Kyle Berg

My hope for dry socks in the morning was denied as I once again awoke to the pitter patter of rain drops on the tent. Fortunately I had another pair for the day and all my other belongings were dry. What fell as rain on our tents had left a beautiful covering of snow on the mountains above. I took a few pictures and it was interesting to compare the look of the bare mountains from the previous evening to that of the morning. After washing dishes and packing, it was off to begin the 6 hour walk to Campamento Dixon. I walked alone since the Chilean guys had packed faster than me and left half an hour earlier.

The first part of the walk was again very plain, passing through flat grasslands. But after a short time I was wishing for more of that boring, flat walk as I began an ascent which would cross over into another valley. From the top a new lake and set of mountains could be seen ahead. But for the blustery winds, it would have been a nice place to stop for breather and take a few pictures. I quickly continued on my way down the trail and to the more calm, warm areas of the hills and trees below. Part of me wanted to rest and eat, but I kept putting it off as I was in a groove and making good time. My pack was getting lighter by the day, my feet had recovered and toughened up, and my body was adapting and energized.

I stopped to eat and devoured dried fruit, nuts, crackers, cookies, and tortillas. This propelled me more and I must have been making decent time because I eventually caught the Chileans. We walked together towards Dixon and stopped for a final break at the top of a hill overlooking the camp. It was a lovely location, with the camp surrounded by water on 2 sides and beautiful mountains in the background. Glacier Dixon could also be seen faintly, with visibility hampered by clouds over the glacier.

We walked into camp and set up our tents and hung our wet clothes. I eventually got to the shower, which was interesting. Although there were two showers, there was only enough water pressure to use one at a time. They were not completely enclosed, but rather had a door that began at my shins and went to my shoulders. Not only did this provide some imaginative images for a couple eating dinner in the refugio, it was a bit chilly and frustrating. As luck would have it, the minute I stepped in the shower, the wind picked up and blew around my clothes and towels that were precariously perched atop the green shower door. At least the water was somewhat warm and got rid of the stink I had accumulated, even if only for another day.

That evening I took some pictures along the lake, trying to capture the mountain behind the camp. I also took a few of the 3 guys in action as they skipped rocks along the lake. There wasn’t much else to do and we headed to bed early to get a good night’s sleep.