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ragman and rodman Member
Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics Location: http://rgervin.com/ |
We did this trip as a three-day, two-night backpack.
We read a lot of beta on doing Argonaut and found this Trip Report from SummitPost to be the most helpful. We found it to be very detailed and accurate... and I will only add information that varies from their trip.
The other group arrived at their Ingalls Creek camp via Longs Pass... a longer route than our Beverly/CountyLine/Fourth Creek Trail route. We did use our Tevas to cross Ingalls Creek which was running calf-deep... and depending on the time of year, crossing Ingalls Creek safely has to be considered in the route choice for reaching camp. To avoid crossing Ingalls Creek altogether, you could hike the Ingalls Creek trail for more than 10 miles to reach camp.
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Editing note on 8.8.2009
I originally said that using Longs Pass to reach our campsite would be a "much" longer route than our Beverly/County Line/Fourth Creek route... iraman pointed out that Green Trails shows 6.9 miles from Beverly to the Fourth Creek/Ingalls Creek junction... and only 6 miles from Esmerelda Basin to the Fourth Creek/Ingalls junction... so... I removed the word "much" from the above paragraph... but I am still calling the Longs Pass route a longer route because rodman's GPS says it is only 5.1 miles from Beverly to the Fourth Creek/Ingalls Creek junction... and regardless of route distances, I can guarantee you two things... (1) the Fourth Creek Trail is in much better condition than the trail from Longs Pass to Ingalls Creek and (2) there is at least 800 feet more roundtrip elevation gain if you use the Longs Pass route.
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The other group reached the main gully at 6300 feet... and we were at 6500 feet when we got there.
Most people who do this climb either don't use a rope at all or only use one to work around the Class 4 chockstone that plugs the top of the 50 foot gully leading to Argonaut's east ridge... however, in addition to using a rope to reach the east ridge, we also set up a belay at a spot perhaps two or three hundred feet below the summit gully... and rodman and I both used a hand line when descending the first 15 feet from the summit.
We found the airy ledge on the south side of the summit block to be very easy to handle.
4.75 miles roundtrip, gaining 4163 feet of elevation.
Equipment used: 3 harnesses, 90 foot rope, 2 double slings, 2 single slings, carabiners and belay device.
6.5 hours from camp to summit... 20 minutes on the summit... 5.5 hours summit to camp... a long, but rewarding day.
Know this... rodman and I would not have reached this summit without rocman's veteran leadership and expertise.
A friend (solman) gave me information on a campsite that turned out to be the best I've seen... at least from an amenity viewpoint... sturdy cooking table and benches, fire ring, solitude (well off of the beaten path) and near a good water source. Find it 650 feet (218 paces for me) west of the Fourth Creek/Ingalls Creek trail junction... then turn left onto an obvious boot path and follow it for a tenth of a mile... set up camp and dream of being on the Argonaut summit.
GPS route and photos of our climb of Argonaut Peak.
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Type E Member
Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 1381 | TRs | Pics
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Type E
Member
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Sat Aug 07, 2010 1:50 pm
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Wow you guys are really upping the ante. As usual great route pics taking the guesswork when I retrace your steps..... whenever that might be.
Good Work!
E
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wildernessed viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004 Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics Location: Wenatchee |
Awesome TR and pics, you guys always leave a trail of good beta behind you.
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7220 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:04 pm
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Wow, great pictures and captions. That looks like a fun route with lots of solid clean granite scrambling. How much loose rock did you run into heading up the gully?
We got skunked by deep snow trying for Argonaut earlier this spring from Colchuck Pass. This looks like a good alternative.
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Scrooge Famous Grouse
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 6966 | TRs | Pics Location: wishful thinking |
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Scrooge
Famous Grouse
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Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:16 pm
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You know what? You guys are an embarrassment to those of us who are still under 70.
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you....... Go and find it. Go!
