Argentine Pass & Santiago Mine
| Second visit to Argentine Pass - perhaps this time I'll make it to the top. We're planned to work through the mining area with a stop at the Santiago Mine before heading up to Mcclellan Mountain. With an afternoon rain shower (and good lightning) we decided to head down and out vs. up higher. |
| I-25 soughbound - Longs Peak. It's the closest "14-er". |
| One curious semi hauling a custom flatbed with two, large, grey cylinders. Hmmm... Hazardous Waste... Radioactive II... Fissile... |
| Starting out on the Argentine Pass trail. |
| Even this late in the season, there was a fair bit of water. |
| Looking back from where we came. Nice, blue sky there too. Behind us are darker clouds. |
| Thanks to Levi for taking a photo with my camera. |
| Panorama Click for a larger size This is the Continental Divide. To the left is south, right being north. Looking west over the Pacific Watershed. |
| Panorama Click for a larger size |
| The Argentine Pass trail is open to jeeps on the eastern side of the moutain but is single-track, hiking only, on the western side. The trail, visible in the bottom left of the photo, works its way down to the gravel road below. |
| Maureen and Levi enjoying the grand vista. Their dogs... more interested in exploring with what their noses find. |
| A couple vehicles working their way up. |
| Heading down. |
| Tom & guests from Minnesota (first), Michlle (a first time on the trails) & guests from Nebraska, Curt & Kindra in the black jeep. |
| Looking into the eastern portal of the Vidler Tunnel. It started out to be a train tunnel to the other side of the mountain. I don't think it was "holed through" under the train tunnel digging but has since been completed and is used to transfer western slope water to the eastern side's metro population. |
| Levi & Maureen |
| Curt and wife heading up towards Mt. Mclelland / Santiago Mine |
| At the Santiago Mine. The site is being restored. As listed, take memories and photos and leave everything as-is. |
| Looking into the mine shaft. |
| Ore cart rails coming out from the mine shaft towards the processing building. |
| Office or living quarters?? |
| The main processing building. |
| Up valley, it's looking hazy. It's due to a moderate rain storm rolling over us. |
| New repairs to the roof / replaced roof. |
| It is an impressively nice rock face. |
| The rain is passing over and looks heavy to the east. The sun is hinting and is lighting up the processing building a bit. |
| Michelle & friends working down to the old Waldorf townsite. |
| Levi & Maureen |
| Panorama Click for a larger size |
| Taking the Levenworth Creek exit. It's more bumpy but is more scenic than the parallel Argentine trail (old railroad bed). It was a nice ending touch to the trip. |
| Michelle & friends |
| Levi crossing the creek (If the video is not visible, most likely your browser does not support HTML5 video) |