Monday, February 20, 2017

Day 6 On The W: Paine Grande to Camping Grey

The last prong of the W, east to west, takes you over to Lago Grey, and then up its east side to Glaciar Gray and the campground just short of it. Despite the previous night's rain, the day was dry, if cloudy and threatening.
Marching on around "Teewinot," merely the south side of Cerro
Paine Grande















"Teewinot" means "many pinnacles" in Shoshone (or possibly
Arapahoe or Nez Perce; or something else); certainly true of
this "Teewinot"

















Flowers are so scarce in Patagonia the bees have to compete















Another small lake before getting to Lago Grey

Fox Glove, or something very like it, in the burn areas around
Lago Grey


Vicki posing by a tree downed years ago but from which a large
secondary tree has sprouted

Finally, Lago Grey; as attested to by the icebergs

In the distance, again, the Southern Patagonia Icefield; sublime

And the Grey Glacier

Our progress...bad news for tomorrow's return to Paine Grande

Day 6 on the trail selfie

Glaciar Grey; retreating

More flora...just over 1/4 inch

And more Fox Glove

And, positively the largest dandelions ever--very, very long
growing season at this latitude (50)

River coming down from Cerro Paine Grande, carving a deep
gorge

Finally, camping Grey

And our last night for a while in our trusty little REI tent, which
has seen some of the world's great mountains and treks; MAJOR
CORRECTION! Vicki informs me this is and has been a Big Sky
tent, not REI; the REI tent was savaged by the red fox at
Refugio Elizabeta Soldini on the Tour du Mont Blanc in 2005;
after using it as our emergency tent for snowmobiliing, we gave
it to a fellow camper (homeless person) in Missoula, in 2016;
see http://roadeveron.blogspot.cl/2011/12/tour-du-mont-blanc-2.html

Camping Grey building

Later that night, entertainment at the Refugio Grey; well, a guy
with a guitar and a guy with a drum; BTW, the pisco sours at
Camping Grey come from a pre-mixed bottle...not the best
ever, as some claim

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