It's Still Raining

Most of my optimism has vanished, diluted by the raindrops that saturate my clothing from my wool hat to my Gore-Tex shoes. What used to be excitement and anticipation for the next chapter of our journey has become misery, and the gray blanket hovering over the mountainous terrain is mirrored in my expression. Days and days of rain have narrowed my perspective. Where I previously appreciated just being outside, not at work, without a boss, not hiking with a heavy backpack, not having a mortgage or rent to worry about, the only thought throbbing in my brain is to minimize the immediate discomfort. And what is worse than the current dripping state of every single piece of gear I have is the lack of hope that anything will improve in the near future.

After surviving the infamous “Hike of Death”, our next task was to ride the ferry across Lago O’Higgins to the town of Villa O’Higgins and enter the Carreterra Austral. This was accomplished, even amidst almost constant rain, intimidating clouds of mosquitoes and very cold air temperatures due to thick overcast conditions. We were even received into a family of travelers I dubbed the Lago O’Higgins Community Outreach Program (LOCOP).