Easter on the Baker

Our last day on the Baker was Easter Sunday. We woke up in the dark and dew, and when we put on the river we were greeted by golden light. Our fingers were frosty as we gripped our paddles in preparation for the final 30 mile leg of our journey. About 2 hours into our paddle, the fog lifted revealing an inviting play wave. Mollie rocked it and hucked her meat. Skye rocked it until he took a little swim. To warm him up, we made him the center of a group hug. The escualos made a fire on the front hatch of a sea kayak and brewed mate whilst slaying the flat water. Hyped up, we successfully transitioned from the wild Baker to the calm fjords of Tortel.

Tortel is an intricate web of cyprus boardwalks, and a long hike up a mountain of stairs with our gear was our first order of business. We were soon greeted by a local Tortellino, who shuttled us by boat to our host families where their warm showers and beds were eagerly received. After a morning of exploration and picking up some needed items, we roped down our bags to the roof of Claudio's van and headed to the Rio Pasqua.

Clebo, Mollie, Perkinz

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Photos from the Baker

Back in Cochrane

After a four or five hour drive north from the Pascua, we arrived in Cochrane earlier this evening, eager to re-greet our host families.  The trip down the Rio Baker was a huge success – we were grateful for gorgeous weather (an apparent anomaly this time of year); ongoing interesting conversations about ecology, activism, GLOFs (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods), ownership of land and water, tourism, and conservation; new friendships forged through rapids and early morning wake-ups in the dark and the dew beside the river; and magnificent vistas of aquamarine waters and giant snow-capped granite peaks.  The students will have many stories to share, and I hope to post pictures from our adventure soon.  For now, all is well in Patagonia as we begin to prepare for our journey back to the northern hemisphere.