The wind last night was incredible. Despite my best attempts to get it tied down, my tent kept collapsing under the 40+mph gusts. It would spring back into shape when the wind abated but it woke me up every 20 minutes of so. In the morning it was a bit of a scavenger hunt amongst the other campers as we looked for wayward gear that had wandered off during the night.

I wasn't sure how the day would go when I set out this morning. I was the only motorcyclist at the campground but I talked with several bicyclist and they were all staying another day in camp because of the wind. The wind was utterly ridiculous and I had concerns that it might not be safe to ride but hey... that didn't stop me from trying.

As predicted the pavement ended less than 10 minutes down the road. I stopped to take a photo but I was afraid to dismount. The wind was so strong it would have blown the bike over. While riding it wasn't too bad or at least it seemed predictable. Within the first hour I had gotten comfortable with the road surface and the occasional wobble due to a wind gust.

As the day wore on the weather improved. The skies were so blue! The road was hard-packed gravel with some loose marbles from time to time. In my mirror I could see that I trailed a huge plume of dust. On coming cars would coat me in a fog of the white powder as they flew by leaving me temporarily blinded. Fortunately, there was not much traffic. I tried to be more courteous to all of the bicyclists that I encountered. I slowed down to their speed and waved as I scooted by. The hardest part of the day was the relentless stretches of washboard which made my neck and wrists ache. On some inclines, the bike would buck wildly as the rear tire bounced and spun trying to find traction.

Just like yesterday, the scenery was fabulous. Now riding on a narrow forest road, I could feel how remote this place is. Everything looked so pristine and undisturbed.

I stopped for fuel and a couple of empanadas in the only town that I passed today. I thought that I would be able to reach Villa O'Higgins which is the end of the road. However, after lunch, I realized that I would be too late to catch the last ferry. Instead I found a homestead that offered two camp sites. When I arrived, a very friendly lady welcomed me and showed me around. It looked so nice and peaceful along a river and surrounded by distant white capped peaks. 8000 pesos (about $9) and included a hot shower. I love this place.

Just for reference, Villa O'Higgins is at approximately 49ª South. The US's northern border with Canada is at 49ª North.