Summertime in Patagonia

Picture this. It is almost fully summertime here in Patagonia. This means we have been enjoying 80 degree days full of blazing sunshine and milder nights in which you can leave your zero degree sleeping bag a bit unzipped. Beach days (without the beach) on the grass in front of the house, chatting, drinking mate, and sunning our faces. Also, as a by product of the heat, we've been enjoying competitions on how many tabanos (flies from hell) we can kill at one time. The little beasts are incredibly slow and if you let them land on you, you can give them a good swat with one hand and successfully kill more than one in a go. Last week, a bunch of us traipsed down to the confluence of the Baker and Chacabuco rivers to camp. We all went for dips in the water and then sat on the shores of the Baker river sunning in only our bikinis. We fished and made a small beach fire and roasted trout by the fire for dinner. Woke up in the morning and fell out of my tent into the water of the Baker and although cold, the warm wind and air dried me off fast. We were also rewarded with one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen and managed to make it down to Cochrane for the late spring rodeo, which was a pretty awesome time.

In light of all of this beautiful weather, Justin and I decided to take a hike one lovely day when the weather had turned a bit cooler and the hope of escaping the tabanos was high in our hearts. Up up up we went to Tamanguito - a mountain right by the estancia. As we reached near the summit of Tamanguito, we noticed an ominous cloud building just to our right, right over Tamango, the mountain we were trying to summit that day (just a few hundred meters higher than Tamanguito, but a fair way of hiking across the ridge to get there). The cloud got closer and closer and with a grin on both of our faces, we scampered across the ridge towards Tamango. Not moments later the snow began to fall. And then the snow REALLY began to fall. 45 minutes later, we were covered in snow, laughing hysterically, and trying to take pictures without getting our cameras too wet. It actually felt like Christmas back home to have snow falling all around us on the top of the mountain. We couldn't actually see the summit of Tamango, so we decided to turn back. I think we were actually quite close to it now that I can see it from my comfy place in front of the fire in our lovely house. We stopped briefly in the downpour to try to drink some mate but were quickly driven on by wet cold feet and hands. Quickly going down the 4 hours we went up, we dropped out of the snow line in 4 kilometers or so and had a nice open valley open up in front of us as we left the clouds of Tamango behind.

All in all, it was a pretty spectacular day and a lovely surprise for Christmas in the middle of summer in Patagonia.

Thanksgiving in the Valley

A few days ago, Matt, Eli and I were making dinner in the lodge for our latest guests (Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, his wonderful wife, Judy, their super duper and sweet assistant Clay and his lovely girlfriend Vanessa. Also, a group of three guys from Matador Travel doing a documentary). Kris Thompkins, the boss lady, wandered in to say hello to us while we were cooking dinner. She's got a wonderful way of interacting with people which really makes you feel like she's taking a deep interest in whatever it is you are doing, however unimportant. Anyway, probably due to her openness with us, we got up the nerve to ask about Thanksgiving plans... we were hoping to be able to invite all of the other interns (we are 10 currently) into the lodge to have Thanksgiving dinner with all of our guests that were staying at the lodge. She immediately got a twinkle in her eye and happily announced that we could definitely do that. I couldn't have been happier about it. We woke up the next morning and per usual Thanksgiving tradition, ran quickly to town to buy last minute supplies and came back and started cooking. Justin and Ryan helped me, Matt, and Eli and we cooked up a storm all day. It felt like having a family for sure and was so nice to be in the kitchen cracking up about burnt stuffing and not having room in the oven for everything and wondering if we were going to be able to feed all 35 people with the food we had prepared and then remembering that it was Thanksgiving, so it didn't really matter anyway. That evening was one of the most special evenings I have had in a long time. We lit candles in our big living room, everyone looking out on the Patagonia mountains of Valle Chacabuco. Watching all of our lodge guests, Kris and Doug, and the other interns I have come to care about so much getting food and all sitting down together was such a special moment. To top it all off, one of my closest friends, Laura Piraino and her boyfriend Michael Laut had been visiting me for the last week and they came back from a hike in time to participate in the festivities. (by the way, I had a FANTASTIC time exploring with them. we did a whole bunch of random stuff, went horseback riding and hiking in Cerro Castillo, hung out by the shores of Lago General Carrera and then picked up Justin and hauled down to the coast to a cool little town called Tortel. All in all they were amazing guests and the time with them was fabulous).

