There Are No Coincidences. Are there? Hello Ushuaia!

Wild Guanaco’s grazing the pampas of Tierra del Fuego with the ominous mountains rimming the horizon. Tierra del Fuego. I lost count how many times I said this phrase when answering the questions of where I was headed. Land of Fire. Magellan named it as such because of the plumes of smoke and flames that […]

The Straits of Magellan. Just Another Movie Scene?

I prepared for the worst possible situation for the crossing on the notorious Straits of Magellan. Horror stories of massive swells tossing the ferry around like a toy while passengers toss their morning breakfast overboard. I had my tie downs easily accessible and placed an anti-seasickness patch behind my ear. The last time I can […]

Hail The Wind. Onward to the bottom of the world.

The fresh air. Vast open spaces. Golden pampas. Limitless horizon. And perhaps the most fantastic rugged mountains in South America. This is Patagonia. Centuries ago as European adventurers explored new lands tales spread of enormous indigenous people from the southern tip of South America. The stories propagated as explorers including Magellan, Sir Francis Drake and […]

Every Way The Wind Blows In Torres del Paine

It turns out that a my relatively wind-free day yesterday climbing to the mirador was yet another good fortune bestowed upon me and my fellow trekkers. After a quick breakfast of mediocre coffee and overcooked bread, I trekked out to the parking lot to tie my dry bag down and head to Lago Pehoé to […]

Wow! Torres del Paine – Chile

End of the day in Torres del Paine, Parque Nacional Chile. There is so much to see in Torres del Paine. Most serious travelers coming to this magic place straddling the Chilean/Argenintean border in the Andes will trek the “Circuit”. This involves either a 3 or 7 day hike through the valleys, mountains and lakes […]

It’s A Small World. Onward to the granite towers of Paine!

I spent the better part of the morning using the wireless at my favorite coffee shop/confiteria here in El Calafate. So the plan of an early start simply meant an early start catching up on the e-mail and blog while throwing in some photo editing. It’s getting tougher to keep this blog up to date. […]

More Repairs and On The Road Again.

I was too tired from the days trek to do anything about the predicament I was in. I was certain there was no one with the capacity to weld aluminum in this town. Yet I needed to straighten the bracket so that the Jesse bag could hang straight and offer unencumbered access to the fuel […]

Trekking the Andes and the power of Patagonia vistas and viento (wind).

An early start this morning put me on the trail toward Fitz Roy earlier than the “crowds” I’d meet along my trek later this afternoon. The crisp cool air and painted blue sky with just a hint of fluffy clouds made for a perfect morning. I packed my day pack with some bread, trail mix, […]

Travelin’ Mind – Captivated by natural beauty.

Reflecting on the early part of my journey when I rode the Alaskan Highway through Northern BC, the Yukon and to Haines, and then the Canadian Rockies and down through Glacier National Park into Montana, I’m remember how much the mountains, snow, ice and vast expansiveness of these natural settings captivates me. In one post […]

Onward to El Chalten – Youngest town in Argentina.

“Lo siento, Allan. No hay disponible por este noche,” Sebastian, the tall lanky son of the owners of Hosteria Los Nires in El Calafate said as he pulled the ear buds from his ears. He admired my motorcycle, my journey and enjoyed our several conversations about Argentina. At the time of checking in I had […]