Saturday, February 28The weather forecast for today wasn’t looking great. It called for clouds all day and heavy rain in the afternoon. We had potential plans to drive to Alerce national park with Cristian for a day hike, but we weren’t excited about the potential of hiking in the rain. We got a call from Cristian around 9:30am and he was again waiting outside our apartment to see if we had come to a conclusion. I’m not sure if Cristian likes the surprise attack or if we push him to that fate by delaying our decision until the last possible second. Anyway, we again decided to tag along and jumped in the car headed for Alerce.
We picked up his friend Daniel on the way, and made it to the park in about one hour. The hike was said to be a 6-hour affair, so we go started right away to see if we could beat the rain back. Most of the hike consisted of following a path alongside a river as we climbed up the hills at the 
base of Volcán Calbuco. The forest was amazing. We were hiking through dense rainforest and thick brush. The moisture in the air was so thick you could see your breath despite the 70 degree temperature. It felt like we were inhaling in front of a humidifier. You could almost drink the air. About halfway up we came to a cascading waterfall where Cristian suggested we do a meditating exercise. The exercise was meant to release the “toxins” from our bodies into the air. I didn’t get much out of the meditation, but I enjoyed the silence and listening to the sounds of the park.
base of Volcán Calbuco. The forest was amazing. We were hiking through dense rainforest and thick brush. The moisture in the air was so thick you could see your breath despite the 70 degree temperature. It felt like we were inhaling in front of a humidifier. You could almost drink the air. About halfway up we came to a cascading waterfall where Cristian suggested we do a meditating exercise. The exercise was meant to release the “toxins” from our bodies into the air. I didn’t get much out of the meditation, but I enjoyed the silence and listening to the sounds of the park.
Soon after the waterfall we saw the namesake of the park…the great Alerce tree. The Alerce tree is the South American version of the giant redwoods in California. These are some of the oldest tree in the world, and they are absolutely massive. Having been around for thousands of years, you could fit up to 10 people around the circumference of the trunk hand in hand. The trees towered over the rest of the forest, and the color beneath the bark was a deep red. What a beautiful natural specimen.The hike continued up the base of the volcano until we reached the end of the trail at Laguna Triangulo. This lake was situated in an amphitheatre of steep cliffs that dropped into the calm waters. The lake was the source of the river we had been following. It was one of the most 
mystical places I had ever experienced. It was so silent as streams of fog and clouds crept along the peaks and walls of the cliffs. Everyone was in awe and afraid to speak so not to disturb the tranquility of this natural wonder. We sat down for a quick bite to eat, and decided that we might as well go for a swim as a reward for the long hike up. The water was cold and stale and the bottom was covered in decayed leaves and branches due of the lack of current and motion that normally rids pools of this byproduct. The floor of the lake squished between our toes and I was immediately grossed out. I did the obligatory dunk, and got out of there as soon as I could. Not my cup of tea.
mystical places I had ever experienced. It was so silent as streams of fog and clouds crept along the peaks and walls of the cliffs. Everyone was in awe and afraid to speak so not to disturb the tranquility of this natural wonder. We sat down for a quick bite to eat, and decided that we might as well go for a swim as a reward for the long hike up. The water was cold and stale and the bottom was covered in decayed leaves and branches due of the lack of current and motion that normally rids pools of this byproduct. The floor of the lake squished between our toes and I was immediately grossed out. I did the obligatory dunk, and got out of there as soon as I could. Not my cup of tea. Rain started to sprinkle as we packed up to for the hike back to the car. We guessed that the hike back would be faster because it was all downhill. We failed to take into account the damp layer of moisture covering everything, which made for unsure footing for the entire return leg. About halfway down, it began to pour. My rain jacket kept my upper half dry, but my shorts and legs were soaked. By the time we got to the car I was freezing, and wanted nothing more than a hot shower to wash away the gooey feeling on my feet from the lake.
On the way home we stopped at the fish market in Angelmo, Puerto Montt, where Lily picked up a filet of merluza. Pearl offered to make jambalaya for dinner and as we began to prepare the fish for the jambalaya, I noticed that the filets still had all of the bones and skin. So, I tested my skills in cleaning the fish, and for the most park I was able to salvage most of the meat. The jambalaya turned out to be absolutely delicious, and was a great way to end our training hike for Torres del Paine.
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