Anyway... after dinner, with our wine glasses in hand, we listened to several of the people read poems, give thanks, share from past speeches, and generally reflect on the holiday. Amory Lovins told a great story about "applied hope" and how we should all continue down the path that we have chosen with all the greatest hope. Then his wife sang Amazing Grace. This happened to come just before Kris asked me to speak in front of the group and I was so choked up that my entire speech was a mess of shaky voice. I did, however, get a couple of votes later in the evening for favorite speech, which made me feel a bit better about being so weepy. Dang.

Now I'm sitting in the lodge waiting for our next guests to arrive... we have them for a couple of days and they are just a couple of people so it should be easy. No big adventure planned for the moment, but every day here in a new and wonderful adventure. I can't believe it's almost been 3 months!

<3 <3 <3

Kate

Tranquilo-ing. A photo journal of relaxation.

Justin and Jordan on our sheep truck hitch ride.
Justin fishes. I lay in the sun. Seems like a good arrangement.
Justin fishing by Lago Esmeraldas in the evening sun... around 9pm!
Dinosaur flavored lichen!
Cutting across the ridge of Tamanguito on the Lagunas Altas hike with Josh, Justin, and Mark!
Justin packing up in the morning at high camp.
Ryan and Phil tranquilo-ing on the mountainside. We ran into them on our hike... they are usually out in the field for up to 10 days so it was awesome to see them!
Mark. I don't know how to describe this boy, but he provides about 85% of my daily entertainment in the form of laughter.

Driving in Patagonia!

The luckiest girl in the world...

The last two days have been phenomenal, to follow up two months of wonderfulness. Yesterday, I went with Justin and Jordan to Lago Esmeraldas near Cochrane. We didn't get up until 10:00 in the morning and figured we had lost our chance at a ride to town, which are definitely few and far between and at the good graces of whoever is going. After stopping leisurely by the cafeteria for some breakfast and coffee, I wandered down to the office to check and see if anybody was going to Cochrane and as luck would have it one of the administrators was headed there. We hopped in the car and arrived to Cochrane just in time to run to the bank, grab stuff to make sandwiches, and took a quick taxi ride out to the lake where the sun was shining hard enough that we all stripped down to our swimming suits and enjoyed a swim in the lake. I managed to stay in for quite some time. After spending a few hours there, we started walking down the road trying to hitch a ride the 10k or so back into Cochrane. We got passed by a couple of cars before a sheep truck stopped for us and we got to ride in the back. Ended up being one of the best hitch rides we've scored yet. Upon arriving back into Cochrane, we ran into two workers from the estancia in the plaza who gave us just enough time to grab a couple of snacks before taking us ALL THE WAY back to the estancia. Unless you visit here, you are not going to understand how amazing this is, but usually we get dropped off at a crossroads about 12 km from the estancia and you have to try for a second time that day to hitch a ride that is likely not to come. All in all, it was a lovely day... one of the loveliest.

AND THEN there was today! In which I was charged with the job of driving Kris Thompkins' car from the estancia to the airport in Coyhaique - about a 6 hour drive that is one of the most beautiful roads I have ever been on. This coincided perfectly with my need to go to Coyhaique to pick up my friends Laura and Mike who are arriving on the 18th. I had the wonderful company of another intern, Mark, and we stopped to take tons of pictures on the way. It was incredible to drive through the landscape. I felt SO free. We stopped in Cerro Castillo and I got some things sorted out for Laura and Mike's stay which was wonderful and I think they'll have a great time. I did find out that a rental car is going to be around $900 for the 8 days they are here. HOLY MOLY. I still think it's worth it just for the drive down to the estancia. Driving up to Coyhaique was phenomenal and being able to stop whenever and take photos was perfect. I suppose I would pay $300 for a rental car for myself for a week and not think that was too bad, so that's where my head is at at this moment. We'll see what they think...?????

Tomorrow I'm running crazy errands and then going to a info fair with Paula Herrera, the woman in charge of the intern program. Should be a good day too!

Pictures coming soon since I've got a pretty good connection!

Abrazos a todos.

Put a face with a name.

Great Pyrenees puppies out at one of the sheep farms. These dogs are part of the protection program. That's a proud mama right there.
Sunset at Juanina, one of the volunteer camps, on an incredible mountain range that dips down in the Argentinian valley.
Family vacation to Argentina with the first volunteer group of the season.
Halloween at Valle Chacabuco... the ladies wearing mustaches. You've got me, then Lilly the volunteer coordinator, then Corrine who is visiting for 2 weeks to install smart meters on the energy systems, and then Karen who is one of the short term volunteers.
Asado with Cristian Rivera, a beloved gaucho in the area. Cristian is in charge of the herds that remain for now here at the estancia.
Luigi Solis on the shores of Lago Cochrane with his crazy dog Nato. After this picture was taken, we skidded down the side and went swimming in the freezing cold water. The estancia is all the way on the far side of the lake in this picture behind the white mountains you see.
Paula's son, Martin, on Halloween out in the fields. This picture seems really surreal to me. This is out on the eastern side of the park, which gets flatter as it gets towards Argentina.