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yukon222 Member
Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 1893 | TRs | Pics
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yukon222
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Sat Aug 07, 2010 3:25 pm
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Superb TR and effort. Very well done on both accounts.
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zephyr aka friendly hiker
Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 3370 | TRs | Pics Location: West Seattle |
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
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Sat Aug 07, 2010 11:02 pm
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Wonderful trip report. Very exciting to see the photos of the climb. I really appreciate the detail and descriptions going up and down that gully. It was almost as good as being there. I was sitting on the edge of my chair until you all came down past that chockstone. Bravo!
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Arete Member
Joined: 29 Oct 2006 Posts: 137 | TRs | Pics Location: Bothell, WA |
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Arete
Member
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Sun Aug 08, 2010 12:21 am
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Great climb and a stellar report (as usual). This is something we've had our eyes on for the fall and your detailed information will be very handy! Bravo and thanks!
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ragman and rodman Member
Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 1219 | TRs | Pics Location: http://rgervin.com/ |
puzzlr wrote: | How much loose rock did you run into heading up the gully?
We got skunked by deep snow trying for Argonaut earlier this spring from Colchuck Pass. This looks like a good alternative. |
I'm guessing that our route is probably considered the standard route.
There was very little loose rock when compared to Stuart's Cascadian Couloir... perhaps because Argonaut gets a lot less activity than Stuart. That being said, on our descent, there were several places that we down climbed one person at a time to avoid any chance of falling rock... and I would highly suggest that only one person at a time be in the 50 foot gully below the chockstone.
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twodogdad Member
Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Posts: 846 | TRs | Pics Location: seattle |
Superb accomplishment, superb report.
N
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User-Name Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2010 Posts: 312 | TRs | Pics Location: bellevue |
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BarbE Member
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 1153 | TRs | Pics
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BarbE
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Fri Aug 13, 2010 4:05 pm
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Gregor Gregor
Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 117 | TRs | Pics
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Gregor
Gregor
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Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:25 am
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--------------------------------------
Editing note on 8.8.2009
I originally said that using Longs Pass to reach our campsite would be a "much" longer route than our Beverly/County Line/Fourth Creek route... iraman pointed out that Green Trails shows 6.9 miles from Beverly to the Fourth Creek/Ingalls Creek junction... and only 6 miles from Esmerelda Basin to the Fourth Creek/Ingalls junction... so... I removed the word "much" from the above paragraph... but I am still calling the Longs Pass route a longer route because rodman's GPS says it is only 5.1 miles from Beverly to the Fourth Creek/Ingalls Creek junction... and regardless of route distances, I can guarantee you two things... (1) the Fourth Creek Trail is in much better condition than the trail from Longs Pass to Ingalls Creek and (2) there is at least 800 feet more roundtrip elevation gain if you use the Longs Pass route.
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i have heard this before in guide books and other trip reports but have never understood it. are the green trail elevations wrong?
it says the elevation at the longs pass/esmerelda basin trail head is 4200, with longs pass being 6300, thus 2100 ft of gain, and 6.0 miles to the 4th creek trail junction.
at the beverly creek trailhead it says 3600ft, with the hight point marked as 5600ft, thus 2000 ft of gain and the distance 6.9 miles to 4th creek junction.
thus longs pass while having 100 ft of extra gain, saves 0.9 miles each way.
personally i usually opt for less trail miles even if it means a little bit more gain, and 100 ft of gain is really not a big deal, im sure.
i have never done the beverly creek approach, is the green trails info wrong?
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Magellan Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006 Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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Mon Sep 27, 2010 9:47 am
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Talk about a full body hike! Superb writeup and photos.
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Yana Hater
Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Posts: 4212 | TRs | Pics Location: Out Hating |
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Yana
Hater
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Mon Sep 27, 2010 10:11 am
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Awesome!
PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
PLAY SAFE! SKI ONLY IN CLOCKWISE DIRECTION! LET'S ALL HAVE FUN TOGETHER!
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