Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond. Buzz Aldrin I saw photos of Patagonia years ago and kept watching documentaries and wanting more and more to go there and experience it for myself. I started researching and put together my game plan for backpacking in the park for 4 days. I contacted Michael Figueiredo ([email protected]) at StruxTravel (http://struxtravel.com) and outlined my trip and what I wanted and did not want and he came back with a great game plan. We emailed back and forth and worked out the details until I was happy and he booked everything for me. So much easier than trying to do it myself and when there were issues with the airline he took care of them for me and made sure everything was still good to go. I can not recommend him enough. If you need a travel agent don't hesitate to contact him. I left out of LAX and flew to Buenos Ares where I would stay for long enough to walk around a bit, grab a meal, nap and shower. Some of the architecture is awesome and the statues are massive. I wandered around for a few hours and got dinner. I needed some real sleep so I did not stay out too late. At about 3AM I dragged myself out of bed for my next flight to El Calafate where I would spend another day exploring and getting a bus ticket. The flight was easy enough and getting a taxi was super quick. Interestingly I did not have one taxi driver that spoke english. Most everyone else did to some extent, or between their broken english and my broken spanish we figured things out. El Calafate is a really neat place and I stayed in an awesome all wood hotel called Hainen. The staff there was super nice and I liked the place a lot. Very easy to go from it to town and back. A ten minute walk had you to a grocery store where you could buy water and snacks. I decided to try and find the bus station so I would not be scrambling the following morning. It was easy to find once I figured out the layout of the town a bit. Coming from the direction of airport you walk past the Casino that’s on your left and almost immediately after passing the end of the Casino is what looks like an alleyway with an arch over the entrance. It is lined with small brightly colored stalls that are trinket shops. Go through that alleyway to the back, climb a few sets of stairs and it drops you right at the back of the bus station. You can go in and get your ticket ahead of time – I recommend that you buy it the day before from Chalten Travel. They have it set up very well and were super nice to work with. Each bus company has a window in the station and a spot where the buses pull in. Once they arrive its a mad scramble to load your gear - for no reason. Your seats are assigned. I got it all set up the day before and it saved me a bunch of time. It was a zoo the day of in the station. The bus was decently packed with a few open seats here and there but it was much easier to let everyone sit in line and try and get tickets as I sat in the sun and made friends with one of the many dogs around. Their buses are very nice and the seats recline far enough back to sleep during the 3 hour ride - if you can sleep. The landscape your riding through is amazing so I did not sleep much. This is the lake you're driving next for for a large portion of the trip. Amazing colors and huge tracts of windswept grassland with Alpacas, sheep and farms. I took the first bus in the morning so once I arrived in El Chalten I could just take off. The ride was amazing and once I got there I had to take the mandatory picture. I filled 5 liters of camelbak bladders with bottled water and headed to the back of the town. I wanted to run a loop that would bring me through three camp sites and drop me back at the town in time to get the bus. I started hiking here. I was a little nervous but I had enough food for 4 days and a tent and a cold weather sleeping bag so I knew I had what I needed. I was just not sure what to really expect on the trail. After hiking a while there is a lookout that has a fantastic view. Its hard to describe the vastness of everything. No photo can do it justice. The air is so clear that you can see forever and it makes you feel tiny. Combined with the fact that the first few kilometers of my hike I did not not see one other person made it feel like another world. The trail is super well marked and hard to get turned around on. At every KM there is a sign telling you how far you are from the next major view. There are also signs along the trail with maps - although they are all in Spanish. I know enough to figure everything out and know where I needed to go. I did not want to stop and dig out my stove and boil water for lunch so I just took a breather at a group of stumps at a juncture in the trail and had two of these gel packs to hold me until I got to the camp ground. They taste decent but