“Your time on Earth is limited. Don't try to age with grace. Age with mischief, audacity, and a good story to tell.” Unknown
Paine Grande Refugio to Frances Refugio
Weather: sunny and warm.
Alright sports fans, the Trail of Mixed Nuts Hiking Team is off to a slow but steady start. I am by far the slowest hiker of the group despite my small bag but like any good team, we stick together…whether we like each other or not.
We headed off at about 8:45 am after everyone had eaten breakfast. James, in an effort to lighten his load, offered me some of his pound cake (I mean, he really must have thought he would starve out here to pack a loaf of pound cake). I immediately regretted eating it. It felt like a rock in my stomach. I prefer to start hiking on an empty stomach and then stop and have a snack about five minutes into the walk.
Before tripping out the front door, I picked up my box lunch for the day and immediately returned the sandwich. We still don't have a consensus on what it was, possibly tuna, chicken, or salmon, but it was a little on the discolored side so I wasn't about to lug it around in my bag. Mike said he could have gone without eating it so I felt confident in my decision.
James on the other hand ordered breakfast and dinners at the refugios and made his own lunches. Today’s meal was a tuna and mayo sandwich which he prepared in the can. Oh, the Brits.
Again, I think he was subtly giving me the middle finger with his application of the mayonnaise. As Freud said, “There are no accidents.”
Once we were off and running we reached a “y” in the trail. I received a tip from the owner of Base Camp Pizzeria in Puerto Natales to stay to the right and take the unofficial route. It was said to be a more difficult path but also more beautiful. What a cliché.
Honestly, how would we know the difference if we didn't hike both paths but needless to say, we chose the road less traveled…and it probably did make all the difference.
I wasn't about to walk back and compare the two though.
The trail was challenging and the views were stunning as described. It was an enjoyable walk. I'm pleased with the tine we chose on the fork.
At one moment, I noticed James standing quietly (a rare occurance) deep in his thoughts. I wondered if he was questioning his life decisions…or maybe, possibly regretting giving me the pound cake.
I think everyone on Team Mixed Nuts enjoyed this route. We had some interesting discussions along the way. At one point (we still do not know who or how this topic was brought into conversation), we started talking about David Hasselhoff. I thought Mike’s head was going to explode when we told him that his music is very popular in Germany. Mike had no idea “The Hoff” was a singer. What a sheltered life he must lead.
Just about the time of the head explosion we encountered two young female hikers from the US and they joined the discussion. Since they were only 20-something, they had no idea who we were talking about. So instead of leading with the more popular show, Baywatch, James tried to explain in detailed chronological order the career of The Hoff starting with Knight Rider and how the car, KITT, had AI before AI was even a thing. The confused look on the two girls' faces was priceless. I'm sure they thought we were delusional old people who should be in a care home and not on a hiking trail in the wilderness.
Onward.
Shortly after the dissertation on The Hoff, we encountered a beautiful scenery with a bridge. Bridges make all photos better, don't you think?
Maximum capacity of said bridge: 2 people. Feeling confident in our weight versus the strength of the suspension bridge, we decided to test our luck for our first Trail of Mixed Nuts Hiking Team group photo taken by someone other than us.
I'm still writing so I'm happy to report that we all lived.
Once we rejoined the official trail, we headed to the Italiano Campsite and Ranger Station to drop our packs (since doubling back would be required. *sigh*) and hike up the middle section of the W to see the mountains. Here is my kindergarten drawing again for reference.
It's several hours of walking up and back to reach Britanico so we opted to stop at Frances Glacier Lookout (if we even made it that far). The weather was perfect, we ate some snacks, took a few team photos, and then…we saw an avalanche! Several actually but one really big one. Ignore the commentary in this video.
After the all the excitement of the avalanche, we headed back to Italiano to grab our bags and walk to our accommodations for the night.
When we arrived at Italiano we saw Paul and William. They were taking a break and eating lunch - which included the unidentified fish or poultry substance. We showed them our videos of the avalanche, swapped trail stories, and got to know each other a little better. I like those two. Especially, William…he’s got a spunky, sassy attitude. It's a battle of wits with him. He makes life interesting.
We said our “See you later” pleasantries and got back on the path.
There was another beautiful lookout and James wanted to do a Sears Catalog photoshoot. I've titled these photos: 1. Look at the stretch of these “hiking trousers.” 2. The smoldering over-the-shoulder and backpack look. 3. Look at the time, we've got to go hiking so I can track my steps on this fancy wristwatch.
Also, please notice James's blue trekking poles. They were always a nuisance for the team and the other hikers. He would literally throw them down wherever and claim they provided direction on a fairly well-marked path. Novice.
Unfortunately, the team would be breaking up for the night. James and I had booked at Frances and Mike and Allison were staying at Cuernos.
James was in a dorm (my preference) and I was in a “premium/overpriced tent.” I filmed a video for a friend and since you all have become friends, I'll share it with you too. I was clearly distressed about the bathroom situation. Enjoy the guided tour.
The tent turned out to be very nice although not luxurious in my book. It was missing a Margarita machine.
I saw William and Paul as they passed through our campsite on their way to Cuernos. They remind me of the two Muppets in the balcony, Statler and Waldorf. Remember them?
This post is really long so I'll quickly wrap it up.
Frances was nice but really spread out so that meant long walks to the bathrooms, dining hall, tents, and dorms. I was too tired to walk to the dining hall so I ate the one can of tuna I brought and bought a beer and chips in the bar near the tents to go with it. Dinner of Champion hikers everywhere. (Cue grunt sound)
One other major problem with this campsite and at Cuernos as well, are the rodents. Since it's in the middle of the W, they collect the trash but can't haul it out every day. So rats are a problem. Yes, rats. I thought I was back in NYC for a moment.
Thankfully, I didn't have an issue but in the morning I heard many stories of rats getting into tents and backpacks to get food. YIKES!
On that note, I'm outta here.
Much love & gratitude from Chile! 🇨🇱Namaste 🙏
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Great post. Had a few laughs which I need as it is still raining in Spain. Trails are muddy & flooded. Seriously considering buying nails & wood to start construction of Ark 2.
Since you bring up Baywatch, here is a current and fabulous Pamela Anderson. I particularly dig the Reverand Mother outfit. https://crfashionbook.com/pamela-anderson-interview/