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Backcountry Fever
← Aconcagua Day 15: Return to Puente de Inca
Adiós Argentina →

Argentina Day 16 – Back in Mendoza

Posted on February 21, 2025August 25, 2025 by Backcountry Fever

As much as I thought one more day at Plaza de Mulas would have been nice, I was so glad we pushed through and made it back to Mendoza last night.  It was well worth the long bus ride and late-night return to wake up in a real bed after so many days on the trail.  We also now had three extra days to play with!  Some of the group planned side trips in the area, while I moved my flight up to get home sooner.

aristides letters mendoza

Gastronomy on Paseo Arístides

The first order of business today was food — and not the kind that came from a stuff sack or boiled in a camp pot.  We were craving something better.  A good burger quickly became the goal, so we wandered around town in search of the best.  We landed at Estilo Burgers on Aristides Villanueva (see F3 here).

estilo burgers sign

Yes! That was exactly what I had in mind — the perfect way to wrap up an adventure, if you ask me.

estilo burger and fries

Speaking of Arístides Villanueva (highlighted on this map), this is another hot spot in Mendoza worth exploring.  I didn’t venture this way before our trip, but glad to discover it afterward.  The promenade stretches for five blocks with so much to see and do — especially when it comes to food and spirits.

aristides villanueva mendoza

For authentic empanadas, I highly recommend Harry’s at the far west end of the paseo, near the Gargantini Soccer Stadium (marked as F5 on the map).

harrys fresh selections

Una palabra: ¡delicioso!

harrys empanadas

I could have easily spent another day tasting my way through the gastronomy on Paseo Arístides.

aristides villanueva promenade

Best Tiramisu in Mendoza

For one final recommendation, check out Bigalia Pizza, just across the street from El Asadito (marked F5 on the map).  The group ate here several times — including twice more after I had left.

bigalia pizza group photo

Returning to Bigalia was no surprise.  From one tiramisu aficionado to another, this is where you’ll find thee best take on this dessert in Mendoza — just look at that expression!

tiramisu aficionado

While I didn’t get to try a pizza from Bigalia myself, I made sure to savor a slice of this delightful treat before leaving for the airport.

← Aconcagua Day 15: Return to Puente de Inca
Adiós Argentina →

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On this day last year—February 18—my team and I reached the summit of Aconcagua, the tallest peak in Argentina and the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere at 22,837 feet.

I’ve enjoyed looking back on that expedition by rereading my day-by-day trip report from our climb.

👉 Link in bio: an 18-part guide covering the entire climb, plus pre-trip planning tips and post-expedition things to see and do around Mendoza.

Whether this is your first high-altitude objective or you’re adding Aconcagua to your mountaineering résumé, the guide will help you see why I chose the 360° Traverse, how to plan for your expedition, and what to expect each day on the mountain.

#aconcagua #aconcagua360 #aconcaguaexpedition #highaltitudemountaineering #mountaineering

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Open post by backcountryfever with ID 18055701743428917
On this day last year—February 18—my team and I reached the summit of Aconcagua, the tallest peak in Argentina and the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere at 22,837 feet.

I’ve enjoyed looking back on that expedition by rereading my day-by-day trip report from our climb.

👉 Link in bio: an 18-part guide covering the entire climb, plus pre-trip planning tips and post-expedition things to see and do around Mendoza.

Whether this is your first high-altitude objective or you’re adding Aconcagua to your mountaineering résumé, the guide will help you see why I chose the 360° Traverse, how to plan for your expedition, and what to expect each day on the mountain.

#aconcagua #aconcagua360 #aconcaguaexpedition #highaltitudemountaineering #mountaineering

Winter is my favorite season, and cold weather camping is one of my favorite winter activities.

#coldweathercamping #wintercamping #tenting #lovewinter #lovecamping

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Open post by backcountryfever with ID 18088708565160118
Winter is my favorite season, and cold weather camping is one of my favorite winter activities.

#coldweathercamping #wintercamping #tenting #lovewinter #lovecamping

Scoping out snow levels for my annual winter campout this weekend. Yep, there`s enough to still make it fun!

#wintercamping #coldweathercamping #winterhike #sunset #weekendwarrior

18 2
Open post by backcountryfever with ID 18093303244798082
Scoping out snow levels for my annual winter campout this weekend.  Yep, there's enough to still make it fun!

#wintercamping #coldweathercamping #winterhike #sunset #weekendwarrior

Speaking of my multi-millioner friends (see link in the bio), I got to hike with them last weekend.

