moments when I would look to our BOMLA Creed and our Habits of Mind to lift up my character and perservere. I wanted to take the easy route. I was tired and I really didn’t  know if I could succeed. 

I decided to take the test; risk the failure and continue pushing upward. 

Did I make it?

See what happens in this video. 

We Don’t Always Know Where Our Trail Leads

I was not able to upload any daily posts while on the trail but, I took lots of notes and pictures and will soon be uploading them. But first, I must tell you this adventure did not go the direction I had imagined. That’s good. That’s what makes it an adventure. It’s the discovery that calls the traveler. 

The thing is; sometimes you need to travel inward; into your heart.  That can be a tricky trail. As I packed my bags in Dallas, I was looking forward to just getting away and leaving my everyday life behind for a couple of weeks. My mother’s funeral had just been a few days before my departure and I was thinking this trip would offer me an escape or at least a little relief from reality. 

But, you don’t always know what awaits you on the trail. What’s over the next ridge?  What’s around the next bend?  The trail has many surprises. 

After exploring Puerto Natales, I returned to the hostel where I would meet my guide and fellow hikers. I was looking forward to meeting some new people and establishing some new relationships and not thinking about the ones lost.  So I thought, until our orientation began with self introductions and my fellow hiker, Sam, introduced himself and his mother, Maggie, who would be hiking with him. His introduction was an unexpected sucker punch to my gut.  The trail has its rewards but also comes with its pain. 

It seems as though I would need to travel to the bottom of the earth to discover something hidden in my own heart. We all hike our own trails and sometimes we’ll meet along the way.  Of course, my trail began with my mother but her trail and mine would go different directions after I completed seventh grade.  Some trails are tougher than others and both my mother and I had some tough parts along each of our trails. Fortunately, fate would unite our trails about forty years later with the wind to our backs. My mother and I had a great adventure together those last few years and these last five days have surely been a great adventure here in Patagonia. The trail offered so many discoveries and every step had an amazing view of our Mother Nature. Even when the trail got tougher, it would take you somewhere that took your breath away; someplace beautiful, someplace heavenly. 

  

 So, keep checking-in as I share my discoveries along Patagonia’s W Trek. 

Puerto Natales

After two days of travel with long layovers in Panama City and Santiago, I finally arrived in Puerto Natales. The airport is tiny. All I could see from the plane’s window was a brush covered valley with mountains on either side as the planes touched the ground. Eventually the plane came to a stop in front of a small building with tarmac steps that would be rolled out for us to exit the plane.  Once off the plane and in the building, I purchased a bus ticket and waited for my luggage.  It was about a ten minute bus ride to my hotel

I got to the hotel around noon but my room would not be ready until 3:00 so, I just walked around the streets for awhile.  This was Christmas Day so, not much was open. I eventually found a place to get a hamburger, then walked around a little more.

Let's Get Serious

Nurse West and her students had fun making a hiking advice video.  It was good for a laugh but, now it's time for Coach Rose to talk a bit more seriously about the sport of hiking.