With two weeks unexpected paid time off and the current state of the world, find myself at home a lot. I try to break the day up with a walk in the morning and one in the afternoon but the rest of my time has been spent editing pics from past trips and getting them posted on the blog, along with watching photography courses from Kelbyone.com (a birthday present from my dad for 2019).

Actually have made a bit of progress on some past trips this week. Whats been posted on the static pages of the blog so far:

Hole in the Wall. June 2013.

Argentine Pass clean up day. June 2011.

Holy Cross City Trail. September, 2005.

Cascade Montana. June 2013.

A note on the static pages: If there’s more than one day on the trip, or enough pictures to justify to pages, i’ll break that report up into “Acts”. Both the title and picture will be linked to the full picture report.

Currently re-editing pics from the Dork Squad Iceland adventure from 2017. Such a fun trip and an amazing place.

Pic: We stopped to check out some lava flow on the way to the Glacier Lagoon. Both super cool.

Stay safe out there.

So here it is a Wednesday and I find myself at home when I should be at work finishing my last day for the week. For the last few days i’ve been over at Enterprise helping with production there instead of Alamo. Mid morning I received a call from HR. After complimenting me on all my hard work and always being there, they told me to finish yesterdays shift and to take two weeks off- that would be paid time off. They are doing this with most of the employees given the current state of the world. I thanked both HR and the boss for at least giving us paid time off during these hard times- i’ve really come to enjoy being at Enterprise/Alamo.

So my first thought after hearing the news from work yesterday was to head for the hills. Spend a week at the cabin away from it all. But then I started to think about the small town communities and how there being affected by all of this. It’s best, as much as i’d love to pack the 4runner and grab the camera, to hunker down through all this. Wash you hands and make sure family and friends are safe.

Moving forward? Probably need a few days to process everything that’s been going on- lots of emotions, then start looking for some kinda job to fill the unexpected days off ( my new camera fund has been unexpectedly depleted. A hard life lesson and a story I probably wont ever go into) . And maybe clean the apartment………….Maybe.

I have been making progress on past trips and updating them in the static pages.

P.S, this is the first time in a very long time that i’ve had paid time off…

A pic of Denver’s 16th street mall during last weeks snow storm. Downtown has been early quiet.

I first started getting the 4×4 club up to Argentine Pass ( outside Georgetown, CO) way back in 2004 when I was the Event Coordinator for the club. Working with the Clear Creek Ranger District, we adopted the club for clean up and trail maintenance- our original adopted trail, Hubbard Cave outside Gleenwood Springs, I felt, was just too far for us to continually make an impact. Since then, we as a club have been going up twice a year with the Clear Creek Ranger District. At times, they would give us there tools so they could be on other trails with a “You know what to do response”.

Ever since I started exploring Argentine Pass and the East Argentine Mining district, i’ve fallen in love with the are and the history. For some time now (maybe since 2010?), i’ve had the idea to document as much of the valley as I can. What i’ve dubbed the “Argentine Project”. So i’ve decided this year is the year to make headway on it.

This warmer warmer weather has me excited for it.

Such a great view of the Argentine Valley. To the left, Mt. Wilcox. Directly ahead, the road up to Argentine Pass. The road i’m standing on, the old line of the Argentine Central Railroad.

Views of the East Argentine Mining District from an old mine above the grade for the Argentine Central Railroad. To the North (left) would be Georgetown and Silverplume.

Views from the old town site of Waldorf. Once claiming to have the highest post office in the US at 11,666ft.

The @honeybadger heading back down Argentine Pass towards Waldorf.

So much great areas to explore in the valley.