A Day Of Breakdowns

Lago de los Torres, Chile

Sort of a long day on the Carretera to get here.  The Carretera Austral is one of the best dirt/gravel roads I've been on, but the going is still slow from time to time.  Everyone had a breakdown today: another spoke for me (number 11, but who's counting), a broken bolt on Amy and Chip's front pannier and Jen lost her rear rack.  Because of the size of her bike frame, they attached her rack to the frame with a hose clamp.  One good day of bumps and it sheared right off.  One second she's thinking that her bags are swinging a bit much and the next her rack has turned 90 degrees and is banging along behind her like a drag chute.

We're camping in a closed off campground, but the guardaparque was kind enough to let us stay after we explained we were on bikes, were only there for one night and, perhaps, our generally pathetic look.  If we were Chilean, he went on to say, he would've kicked us out.  Chileans, apparently, are too noisy.

Two days from now we're supposed to hit the Queulat Pass.  I've heard gnarly things about it.  I'm not looking forward to it!