“Patagonia is a lot like what Montana was one hundred years
ago, wild, rugged and still untamed,” is what I remember someone telling me
when I was in my late teens. Because I
am fascinated by Montana and its past this description intrigued me. And ever since I heard that statement, I have
been fascinated by this mystical country and wanted to venture down and explore
it. Additionally, I don’t want readers
of this blog to think I love Montana only because I have never been anywhere
else, so without further ado, here is my somewhat unbiased analysis:
There are many comparisons to be made between Montana and
Patagonia, but overall it is not 1914 Montana (at least from my observations
while there). There aren’t range wars
and copper kings battling it out although there are a lot of sheep ranchers. When it comes to socio-economic comparison,
the area seems more like Montana in the early 1980s. Infrastructure is expanding at a robust rate
to showcase the immense natural beauty found across the region, with several of
the bus stations and airports being nearly new.
Most of this new growth is targeted toward backpackers and
internationals, with cheaper lodging more readily available, multilingual
guides and more public transportation. The
world seems to have just discovered it (or rather decided it is safe). Chilean and Argentine business owners are
incredibly welcoming and hospitable and seem excited to have people from all
over the world coming to their corner, much the same way I imagine many
Montanan business owners welcoming the influx of tourism in the 1980s.
I love hiking in Glacier National Park(GNP) Montana, but El
Parque Nacional de Los Glacieres (directly translated: Glacier National Park) has
unfathomably large advancing glaciers that make me think we should rename our
GNP “Formerly Glaciated National Park”
or “Glacial Valleys National Park” to be
more accurate by comparison. The granite
slabs of mountain that forcefully stand out of the ground at Los Torres (Torres
Del Paine National Park) and Monte Fitz Roy (El Parque Nacional de los
Glacieres) are the most impressive mountains I’ve ever seen. Beyond these two points I’d say the scenery
is fairly similar.
Two major issues I would say Montana has an advantage on
when it comes to the outdoors are the abundance of wildlife and trail
access. Unless you find Guanacos (wild
and skinnier Alpacas) or ostriches majestic and fascinating, there’s not much
in the way of wildlife to get excited about. There are stags further north and pumas, but
it’s not the same as seeing a Grizzly in GNP Montana or a herd of elk in
Yellowstone. Trail wise our GNP has 734
miles of fairly accessible trail, while both Patagonian National Parks we were
in had far fewer. Additionally, even
though we went in late season, most trails were fairly crowded.
I can’t say Patagonia is better than Montana, although certain
aspects are, but both offer a tantalizing flavor to the adventurous Montanan. Kind of like a Cold Smoke and a Baerns Dopple
Bock, both great beers, but I’d rather have the Dopple Bock in the winter and
the Cold Smoke in the summer. I feel so
blessed that I can vacation in a place that is world renowned in natural beauty
and come back to normal life in a place that is just as good with a different
flavor, Montana!