I had my mind set on doing a Grandeur Peak Yo-Yo for my first hike of the year. Thankfully, @gwhatco and @andeethatch were OK with slowing down for the day.

Not sure what I was thinking though, my thighs were so sore for the next two days. Hockey sure doesn`t use those same muscles like I thought it did.

Recovery definitely called for a few infrared sauna sessions afterwards!

#grandeurpeak #yoyo #doublesummit #legday #goatworthy

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Open post by backcountryfever with ID 18093050872988089
Speaking of my multi-millioner friends (see link in the bio), I got to hike with them last weekend.

I had my mind set on doing a Grandeur Peak Yo-Yo for my first hike of the year. Thankfully, @gwhatco and @andeethatch were OK with slowing down for the day.

Not sure what I was thinking though, my thighs were so sore for the next two days. Hockey sure doesn't use those same muscles like I thought it did. 

Recovery definitely called for a few infrared sauna sessions afterwards!

#grandeurpeak #yoyo #doublesummit #legday #goatworthy

Yeah, you read that right — 5,000,000 vertical feet. That’s a million feet of vert every year for five straight years. Who does that? Well… these two average hikers from Utah have been stacking numbers like this since 2021 — quietly, but well beyond “average”.

The numbers speak for themselves. Get a summary and breakdown by month from the link in the bio ☝️

Think about that: we’re talking about an average of 50 miles and 20,000 feet of gain every single week.

It’s hard to wrap my head around that level of commitment. What they’re doing every month is roughly what I log in a year, all while holding down full-time jobs. That’s one serious fitness program.

In talking with Andee about what comes next, they took the week off after Christmas, then jumped right into the new year on a local favorite—Mount Olympus—with plans to log another million in 2026.

#goatworthy #biggoals #millionverticalfeet #hikerlife #hikemoreworryless

23 5
Open post by backcountryfever with ID 17966367422867268
Yeah, you read that right — 5,000,000 vertical feet.  That’s a million feet of vert every year for five straight years.  Who does that?  Well… these two average hikers from Utah have been stacking numbers like this since 2021 — quietly, but well beyond “average”. 

The numbers speak for themselves.  Get a summary and breakdown by month from the link in the bio ☝️

Think about that: we’re talking about an average of 50 miles and 20,000 feet of gain every single week.

It’s hard to wrap my head around that level of commitment.  What they’re doing every month is roughly what I log in a year, all while holding down full-time jobs.  That’s one serious fitness program.

In talking with Andee about what comes next, they took the week off after Christmas, then jumped right into the new year on a local favorite—Mount Olympus—with plans to log another million in 2026.

#goatworthy #biggoals #millionverticalfeet #hikerlife #hikemoreworryless

With the encouragement from my youngest daughter, I bought a small fleet of kid carriers to get these youngsters started early! We`ve enjoyed a few days out in this unseasonably warm November, but still need to get them ALL out together. Fun times ahead for sure!!

#osprey #ospreypacks #hikingwithkids #familyfun #getemstartedearly

21 1
Open post by backcountryfever with ID 18064990223634047
With the encouragement from my youngest daughter, I bought a small fleet of kid carriers to get these youngsters started early!  We've enjoyed a few days out in this unseasonably warm November, but still need to get them ALL out together.  Fun times ahead for sure!!

#osprey #ospreypacks #hikingwithkids #familyfun #getemstartedearly

My first time up Mt. Ogden unintentionally turned into a full-on-loop-de-doo: up Beus, down Malan`s.

Beus Canyon was pretty boring above treeline, so I decided not to head back the way I came. After tagging the summit, I figured Malan`s would be way more interesting — and it sure was!

Malan`s Basin is surprisingly sketch up high, through a steep and narrow gully, then hard to follow in the middle where an already faint trail disappeared under leaves. I lost the trail a few times and had to backtrack a bit to find my way.

Finally, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail came in clutch once again, making this a nice long loop-de-doo.

Mt. Ogden Loop-de-doo mileage breakdown 👇
- Beus Canyon trailhead to summit, 6 miles
- Mt. Ogden to Malan`s Peak, 3 miles
- Malan`s Peak to Bonneville Shoreline Trail, 3 miles
- BST across and back to Beus trailhead, 3 miles

For a total of 15 miles and 5,300 feet of elevation gain.

