Argentine Pass

[Chris]

Barb & I spent today on Argentine Pass, I had forgotten how much I like that area! I also forgot how much there is to see and roads to cover so we'll go back and continue exploring. For the 8 hours we were there we saw one other truck which was parked up on the highest road (McClennan?) but it was funny to come around a corner and see a mountain goat nosing around the open Jeep and the looks on the owners when they saw it too. The rolled Durango is a good reminder that while it's an easy trail bad stuff can happen.

Now the question. When driving from the Waldorf Townsite Heading NE if you look to the east well past the power lines, etc you can see a road going up the hill in the distance above tree line. What trail is that?

TIA!

[Chris]

Also when looking at the maze of roads there's no mention of Argentine Pass which is what I have always called. McClennan is higher up as far as I can tell but neither are named on the MVUM. Only Leavenworth is which isn't a familiar name to me. I kind of recall Leavenworth is the creek name but it's a confusing and beautiful area. Can someone explain what's what there, maybe using the Waldorf townsite as a reference point?

[Java]

Awesome!! :thumb: I want to get up there this year. Pics?

[Rob]

When driving from the Waldorf Townsite Heading NE if you look to the east well past the power lines, etc you can see a road going up the hill in the distance above tree line. What trail is that?

If I'm understanding the questions (and directions), I think that's the rest of the Argentine trail, which dead ends at Argentine Pass (Argentine Peak would be to your south). If you go up the hill from the townsite, I believe you're then on McClellan.

The MVUM might not identify all the peaks, mountains, passes and other features. That's why it's good to have a topo map with you.

[Chris]

No pics darn it, this was one of those "let's get out today" days where we agreed and were out of the house in 2 minutes so the camera & GPS (iPad) were left behind and we decided to run Argentine since it's pretty close and has knockout views.

Rob, that's my understanding as far as McClennan too. Are you saying the road I see in the distance is across a valley is Argentine Peak? :confused:

Let me try this Rob, immediately leaving the Waldorf townsite heading out to Guanella Pass road and looking eastward there's a road heading over a hill above tree line. Not real close but clearly visible.

[Rob]

You lost me.

When you came up to Waldorf, did you continue east and climb up to the actual Argentine Pass?

[Chris]

Yeah, I need to point at it Rob, We could do this for a long time. :lmao:

[Rob]

:lmao: I like a good game of verbal ping-pong.

[otisdog]

After you go up the main trail [Waldorf Road] and get to the first mine site Argentine continues from there on west. When you get to the top you can see the Peru valley down the other side - that is accessed from a point between Keystone and Montezuma. There's a hiking trail that heads down .
From that mine if you come back east or take the very steep hill up it takes you towards McClellan Mt. The Santiago mine is up that way. There's also another route down from up that way that is the upper part of the Leavenworth Creek trail.
The Leavenworth Creek trail sorta parallels the Wldorf Road. You can drop down onto it at two points along Waldorf Road. It comes back up to Waldorf Road and actually crosses it at a point closer to the first mine. Did you see the very rocky road coming up alongside the power lines? That's Leavenworth creek. It crosses and continues up and joins the McClellan trail farther up. That's the other escape route I mentioned earlier. It's also much more gnarly than Waldorf Road, especially the top section.
If that ain't enough there's a place on the Creek Road where you can cross the creek and head up Paine's Mt. That's the area you can see on to the south of Argentine. There's a lot of dead end roads over there and few people go over there.

So - standing at the first mine site facing north. Argentine is to your slight left and Mc Clellen is to your slight right.
jim

Top of Argentine
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/otisdog4/Mix/ar18.jpg

[glacierpaul]

sounds like we need to do a run.....

[Tom]

sounds like we need to do a run.....
Like on July 7th