After arriving back in Ushuaia, we had a fairly “typical” week. Garret and I worked in the office for two days, and after such back-breaking work as sitting at a desk for two days for nearly 7 hours each day, we had to have a weekend get-away! Where else to go but to Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, a mear 10 miles West of Ushuaia.
Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego
Horses Graze the Day Away in the Park
We left work Friday afternoon and went to the grocery store. Since we weren’t going to be walking too far, we bought fresh pasta (readily available everywhere in Argentina) and ravioli, sauce, fruits and vegetables, bread, and cereal for our food. We took a taxi Saturday morning to the park, which set us back only 28 AR to the entrance gate (travelers take note—the bus company charges 40 AR each person for a one-way ticket; the taxi is by far the better alternative).
More Horses near Bahia Ensenada
Young Foal and Mare
While the weather was nice, we sat and read, instead of hiking. There were horses grazing nearby, and a gurgling creek for company. Since the park is so accessible, many families were out together grilling over the parillas and playing pick-up futbol games. It reminded me of Mission Bay in San Diego; where the seemingly endless waterways intrude upon the land and hide exceptional picnic areas and places to get lost. After a few hours of reading, we began the hike to Ensenada Camp along the Pampa Alta trail.
Reading in the Sunshiny Day
Gurgling Brook
The hike was through beech forest, and also a bit of bog. We were also able to see Beaver dams, as this introduced species has regrettably been quite industrious since their unfortunate introduction some 50 years ago. The problem is there are no natural predators of beavers in Tierra del Fuego; so they, along with the North American rabbit, have really proliferated in the area. There are plans to eradicate the beaver from the island completely, but until then, they are somewhat of a tourist attraction. Who knew that a cute rodent could be so troublesome?
Hiking the Pampa Alta Trail
Lots of Water and Moisture are Common in Tierra del Fuego
An Abandoned Dam Made by Introduced Beavers
The next day, we hiked the Ensenada trail along the coast of the Beagle Channel for about 7 miles, breathing in the delicious salty air that the coast brings. It felt a little funny that we were on the ocean, because there are still snow-clad mountains behind the water. These are close islands that belong to Chilean Tierra del Fuego actually.
The Ocean, with Chilean Islands in the Background
Looks Like a Lake, but Smells Like the Ocean
Dawdling on the Trail
As far as backpacking goes, Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego is pretty poor. None of the trails is very long, and they are all very easily hiked in a couple of hours. However, the campgrounds inside are all free (except the one at Lago Roco), and it made for leisurely hiking and lots of time for reading and relaxing in the sunshine. Come to think of it, I think maybe the best part about the park is that there isn’t that much to do, so sitting and enjoying the scenery becomes a priority.
Bog in the Park (at least we didn't have to walk through it!)
Camp, Night #2
Is it Sunset Yet, We Ask After 10 pm
When it was time to come back to work for the week in Ushuaia, a nice German lady gave us a ride in her camper back to Ushuaia.
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