Day 210 – Coyhaique to Paso Raballos, Chile
March 22, 2011 3 Comments
Day 210 – Coyhaique to Paso Raballos, Chile 03/19/11 Mileage: 214
It absolutely poured all night, so much so that it woke me up several times which almost never happens. Around 9:30 the rain let up, so I packed the bike and continued south on the Carretera Austral.
Aside from a few rain squalls, the weather steadily improved as I rolled south and eventually gave way to sunny skies with just enough clouds to make for good pictures….I hit the jackpot! It seems my waiting a day was the right move after all, and I was basking in the warmth of the sun and glad to not be drenched in the cold driving rain again.
The scenery went from great to unbelievable as I rode along the aquamarine waters of Lago General Carrera, the largest lake in Chile. This is what I came here for, and I would have disappointed to miss out had the mountains been obscured by the rain and clouds.
This one day made it all worth it. Late in the afternoon I stopped and setup camp on a small bluff and enjoyed an amazing Patagonia sunset…a fitting end to a memorable day of riding on the Carretera Austral.
Tomorrow it’s back into Argentina and onto the famous Ruta 40…
From Deadhorse Down 
Great talking to you and you sound and look great!!!! You did smart by waiting out another night for the rain to stop and it paid off with some of your best shots. They look like paintings.
Tomorrow will be a big day for you and I hope you got the lights fixed for the bike and can head on down. I feel better knowing that you won’t be riding in snow. Hopefully it won’t get too cold and you can enjoy this special area that was one of your goals. Drive safe and be well, we are all so proud of you and enjoying the trip with you.
Time for me to get to sleep and I hope you got a good night sleep for the journey ahead. Love ya, Mom
Mindblowingly beautiful…and I don’t care if Spellcheck doesn’t like it!
Wow. These are some of the best pics yet! Ok, well maybe not but they are awesome. Lucky dog.