Chaitén

This shows about one third of the recovering town of Chaitén, destroyed by a nearby volcano. I arrived at the lookout about 15 minutes too late, as clouds are forming around the distant Corcovado Volcano. What looks like low tide to the right of this picture is ash deposit from the 2008 eruption of the Chaitén Volcano. You can see a little of the edge of the sea, about a quarter mile off the old waterfront. Ash spewed 20 kilometers up in the air and arrived at the Atlantic Ocean, several hundred miles to the east. 

View of the volcano, about four miles east of town, still spewing steam on some days.

The town still has a long way to full recovery. Many condemned houses are still standing. The volcano is in the background.

¡¡Llegó el Gas!! Gas has arrived. This store sells the propane that people need for heating water and for cooking.

Arrival of the Don Baldo from Puerto Montt. Before the eruption, the sea arrived to about where the picture is taken. The ash permanently covers the waterfront.

Preparing to offload large trucks, heavy equipment, cars and passengers. Here is a good view of Corcovado Volcano.

Monday morning at the landing, waiting for the Don Baldo. Colors are vivid at 9:00 am. I waited with others for four hours before it unloaded and uploaded.

We are underway, finally. The town of Chaitén is in the background, and further on, Corcovado Volcano. What looks like beach is accumulated ash from the 2008 eruption.

Chaitén is in a gorgeous setting, nestled under the mountains. After four hours sailing we arrived in Quellón, at the southern terminus of the Panamerican Highway, on the island of Chiloé.

Approaching Quellón on the Chaiguao Channel.

Yelcho Lake, River and Glacier

Yelcho River

One of the most scenic places in southern Chile is the area around Lago Yelcho in central Patagonia. The gravel road was built after 1976 and is just now being widened and paved, a job that will last a few more years. The area draws fly fishermen and other tourists during the season from November to May. The single track gravel road has the grand name of Carretera Austral. Carretera means highway.

This substantial bridge over the Yelcho River was a joint project of the Chilean and German governments.

Yelcho Lake. I joined a group of eight people for a 3-hour hike up to the Yelcho Glacier. We were quite an international group of French, British, Chileans and me. It was a beautiful and warm day. But it was a forest walk along the river and the sun was not in the right place for good photos.