Finished!

Well, we finished the Patagonia bike tour! Arrived in Ushuaia on Tuesday, February 18th.

Along the way, we visited Los Glaciers National Park, hiked to Torres del Paine, and cycled across Tierra del Fuego.

The wind was a formidable foe but with planning, we managed to arrive with little headwind. Since we couldn’t set up the tent in the wind, we slept in a roadside shack and the basement of a popular bakery. Oh, and cozy AirBNBs. It’s not all roughing it.

It’s been a great trip. The Carreteta Austral was fun. Lots of second breakfasts, beautiful wild camping, and always a surprise around the corner. Most memorable are the glaciers, the blue waters, and the flora/fauna that we experienced for the first time.

Riding across the Tierra del Fuego was a very different experience. It will be remembered as a challenge. Always calculating when to ride in order to avoid the wind. Where to sleep out of the wind. How much water and food to carry between resupplies. How many miles we could ride in one day without becoming too sore and exhausted.

We are now in full tourist mode. I’m going to miss the effects of riding, both mental and physical. I enjoy the soreness in my muscles after a hard day’s ride. The euphoria that comes with strenuous exercise. And I doubt that I will be able to retain the muscle mass in my legs gained from the ride.

But another adventure begins in June and my life in Kansas is a joy. Retired life is even better than I imagined and I feel tremendously grateful.