South: Lago Escondido

Day 15:

Today, we go trout fishing!  Marge booked a guide to take us out.  When I found out the price for the day trip (equivalent to what I spent over eight days during my solo trip), I was peeved, to say the least.  While we waited for our guide to pick us up at the hotel, I sarcastically said-- For that price, he better pick us up in a Defender 110.

He picks us up in a Defender 110.  And you know what?  The excursion was worth every penny.

Mickey is the co-owner of Wind Fly, a fishing outfitter based in Ushuaia.  He will be showing the two of us Lago Escondido (Hidden Lake).

We take the highway out of Ushuaia and drive to the top of Garibaldi Pass.  Mickey drops us off and we hike down to the lake using a dirt path that used to be the only way to the pass.

Walking down the path and looking back up.  The drop off point is to the right of that bridge.

Walking down the path.

Peligro = Danger

Looking back up again.

Exotic vegetation exudes Lord of the Rings vibe.

Once we reach the lake, we wait for Mickey to pick us up in that Zodiac.

We go fishing.  We are the only ones on the lake all day.  We don't catch anything.

At noon, Mickey drops us off and we take a short stroll next to the lake.  This is the first day in two weeks when it doesn't snow.

These orange orbs clung to the trees.  I thought they were fruits.  But they are Darwin's Fungus. They are also known as pan de indio (Indian bread).  I ate a couple of them.  They literally have no taste.  And, they're dry.

The brief walk ends at a small cabin, where Mickey has prepared this spread for us.

While we have the apps, Mickey is grilling lots of meat.  The bacon you see there is paper thin.  The sausage is home made.  It's 80% beef, 20% pork.  It is an extraordinarily satisfying and relaxing meal.  I can't believe how fortunate my life is.

After lunch, we fish some more, without success.  We speed in the boat, parallel with a pair of birds for about a quarter of a mile.

Here is the boat being loaded onto the Defender's trailer.

I am really excited about the 110 because there are only a few hundred in the United States.  I never thought I'd ever ride in one.  It's about as uncomfortable as my old Jeep Wrangler YJ.  But with a turbo diesel engine, it's much quicker than my 2.5 liter four banger.

Now, we go back up to the top of the pass via the dirt path we had hiked down.  Some of it was really hairy.  I didn't take pictures of those parts because it was too shaky and because I was scared sh*tless.  Needless to say, the rig's rock crawling abilities are awesome.

Today was beyond incredible.  Had I traveled alone, I would have never gone on this excursion.  The lesson here is-- Keep an open mind and enjoy the unexpected.