more important they really do have a lot of energy in them. They made a difference in my level of energy and gave me a good boost to continue on. My lunch table... As I was hiking I started getting glimpses of Fitz Roy through the trees. It just made me speed up a bit trying to get to the camp so I could dump my heavy pack and walk around and take some photos. Then you get to a point where you get a full view of what you're hiking to. It almost looks fake. The clear skies and the stark mountain range make for a dramatic view. Shortly after I made it to Laguna Capri and the general area where I would be camping. I knew I had plenty of time to set up my camp later so I started shooting pictures. The wind had kicked up and the lake was very choppy. You can drink out of all the lakes and streams in the park so I filled my bladders back up with the very cold water. It was amazing after sweating my way up the trail. The view from Laguna Capri Since I was where I needed to be for the night I decided it was a perfect time for a long over due lunch. My view for lunch was spectacular. Once I finished I started off to find the designated camp area. At the Camp ground for the night. I met a few other hikers that ended up doing the same loop I did so we hung out for the remainder of the trip. Super nice guys and one of them had been backpacking South America for about 3 months. The campground was on the small side because not a ton of people camp there as the other sites are better - but it's still a very neat place. Of course if you have followed my blog or instagram at all you know by now I love shooting night photos. Using long exposure and a midrange ISO I always try and get something new. I like setting everything up and then just letting it run. One problem this time... The sun set at 11:00PM. That meant I would have to wait until about 11:30 at a minimum to get true night shots. So here is what I managed to get. Its one shot just after sunset merged with about 30 long exposures at IFO800 and F2.8 Nightime selfie... I slept hard that night but woke up after sunrise and had to pee. I stepped out of my tent and looked out to the lake and saw that it was absolutely still. It was a total mirror so I jumped back into the tent and got my camera out and set. I spent about 15 minutes and snagged these shots. It's worth noting at the end of the 15 minutes the wind started again and erased the whole scene. But it was breathtaking. This is a black and white - its not a negative. Because of the deeper colors and stark contrasts it looks like it was adjusted but all I did was drop it to grayscale. its also worth noting the image is up-side-down. The reflection is so perfect I flipped the image and it's hard to tell whats supposed to be up or down After refilling all my water and packing up camp I started of to Campamento Poincenot. The hike had a little bit of everything. From over grown paths. To log bridges over wetlands. But one thing was always the same. The views were incredible. And campground for the night... Also worth showing you the tent I was living in the whole trip. Solo tent with just enough room for everything I needed. My brand new sleeping bag had a seam that was not sewn shut. I didn't find that out until the first night when I woke up and it looked like I murdered a goose in my sleep... REI took it back no questions asked, lucky they did not open it enough to smell the footbox... So I set up camp again and then took off to hike around with one of the other guys who I had been hiking with. We crossed over a awesome bridge trying to get to Glacer Piedras Blancas but the danger sign turned us back... Since we could not make it to the actual glacier by that trail we took the main hiking trail that allowed for a view into the lake and glacier. It was a nice hike through the woods and was again cloudless and breezy. I could hike that trail over and over. This camp ground was much more crowded but still super laid back. There were no idiots yelling or playing loud music all night. Sunset was also amazing glowing off the ridge line. The next morning I packed up again and started off to the next and last camp site located at Laguna Torre it was called Campamento De Agostini. The hike there was actually the toughest hike of the trip. My legs were a little sore and it was some steeper downhills and uphills. There were even more awesome views on the way though, even more lakes and rivers. Nice place to take a breather.... The hike also took you through another wooded area that was actually very green. And super quiet and relaxing to hike through The camp site is right next to a river and it's tinged the same blue as so much of the water in Patagonia. I don't know what mineral makes it that color but my guess is travertine. It was a really relaxing spot, with the water running quickly