Mota on the way home from the fields... she's a chubby little lamb now.

Hot Water, Fly Rods, and Hiking with the Babbits

It's been a pretty great week. Work schedule has been interesting. Let me lay it out for you...

Tuesday: 9am - the guests arrive with Kris and Doug Thompkins in two planes that are now parked outside of our cafeteria. They surprised us with asking for breakfast, at which Matt and I were pretty stoked on how quickly we wrangled one together and managed to somehow get everyone fed and watered despite a lack of sufficient materials. Picture us running from one end of the estancia to the other looking for eggs and bread while serving coffee, tea, fruit, etc... somebody needs to get us a golf cart! Fun though to be suddenly thrown into work. I, for one, am enjoying the pace... and yet looking forward to some rest at the end of it all.

Tuesday: 1am - wrap up the day after working pretty much solidly through. Bar women. That I am. 15 hour day. Whew!

Wednesday: At the lodge by 7am... packed lunches for a few, lunch to be served at the main house for the rest. I got lucky enough to go hiking in the morning with a few people, including Bruce Babbit and his lovely wife, Hattie. Bruce, despite having had knee replacement surgery in August, managed to go 6 kilometers straight up Tamanguito (a nearby peak) before he and I turned around to come back down. I had a wonderful conversation with him on the way down. It's great to be surrounded by so many heavy hitters in the conservation world. We ended up chatting about Amazon Conservation Association, which I had no idea he was involved in and with whom I have been chatting about bringing Broadreach groups to do community service work in Peru. What a small world. Sitting on the side of the mountain with him, chatting about the scenery, service work, and how the apples we were eating were a nice break from walking was an incredible way to spend a morning. The afternoon was filled with preparations for an asado (BBQ) and then the actual asado, which was spectacular. Two roasting sheep on the side of a fire over which chorizo was roasting made my mouth water... scarfed down a choripan and some lamb meat before realizing I forgot to bring the wine to the asado (DANG... sorry everyone) and then running back to the lodge to get ready for an evening chat with Bruce for everyone. Bruce is a captivating speaker and it was incredible to be in a room with him, Doug Thompkins, Hansjoerg Wyss, and so many other people who work so hard to protect the natural world. They definitely have differing perspectives, but in the end, are all trying to accomplish the same thing. Reverting back to a way of life that respects traditional uses of land but attempting to restore a much needed balance. Finished up last night around midnight again and went to bed feeling liked he luckiest girl in the world.

Thursday: Back at it at 7am. Breakfast. Check. Lunch. Check. Sitting here now getting ready to make a chocolate pie for dinner and run out to the greenhouses to collect micro greens (MMMM!!!!) for a salad.

In other news, I have a baby lamb named Mota to take care of. We found her in the middle of a field, abandoned last week, and she is a week old now. I'll try to throw up some pics of her soon. I don't think I've ever been in love like this. When Paula leaves on Sunday, hopefully I will retain full custody. Jim, one of the volunteers, says I'll last a week... HAH!

Love this place, these people, and these mountains.

A then there was Juanina

The last three weeks seem like a lot to sum up in one go. So I'll simply say that I've been having a fabulous time in Valle Chacabuco. My job still hasn't really gotten up and going, so I've been taking the time to enjoy all of the wonderful things this place has to offer. My spanish is slowly becoming used to crazy Chilean slang and words like "po" are common place in my vocabulary. I found out today that one of the workers, Pablo, who grew up in the valley has been attempting to confuse me for the last month every time he talks to me, peppering in a litany of Chilean-isms just to see if I would understand. This explains why I had almost given up hope of ever knowing why he would talk to me for a while and then laugh for just as long. I rode in the car with him today back from the eastern side of the park where I've been for the last week and he informed me of this fact, saying that he thinks it's pretty great that I understand what I do understand of their gaucho spanish. I think instead of trying to go for a long period of time summary, I'll just tell you what I did this past week. Last week at some point, I got an e-mail from the woman in charge of the volunteer program, Paula, asking me if I'd like to go out with the short term volunteer group for the week to the eastern part of the park, a place that I hadn't been yet. I was incredibly stoked on the idea and jumped at the opportunity to not only see more of the park but spend some time with the awesome people who came from far and wide to give their time and money to the park. With me, we were a group of 12 people and instead of camping for the week, we got the incredible opportunity to stay at an old gaucho post called "La Juanina." The house is a rambling assortment of rooms, the best one being the kitchen which had in it a wood fired stove. The volunteers (and I) were pretty stoked about not having to cook dinner out in the cold and having a constant heat source. During the day we worked on fence removal, which is actually a quite fun and fulfilling job. My job was to wrangle long strings of wire into circles that we could carry down. Sounds easy until you realize that this stuff doesn't really want to be in the shape of a circle, it would prefer to whip around, taking pieces of your flesh with it, or if you're me, it'll come back and snap you in the nose if you're standing too close to an Aussie named Joe who lost control of his wire briefly. Luckily, we're all outfitted with gloves, are wearing our toughest jackets, and most importantly have eye protection (that's for you, mom).

