Trip Log Week 6 Feb 6 - Feb 12, 2001 February 6 - Rest day in Puerto Montt. The seafood is cheap and good here. I eat curanto - a big plate of mussels clams, potatoes, pork, chicken, and other great greasy stuff. February 7 - Hans leaves me for Santiago and the United States. His taxi to the Puerto Montt airport leaves at 11:00 AM so I get a late start and depart at noon along the southernmost section of the Pan American Highway. The Pan Americana is flat allowing fast progress. Osorno and other pretty volcanoes are visible off to the east. Unfortunately traffic is heavy and it is hot. Nevertheless, pavement, and low wind make for very easy biking and it is my longest day yet. I camp in the town of Los Lagos in the backyard of the restaurant where I eat dinner. Total distance 197 kilometers. February 8 - I am eager to reach my friends in Pucon and neglect (forget) to put sunscreen on my forearms. Once again it is hot and sunny and I burn my arms enough that it hurts to shower later in the day. This is unfortunate because I could really benefit from a long shower with lots of hot water. I cycle the Pan Americana for about 100 km before turning east along paved roads towards Pucon. Midway between Villarica and Pucon I meet with Jeff Witter and Taber who are driving in the opposite direction. They make me put my bike in the back of the pickup, make me shower, and make me drink some beer. Later on, we join some of their friends (mostly Villarica climbing guides) for a bar-b-q and wine. Total distance biked 136 kilometers. February 9 - A rest day in Pucon. Taber makes me go kayaking on the Bajo Trancura River (class III). I end up swimming for my first time ever on a river. I try to convince myself that my spray skirt popped open filling my boat with water, but deep down I am not so sure. February 10 - Jeff Witter, Taber, and I try to drive to the Argentinian border to climb Lanin Volcano but the Chilean carabineros (90 km from Pucon) decide that we donīt have appropriate papers to pass in the rental car and they send us back to Chile. Since we already have camping food, we discuss alternative volcano climbs. It is at this point that Tabers makes the now legendary suggestion: "Why donīt we just cut our losses and go to the Pucon beach for some eye candy." Jeff Witter and I responsibly outvote Taber and we opt to walk up Quetrupillan, a 2000 meter volcano halfway between Villarica and Lanin. February 11 - It is a long boring walk to the crater of Quetrupillan but there is good boulder trundling to be had on the upper snowfields. I have a low-grade fever by the time I get back to Pucon. February 12 - I still have a low-grade fever, but Taber insists on my visiting the Playa Pucon. It is a scene. Thousands of Chileans are packed together on the shores of Lake Villarica. Many of them are teenagers in tiny bathing suits chatting on their cellphones to friends on the other side of the beach. I have no cell phone, but I possess the best farmerīs tan on the entire beach. << Previous Next >>