Day 16 - Coyhaigue to wherever - High Maintenance - 6 Week Carretera Austral - 2024 - CycleBlaze

February 3, 2024

Day 16 - Coyhaigue to wherever

It was only 4° last night so it will be interesting when we go camping tonight since we’ll be up 3000 feet roughly 1000 meters 

This is one of those nights being in a cabana or hostel would’ve been great because those cool temperatures are heck a lot better inside than in a tent.

As the old expression goes, suck it up buttercup or build a bridge and get over it.

Today’s ride was interesting since the landscape change completely from seeing high mountains with snowcaps, we now saw rolling hills with farmland. 

I had to get my daily dog picture early because I knew we were riding in areas where they were very few towns and houses. 

Guard dog at our hostel.
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They do get snow here in the winter time and there actually is a ski hill not too far away from Coyhaique 

Even winter with snow here, can never escape it ! Well in flat Florida you can
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The first sign to our destination!
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It’s 7am Sunday I fell asleep in my tent typing this 8pm Saturday night. It was chilly so crawled in early to get warm. I’m glad David brought an extra Beenie to keep my head warm. Sleeping bag is great just my nose got a bit chilly. Tip, have a sleeping bag rated to keep you warm. I’d like to know how cold it was last night ! It had to be around 4. 

Back to the ride, it was quite relaxing even though a 1000 meter climb, haha still think of feet. Great roads till the end nice shoulders little traffic and just a bit of ripio. One of those rides where your mind can wander. In my head I solved world hunger, climate change and why the Toronto Maple Leafs will never win the Stanley Cup. One reason is a media, and the other reason goes back to Austin Mathews famous lame moustache. That just has to go. That is for you hockey fans that know the Leafs. 

Earlier in the ride, we passed the ride we passed the Villa O’Higgins sign. 634 kilometres to go. You know you’re getting close when you see the sign. The tough part now is that you know the roads will change from pavement to ripio for the rest of the ride.

Our stop for the night is Cerro Castillo  in a provincial park. Was around so I guess that means we can’t for free and now we know why. There was no water, and the conditions were quite as we say very nicely poor. We could’ve done wild camping by a  river and had better conditions.  However, you do what you have to do we filter the water that we could get had a great pasta, dinner with onions and peppers and garlic and made it an  early night because of the cool weather.

The bright side is so cool no dew on the tents to burn off. You also learn which I remember from 60 years ago you shove the clothes you don’t wear in the bottom of your sleeping bag to stay warm when you get up. 

No dogs, cats, cows or noisy neighbours to keep us awake. The cool wind sounded so peaceful. 

Always a pretty mountain in the background
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Change in scenery, still makes the ride awesome
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UFO Cloud. Saw some cycle tourers get sucked up !
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Getting to our site. No water till the morning ! Just brown water at night.
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David getting his tent set up. Since no showers he kept his distance.
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Jennifer RossLove those socks!!
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9 months ago
Peter WeilerThey glow in the dark !
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9 months ago
Our new friend.
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Have to love the iPhone, came up as a red winged blackbird
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No cell reception another few days delay for todays trip. We are camping in some random field. Having a great lunch with wifi. 

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 889 km (552 miles)

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