🎶Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Alex. Happy Birthday to you!🎶
We woke up to ice on the tents. That’s the first time that has happened, but…well…it is December. Wait! It’s supposed to be summer! I guess it’s Patagonia Summer…Funny thing, both Alex and I always wished we had summer birthdays. This year, we do!!! Actually, this is Alex’s third summer birthday, as they have been in the Southern Hemisphere three times now on her birthday.
Without rushing (because who wants to rush on your birthday), we still got on the road by 9:15. First thing we had to do was finish the climb we started yesterday. When we left Rio Cajón camping, a dog that did not live there joined us. Of course, this wasn’t the first time this has happened, but this dog definitely stayed with us the longest. He decided he needed to protect us. He let all the cars know that they shouldn’t mess with his pack.
Alex named him Blanco.
At first we were concerned because he just kept following us. We tried to go faster. Blanco went faster. We tried to tell him to go home (although we didn’t know where home was). He declined. Finally, we stopped for a snack break.
Nice view.
Blanco got a drink from the creek, and rested. By this point, he had come 18kms.
Making sure Markus was being safe. While we took our break, several cars went by. Blanco didn’t bark or chase any of them. Apparently, he figured we were safe on the side of the road.
We continued on with the dog diligently following. He’d get behind on the downhills, but as soon has we had even the slightest uphill, he’d catch up.
We came to a viewpoint of a lake.
Pretty, right? Especially with the Firebush.
Alex and Markus were taking a selfie. Blanco decided it should be a family photo.
There’s always one that doesn’t quite work out.
Ah…that’s better!
We started riding again. Of course, Blanco continued with us.
As you might be able to tell, a downhill was coming. This was a big one. We were glad, but a little bit sad too that Blanco finally couldn’t keep up. At the bottom, there were some houses. Hopefully he went there. It is possible that he lived there. There were no other places near where we had camped. Maybe he had followed someone else north the day before…
We went across a bridge, and the road immediately went up very steeply.
I took a break at the switchback. I managed to ride it, but just barely.
The steep hill was short, and followed by a rollercoaster of ups and downs.
The scenery can’t be beat.
It was coming up on noon. I stopped when I saw a road heading over to the river. Alex and Markus caught up. Lunch time? Of course!
Good spot for birthday lunch!
Good spot for birthday lunch!
After lunch we had just 17kms to go. It was mostly downhill or flat. We met Al, an Australian, Cycling north. He had started in Puente Arenas, and was heading to Alaska. I told him to stop by Olympia, if he happened to be going that way.
Bye Al!
Not much further, we came to where we wanted to camp. It’s another farm style campground. There wasn’t anyone home. We rolled to the camping part. The owners returned home about an hour later. All was good.
Ah geez…it’s another nice view!
This place is more rustic. There are toilets and showers as usual. The common building (refugio) has a dirt floor, but tables, a sink, and a wood stove. Everything you need.
Alex’s birthday dinner.
It was a little smoky from the fire.
Today was a great day for Alex’s birthday! Good weather, great riding (the gravel was pretty good), and Alex got a dog for her birthday (at least for about 23kms). Oh, and she even did some sheep yoga (yoga with sheep in the background).
Happy Birthday!!!
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