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Despite freezing temperatures and an occasional blizzard, the sun on a clear summer day at the bottom of the world can burn more quickly and dangerously than the rays on a beach in Miami. In fact, on a cloudless day from late August to December, especially after a recent snowfall, there may be no more dangerous place on the planet to spend time outdoors.
Every summer over the past two decades, an expanding hole more than two times the size of Europe opens in the ozone layer and exposes this area’s residents to the most unfiltered ultraviolet light anywhere but the unpopulated tundra of Antarctica.
The ozone won't return to normal levels until at least the middle of this century, if ever, and scientists see Tierra del Fuego as ground zero in the debate over the biological consequences of the hole. Yet the pull was irresistible, it was to Tierra del Fuego I determined to go.
This may end being my last solo hurrah. While I wouldn’t have traded this quest for a fortune in gold, the loneliness I experienced became intense at times. Cold winds and loneliness always seem to go hand-in-hand. Never-the-less, I expected this and went mentally prepared. For this was not just an opportunity to see a wild beauty that few will ever share; not just an opportunity to match wits with the greatest fish of my life; and not just bond with a people so culturally different than me that at times I was moved to tears; but to reflect on the man I’ve become and where I’m going. No, it is not good for a person to travel alone. In life or otherwise. However, there are benefits that come from self reliance; self reliance and a willingness to take risk. Thus, my adventure began…
Excerpts from my adventure notes
.... I like to travel slow. Slow enables me to inhabit my journey. To absorb the sights, smells, taste, and whispers of my surrounding. At times it seemed as though I was in a hurry to finish, but in fact I was savoring the moments, despite occasional discomforts. There is a satisfaction in traveling slowly, until the sun, pain, hunger, or exhaustion does not allow you to continue. I savored my days, wringing out every last drop of energy and time that I could. I have always appreciated the wisdom in the words, “it’s the journey, not the destination that counts.”
.... Suddenly, that sign I have seen on so many fishing magazines came into view, the moment arrived, and my heart panged as I anticipated casting my fly rod into the icy waters. All around me, lay open stretches of water containing some of the largest Trout in the world. I do not hunger for the flesh of these magnificent creatures any more, only to catch and release. I have played this adventure out in my mind since I was a small boy, when dad first taught my brother and I how to craft a lure and entice a fish to bite. Oh what a day! If only papa could share this moment with me now.
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