The BEST part of the fence removal was getting to take down a section of old old gaucho fence that is mostly made of huge tree trunks piled on top of each other and lanced together every 8 feet or so with two upright tree trunks tied together with the same unruly wire. Liz, a gal from St. Louis, Andy, from Colorado, and Joe, the Aussie, and I all attacked a similar section of this wooden fence together. There is a super satisfying crunch that occurs when you lift off a tree and throw it to one side. Liz and I agreed that it was the best workout we'd found yet and you got the final reward of the fence being down. The idea is to scatter the trees as best you can around the area so that they are touching the ground, hence making them easier to biodegrade. We spent an entire afternoon demolishing a fence that spanned across a good size field. All of this with a view of the snow covered mountains looming in the background made for a pretty awesome day.

The following day, we went with Luigi, one of the gauchos who is in charge of the short term volunteer program to Lago Cochrane, to pull some fence there. Luigi has an incredible spirit and is always in the mood for a chat about life at the estancia, his hopes of where the project will go, and to top it all off, he's got a hilarious sense of humor that leaves my cheeks hurting for smiling. Luigi is really passionate about maintaining the gaucho culture in the valley even after it is turned into a park. He thinks it's important that people who come to the area to learn about the wilderness and the beautiful things it has to offer also leave understanding the traditions and hearts of the people who have worked the land for generations. He seems to be on board with the conservation efforts as a whole, but hope they will also try to teach people a bit about local culture as well. His heart is always with the horses it seems. He led us down the hill on a trail that is barely a trail, blazing through calafate bushes that stick you in the legs if you aren't wearing your gaiters. We arrived to a beautiful view of Lago Cochrane (Lake) and pulled fences for the morning. After a lunch with delicious bread made by one of the volunteers, Jamie (a park ranger from Joshua Tree), Luigi informed us that we had the afternoon to hike down to the lake and take a swim before we met the car in the evening to take us back to La Juanina. That afternoon hike is probably one of the most special things I've done here at the park. We picked our way down to the shores of the lake, taking about an hour to drop down from where we were working on fence. At the bottom, big pebbles make up the shore and from one side you can see Tamago and Tamaguito, the two mountains that are right next to the estancia headquarters, from a distance of about 40 kilometers - pretty awesome! A bunch of us stripped down to our skivvies and enjoyed a quick swim. Sara, from Scotland, was paddling about in the water as if it were the middle of summer in the Caribbean. The rest of us got out quickly and dried off in the sun, warming ourselves like lizards on the shore. Directly across from us was "Isla de Puma" where apparently one of the pumas likes to cross the water swimming to look for prey on the island. It would be silly to see a puma swimming I think. The hike back up was a bit longer and harder, but worth the effort for the gorgeous views.

Back at Juanina, I had some of the best food I have had in a long time. The combined efforts of the group produced a beautiful pizza topped with local mushrooms (morels) collected by some of the workers during the day who graced us with their welcome and hilarious presence for two days. These same workers also made us sopapillas (the reason I'm not getting any skinnier here) and gnocchi (made from potato flakes... AMAZING). The sopapillas are this type of fry bread that is absolutely and completely terrible for you and thus tastes incredibly amazing. Especially if you put manjar on it (dulce de leche). Wow.

And that pretty much brings me to today. Back at the estancia. Checking my e-mail and finding some lovely notes from family and friends to remind me that while I get to be here in this beautiful place and that I get to appreciate it for a time, there are also so many beautiful things back home waiting for me to appreciate there as well. Today is one of the interns birthday, a wonderful guy from Santa Cruz named Justin. He takes care of the greenhouse. The whole place is a buzz with excitement for his party. And with that, I shall leave this blog to my room and go outside to enjoy the dropping sunshine and impending dinner.

Pictures coming soon!

With love!