Hike to Chorrillo del Salto (Thurs 3/11)

Stats:
- 5 miles
- very little climbing

Again, we both woke feeling like we had been hit by a bus.  It seems so odd.  The "engines" are finely tuned Ferraris at this point.  Our cardio condition is fantastic.  I continue to be amazed at my resting and standing heart rate.  It is low low low.  And, I feel pretty sure we both possess the strongest cycling legs either of us has ever enjoyed.  Seriously, my legs are in better cycling shape than after our ride down the coast, before RAMROD and before the race up Haleakala.  And still, we have hiked a few days and we feel beat up.  My only solace in this is knowing that it is a shared feeling.  Arn has not been out for a run since before New Year´s, so he is feeling the impact of hiking.  However, the blisters are my experience alone.  Despite buying shoes and breaking them in, I am the one with the blisters.  I walked the treadmill at a 15% grade for HOURS to work in these shoes.  Arn bought brand new shoes a few days ago --- no blisters!  Just to point it out, I have NEVER had a pair of cycling shoes give me a blister --- never, not once.  

So, we decided on a short hike for the day...enough to call it a "fitness" walk.  We headed out to see a waterfall.  It was a nice single drop waterfall of about 100 feet (but then I am bad at guessing this stuff).  A few of the lenga trees were showing color.  It would be really stunning to see them in full color.  Along the walk, we watched a few people go by on rented mountain bikes.  I am sure they thought this was a "bike adventure".  We agreed they were not riders.  They didn´t understand gearing, they dropped the chain, and walked a few short bits.  Arn made his typical statement, "WEAK." 

The rest of the day was pretty lazy...internet, lunch, reading, handwashing clothes, etc.  Tomorrow we head to Calafate.  It is another bus ride, but only 3 1/2 hours.  More from Calafate.