“It’s only about two hours more.” Every hiker we met no matter where we met them on the trail said this to us.
Frances Refugio to Chileno Refugio
Weather: sunny, warm, and beautiful.
This might be my favorite day on the W. The views were magnificent!
Since we were staying at separate campsites last night and had no access to cell phone service, we had to coordinate everything before we parted ways yesterday. It's amazing how life can still function without a smartphone.
According to the previously not-so-accurate maps, we thought it would take James and me about an hour to get to Cuernos from Frances to meet up with Allison and Mike. We set a meeting time of 10 am with all of us assuming this wouldn't actually happen but we made a solid pact to leave no man behind. Go Team!
James had a scheduled breakfast time of 8:15 am so he and I agreed to meet near the trail at 9 am. In an exchange for a beer the night before he agreed to pick up my box lunch so I wouldn't have to walk the mile round trip to the dining hall from my fancy tent. I still never found the Margarita machine.
When you hike all day with people, you learn quickly what their behavior patterns and quirks are and what makes them tick. James is a talker/storyteller, he loves to joke with people, and God bless his little heart, he is notoriously late. This morning was no exception but I'll give him bonus points for only being 10 minutes late instead of the usual 15 minutes. We are already behind the eight-ball of faulty maps and now we've got to put some serious pep in our steps to not make the other half of our quad wait for us.
It rained overnight and thankfully stopped by 8:15 am when I was getting out of my tent to make my morning walk to Asia to use the bathroom and brush my teeth.
The trail was wet and muddy, but manageable. James and I were moving and grooving until we reached an amazing lookout with our first views of the lake, Lago El Toro. Even with my new iPhone camera, it doesn't even begin to capture the beauty we saw with our own eyes.
After this lookout, the trail dropped down to the waterfront. Along the way we met three young female hikers…and guess where they were from? Yep, Kansas City. They make numbers 4, 5, and 6, for people I've met in South America from KC. I've only been here three weeks.
After a quick exchange with my fellow Kansas Citians, we made it to the lakeshore.
James wrangled another hiker to snap our photo. I think he is becoming sentimental the more he becomes a seasoned hiker.
Along with the “it's only two hours away” theme of the day, we also had a running motif of our feet or one foot being cut off in the photos or having an obstructed view from a finger or glove. If anyone is winning on the W, it's Trail of Mixed Nuts Hiking Team.
Before we arrived at Cuernos we met another hiker who joined our group temporarily.
Meet Ofek (22) from Israel.
Ofek is a badass. This is his first big (extended) trip away from home. He is hiking the W as well but what makes him such a stud is he has Cerebral Palsy and is traveling the world and hiking crazy terrain in Patagonia. He is unstoppable. He shared many things with us about his life, this being the first info, along with his dream to become the Minister of Education for Israel. What a cool dude. He said he loves educating and working with young people.
Seeing the way he tackled the trail, I bet he will make all his dreams a reality.
The trail got a little more wild the closer we got to Cuernos. We had to cross some rivers and the terrain got a little dicey.
James took a video of me crossing the river with the hopes of having blackmail footage of me falling in but sadly his dreams went unfulfilled. Although my shoes and feet were soaked! Not the best thing for hiking all day.
At 10:18 am we finally reached Cuernos campsite where Allison and Mike were patiently waiting for us.
If you ever want to hike with amazing and patient people, Allison and Mike are your peeps. They are so relaxed about everything. I don't think I've ever met people with less anxiety. Thank goodness James and I haven't scared them away (yet).
We introduced them to Ofek, took a bathroom break, and started back on the trail with the full team intact…plus one.
The views continued to get more and more stunning as we hiked. We had a view of the lake for most of the hike which made my day! I love water.
Within the hour, we ran into William and Paul. Which is always a treat for me…not sure how much they enjoyed it. Ha!
Something came over me and I made everyone stop for a photo. It felt like a perfect moment with all of us together but as with life, you know it won't ever happen again and we needed to capture it, bottle it up, and keep it forever. It's probably my favorite photo from the W.
We stayed as a group for a little while but as happens with hiking, some people walk faster than others and we separated… until we saw each other again. This trail is similar to the Camino in that respect. It's one giant game of leapfrog.
The views continued to be breathtaking. We crossed more bridges and rivers and stopped for lunch so we could enjoy the panaroma even longer.
We also ran into a guy we met at the Frances Campsite. Max (25) from Hungary. He is also on his first big trip around the world. Max is kind, incredibly intelligent, and very reserved. The strong, silent type. I've loved getting to know Max. He is a special guy. Here’s a secret…Max and I have met up in other towns since the hike and he’s even cooler than I originally thought.
After hours of hiking and apparently “two more to go,” we had to split ways again. I was staying at the Chileno Campsite along with William, Paul, and Ofek while the other Nuts were staying at Central Campsite. Here is my kindergarten drawing again for reference.
Tomorrow will be our final day of hiking. We will hike to “the towers” to see the sunrise. Hopefully.
There are two sides to every coin and such is with these two campsites. Chileno is the most sought-after because it is about two hours (not kidding) from the towers whereas Central is four hours. This means I would have a longer and harder hike today since it's uphill and they will have the longer, harder hike tomorrow. The other factor of this scenario is, that the Central folks don't have to carry a bag and I would have to carry mine on the way down. Each adventure has its own set of challenges.
Again, since we didn't have phone service we had to make a plan for a meeting time and location before separating. They will leave at 3:45 am and I'll see them at my campsite at about 6 am. Go Team!
We said our, “See you later” pleasantries and they went one way, and Ofek and I went another. I don't know what their path was like but Ofek and I had a heck of a time. We crossed four or five more streams (and I got my feet wet again, ugh), encountered a HUGE (wide and long) mud pit, and 50 mph winds as we walked along a steep ridge into Chileno.
Thank goodness I was with Ofek when we reached the mud pit because he had little trash bags to put over my shoes. Yes, I realize white shoes are not ideal for hiking but I'm traveling all year and this is only four days of it. Which is why I didn't bring hiking boots.
As a reward, we did get to see and visit with many horses. Everything is carried in and out of Chileno on horseback…even the toilet paper and kegs of beer.
When we made it to Chileno, I checked in and got another luxury tent minus a Margarita machine. I was told that there are no rats at this site. Whew.
I ran into many hikers we've met along the way including Paul and William. I decided to buy a hot meal and eat with them tonight. I really enjoy their company.
I climbed into bed at about 10:30 pm and fell asleep quickly. The 5 am wake-up call for the sunrise hike is coming too soon.
Much love & gratitude from Chile! 🇨🇱Namaste 🙏
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I asked The Nuts to stop for a photo, then out of shock I yelled “CONDOR!” This is their look of confusion. They thought I was telling them to say “Condor” instead of “Cheese” but there was an actual Condor flying above them. Ha!
A big fire was started years ago due to a hiker burning their toilet paper so these signs are everywhere.
James said he would make fun of me if I “waxed poetic” about filling my water bottle in the stream. So here is a shot of him doing it. Who has the blackmail now?
Amazing. Great trip you are having.
What an absolutely beautiful place - wow!!!!