nearby. The entrance to the camp has a nice warning.. After setting up camp for the last time on the trip and refilling water I headed over to Laguna Torre with the group I had been hiking with. It was amazing, small icebergs and a glacier in the background. The clouds had moved in a little and gave me an opportunity for a picture that to me looks like something from another world. The colors and shadows that were playing around the water and ridge line gave some awesome photos. If you choose to you can hike around the lake and get a better view of the glacier, I went about 3/4 the way around and decided to turn back. I had a great view and you could not actually go down onto it so I did not want to continue. Plus by that point I was starving. Waking up after the last night camping was bittersweet. I was ready for a real meal but I could have done a few more days. There was alot more I could have explored but that's not saying I did not have an incredible time. The last view on the way out of the mountain range and the first view of the city... I had some time to kill so I grabbed some food from a deli the cheese was super thick and had a great flavor - I am not sure what meat it was kinda tasted like goat - and a beer so I could sit and wait for the bus. After eating freeze dried backpacking food that was an amazing meal and beer. The dogs all around are very friendly and will come up to you to get petted, I think they are smart enough to learn if they act nice and playful they can snag a meal from the tourists. I noticed some people tossing them a piece of bread or part of their snack. Either way they are all really chill dogs. This guy was huge, his head was at my waist and he kept leaning into me to get me to pet him more. Originally I had planned to spend the night in El Chalton, but after discovering it really had nothing to offer other than hostels and backpacking supplies I decided to roll the dice and head back to El Calafate since it was more of a touristy area with more to do and see. After arriving back at El Calafate I walked over to my original hotel and they luckily had an extra room for the night so I didn’t have to go searching Hostels for an open bed. The front desk guy got me checked in and then in a joking way said in strained English “Maybe you take shower”… Way ahead of you buddy – that’s my first plan of action for the afternoon. After the shower and a lying down for a bit I went out straight to a restaurant I had seen on my brief time before I headed to El Chalten, the restaurant had bottles of wine stacked everywhere and goats on spits over an open flame in the front window. Perfect after eating dehydrated backpacking meals for 4 days – got to class it up a bit. I had an fantastic meal in a super nice restaurant called "MAKO fuegos y vinos". This is what greets you are the entrance to MAKO. My meal consisted of goat pate as a small starter. Followed by a shrimp and octopus appetizer. The main course was a giant board of different cuts of goat and grilled veggies and a bottle of a great Argentinian Cab. Finished it off with a very good desert. From there is was a flight back to Buenos Ares where I would be spending about 48 hours. The airport was nice but pro tip - get in line early. The tour groups will take forever to get though as most of them are big, disorganized and everyone is trying to argue everything. View from the gate, that blue water is still amazing. After landing in BA and getting my bags I took a taxi to my hotel. It seemed nice enough but I was not a huge fan of this area of Buenos Ares in general.
I walked around a bit but the area I was in seemed more busy and alot less friendly than the first area I stayed in. The beggars were very aggressive, to the point of coming up to my table and reaching for food when I was eating dinner. The flight home was long, I must say though having wine and whiskey poured for you the whole flight is a perk. Managed to sleep a bit and since the middle seat was open had some more room to spread out. Customs was not very well done. Why even hand out the forms on the plane if I have to do everything digitally on a kiosk? People kept trying to cut in line and jump to the front. I called one guy out loudly - he got super wide eyed. Almost like he did it all the time and I was the first to say anything. In the end it took a few days to process what I had just experienced. The mountains and the lakes and the sheer staggering size and vastness. The absolute beauty of the windswept landscape and blue water lakes, glaciers and trails through forests that almost did not seem real some times. The smaller cities and the experiences, sights and food. It was an amazing time and I am glad I got to knock Patagonia off my bucket list. Someday I wouldn't mind going back. I can imagine it would be spectacular cloaked in snow....