#mtogden #mountogden #ogdenpeak #beuscanyon #beuscanyontrail #malansbasin #malanspeak #bonnevilleshorelinetrail #bonnevilleshoreline #bst #loophike #loopdedoo #wasatchfront #hikeogden #fallhike #fallhikingfallhiking

24 0
Open post by backcountryfever with ID 17906240730272550
My first time up Mt. Ogden unintentionally turned into a full-on-loop-de-doo: up Beus, down Malan's. 

Beus Canyon was pretty boring above treeline, so I decided not to head back the way I came. After tagging the summit, I figured Malan's would be way more interesting — and it sure was!

Malan's Basin is surprisingly sketch up high, through a steep and narrow gully, then hard to follow in the middle where an already faint trail disappeared under leaves.  I lost the trail a few times and had to backtrack a bit to find my way.

Finally, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail came in clutch once again, making this a nice long loop-de-doo.

Mt. Ogden Loop-de-doo mileage breakdown 👇
- Beus Canyon trailhead to summit, 6 miles
- Mt. Ogden to Malan's Peak, 3 miles
- Malan's Peak to Bonneville Shoreline Trail, 3 miles
- BST across and back to Beus trailhead, 3 miles

For a total of 15 miles and 5,300 feet of elevation gain.

#mtogden #mountogden #ogdenpeak #beuscanyon #beuscanyontrail #malansbasin #malanspeak #bonnevilleshorelinetrail #bonnevilleshoreline #bst #loophike #loopdedoo #wasatchfront #hikeogden #fallhike #fallhikingfallhiking

Awesome views from the top of Y Mountain. Looking north into Rock Canyon, where I started, and across towards the old Squaw Peak, Cascade Mountain, and Mount Timpanogos further off in the distance.

Pretty fun loop hike 👇

- Up 1.8 miles from the Rock Canyon trailhead
- Up 1.8 miles on First Right Fork to Slide Canyon
- Down Slide Canyon Trail .5 miles to Y Mountain Trail
- Up 1 mile to Y Mountain West Peak
- Down .25 and over .25 miles to Y Mountain East Peak
- Down 1 mile back to Slide Canyon Trail
- Down 1.5 miles to Y Trail (top of the BYU Y)
- Down 1 mile to the Y Trail trailhead
- Across 1.75 miles on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail

For a total of 10.75 miles with 4,137 feet of elevation gain.

#ymountain #rockcanyon #rockcanyontrail #firstrightfork #slidecanyon #ytrail #ytrailhead #bst #bonnevilleshorelinetrail #bonnevilleshoreline #connector #loophike #wasatchfront #hikethewasatch #wasatchmountains #wasatch #hike #hikemore

33 1
Open post by backcountryfever with ID 17900152413305912
Awesome views from the top of Y Mountain.  Looking north into Rock Canyon, where I started, and across towards the old Squaw Peak, Cascade Mountain, and Mount Timpanogos further off in the distance. 

Pretty fun loop hike 👇

- Up 1.8 miles from the Rock Canyon trailhead
- Up 1.8 miles on First Right Fork to Slide Canyon
- Down Slide Canyon Trail .5 miles to Y Mountain Trail
- Up 1 mile to Y Mountain West Peak 
- Down .25 and over .25 miles to Y Mountain East Peak
- Down 1 mile back to Slide Canyon Trail
- Down 1.5 miles to Y Trail (top of the BYU Y)
- Down 1 mile to the Y Trail trailhead
- Across 1.75 miles on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail

For a total of 10.75 miles with 4,137 feet of elevation gain.

#ymountain #rockcanyon #rockcanyontrail #firstrightfork #slidecanyon #ytrail #ytrailhead #bst #bonnevilleshorelinetrail #bonnevilleshoreline #connector #loophike #wasatchfront #hikethewasatch #wasatchmountains #wasatch #hike #hikemore

As the seasons change, each quiet mile through these trees feels like an invitation to let go of what was and move toward all that`s yet to come...

#seasonschange #lettinggo #movingon #pressingforward #lookingahead #newbeginnings #natureishealing #healingenergy #goodvibes #autumnvibes #autumnmountains #hiking #hikerlife #mountainlife #mountains

27 0
Open post by backcountryfever with ID 17902202193279047
As the seasons change, each quiet mile through these trees feels like an invitation to let go of what was and move toward all that's yet to come...

#seasonschange #lettinggo #movingon #pressingforward #lookingahead #newbeginnings #natureishealing #healingenergy #goodvibes #autumnvibes #autumnmountains #hiking #hikerlife #mountainlife #mountains
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