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Like some of my other trips this one was kind of winging it. I had been looking at it for a while and finally I decided to backpack into Joshua Tree. After some research on fees and rules I found that there were boards to sign in so that your car / truck would not be towed but that was about it no back country fees or permits needed. I pulled some maps offline but they were not to good. But what ever I could figure it out on the fly and its a Notional Park - way better marked than some places I have ended up.... I stuffed a nights worth of food, gear, water and my camera equipment - the heaviest part since I was taking two DSLRs to test my newest one - into my pack. I checked the weather and it was supposed to be high 60s - perfect for a light weight summer sleeping bag. I like when its cooler. Unless the weatherman lies to me.... Like he did... All in all with water about 25-35 pounds I would guess. I was surprised how quick the drive was with no traffic. I was also surprised by the amount of people who were going into the park on a Friday. There was a decently long line to drive in and there was a constant flow of traffic on the roads for the most part. I found the parking spot I wanted to leave my truck at and the board with the slip to fill out to let the rangers know you were out over night. That done I just kind of bummed around various trails and saw the sights for a bit. When I had enough screwing around I chugged a power aid to keep my hydration up and took off into the desert. There was a nice breeze and it was not to hot so that was nice. I did not have to haul as much water as I thought I would need to. I hiked about 4 miles from the road point to point on a map but about 6 or 7 on the ground. Some of the trees on the trail. Spiky bastards.... Watch where you sit.... After messing around and taking pictures I figured I should set up camp and line up my shot before it got to dark to see. This looks like a good place.... Tent poles are always fun when your alone, but I got it done and strapped down. No one around for miles... Love it. Time for some dinner - boiling water for the Backpacking dehydrated chicken teriyaki . Testing it for the Argentina trip coming up. It was decent to good tasting. This little burner got 2 cups of water to a boil in about a minute. My stove at home wont even do that. Ok camp is set up. Food eaten. Road soda sipped. Time to test the new camera.... Here is the first image. I shot it with a lower ISO in order to move up the scale to find out where the sweet spot is between the image brightness and the loss of sharpness. I need to go somewhere extremely dark and play with it more but this gives me a good reference point. As a bonus If you look at the three pictures you can see how much the earth spun and moved in reference to the milky way just during my shooting. Not bad... Higher ISO but also turned the auto white balance on... Usually I set the white balance to give the sky the deeper blue color. The photos are also compressed and not full scale due to size limits on this site. This is more what I was working to do. I still have a lot of work and need a new photo editing program. Mine is very out dated. Also the city lights in the distance hampered my shot but unfortunately that's what I had to work with. Time lapse I threw together, definitely need brighter shots for this kind of stuff but this was an after thought to what I was really trying to do. One last shot - star trail about 80-100 shots merged into one. It was about this time I realized two things. The marines were launching artillery at 29 palms - yes I could hear it rumble in the distance - and more importantly, the weather man had lied to me... It was not high 60s in fact not even in the 60s, It dropped into the high 50s. And I had what was essentially a thick sheet for a sleeping bag because like an idiot I trusted the weather man. I slept good I just shivered a bit a few hours before dawn. I also got to deal with some curious critter that was scampering along the tarp I use a ground cover... Heard him skittering along and just whacked the side of the tent and he ran off. At sunrise as I started to pack up my gear for the couple hour hike out. It was a beautiful morning. Clear and cool All and all a good trip. Little chilly, but I got to test my new camera and see what it could really do. I need one more night to fine tune everything based off what I learned but now I have my starting points. Cant wait to also update my software.
Up next - Patagonia Argentina for Thanksgiving and then Yosemite for Christmas. Started the journey from Tucson really early in the morning and drove to Arches in about 9 hours. Traveling through some Indian reservations along the way and ended up staying at a “Campsite” that was really just a really nice place to put a tent up. It had showers bathrooms and awnings for shade. For the price it can not be beat. It was also great because from the camp site to the entrance to arches was only about a 5 minute drive. So running back to camp or into town after a long day of hiking Moab Brewery was just up the road. Great beer and good food. The inside is neat with alot of random items on the walls and a relaxed vibe. Below are some shots I took in the park. Dead tree in the red sand. Navajo Arch If you have a chance to stay until after sunset the star viewing is great. The park is open 24 hours a day and with no real light pollution there taking astro-photography shots is second to none. If its a full moon the park is lit up enough that you do not even need a flashlight and its gives a whole new feeling to the place. No kids yelling or cars driving around – just a great silence. Below are some night shots - no flash and no light painting, all the lighting and shadows were from the full moon. Double arch - 140 merged 15 second shots 15 Second exposure 15 Second exposure 15 Second exposure One single 15 Second exposure from the 140 that went into the star trail shot in the first Double Arch photo. Landscape Arch The monoliths and ridges that stuck out of the desert were extremely impressive, unfortunately you cant get a scale of how big they really are from the photo. This arch was in Canyon lands. I wish there was more time to take the dirt road down into Canyonlands and explore the valley but I didn't know about it until it was to late. - next time I will plan that better and head down into the off road areas for a day or two. One last shot - the Windows from the back
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December 2016
AuthorDirt roads, getting lost, dark nights in the middle of no where and photographing adventures. Travel
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