elk park train stop to needleton

Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop 5,560 views Aug 5, 2008 9 Dislike Share Save Elizabeth Black 394 subscribers From the steam engine train we backpack for 6 days on a 40 mile loop out in. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. 18-21 September 2017. My group did it in 5 days, but I would recommend giving yourself 6 or 7 so you aren't having to push yourself to get to the train on time. We snacked on sour patch kids by the fire for a while before letting it burn out. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Thanks for sharing. There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. Are you planning a backpacking adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado? A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). Sure enough, they appeared at the top of the trail heading down to our camp from the main trail. Avalanche debris was cleared. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! If we werent wet and hungry, I might have stopped to check it out further, but again, we were on a mission to find camp. There are also sections with loose pebbles where youll want good traction. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. Columbine Lake Trail #509 in San Juan National Forest is a difficult and steep trail with 16 discernible switchbacks but it's worth the effort. Soon enough it was back to the rain. The weather started to improve a little as we set up the tent and took care of the usual camp chores. You can purchase a ticket to or from Elk Park onboard as long as space is availableno reservations are taken for this flag stop. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. The train showed up about 5-10 minutes late, but was a welcome sight nonetheless. They were just ahead of me on the trail, but again, I was able to scare them off by simply throwing my arms in the air. The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. PS. Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. Miles Hiked 14.5 El mejor momento para visitar esta . Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. This is where Eldorado Lake drains off the mountainside and down to the Miners Cabin area we passed earlier today, Looking up at 13,627ft White Dome from the Eldorado Lake drainage. Nearly everyone who comes by Needleton does so via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. What a place for a cabin though! At the bridge over New York Creek, there was a waterfall right there along the trail.. Animas River, from the bridge at the Needleton train stop. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. In addition to us, there was also a group of 2, 3, and 4 other hikers who also got off the train. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. It was around 1:45pm when we rolled into camp today. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. One night while we slept inside our River Country trekking pole tent, something chewed the cork handle off one of the poles (presumably because of salt residue from sweat). Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. Soul Rider. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. There were no other campsites nearby and extremely close to the trail leading up to the three 14ers in Chicago Basin: Windom Peak, Sunlight Peak, and Mt. Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. Fog billowed from distant peaks, and it was pretty dark around me as well now. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. Thank you for taking the time to write it! This was already painting a picture of what Chicago Basin might be like tomorrow, as it is supposed to be the most heavily used area in the Weminuche Wilderness. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. Our total distance was about 42 miles. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. This was true for much of the trip. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. You take a train from Durango that. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. Never miss a new post! FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. Thanks for sharing. 2. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Sad to see all the beetle damage. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. Browse different rides & seasonal events. None of them seemed very dry though. We did this trip in September. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. There were no beavers. 2/21/22 12:49pm. 1. A hiking boot is preferable. The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. Where the lake began to drain out down the mountainside, there were remnants of an old dam here. The water was deep and fast flowing here. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. The nature back there is unbelievable. I was following a GPX track on my GPS of another person who had hiked this loop, and his track led me off trail a little bit. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. In good weather it should not be a problem. Bob Marshall. Miles Hiked 7.4 This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. Since there are no fires allowed in Chicago Basin or the rest of the Needle Creek drainage, and the fact that I was planning on climbing in morning, we called it an early night and went to bed shortly after sundown. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. Before reaching the trails down to Kite/Eldorado Lakes, we had to hike over a 100ft rocky ridge, just as the clouds looked their worst. Next stop: Wilderness. Some streams had a lot of flash flood debris jammed up in certain points, more so than wed seen in other areas. The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. I knew the vegetation was still wet from last evenings rain, and didnt feel like being soaked to the bone if the trail happens to go through dense foliage. Your email address will not be published. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! What a place for a cabin! However, if you can afford it, the train ride is fun, and it sure is nice once you reach Elk Park and realize you don't have to make that 1,700' climb back up to Molas Pass. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. With about five minutes to go before arriving at Elk Park, one of conductors gather all of the backpackers and ask you to head to the front of the train. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. Down to Eldorado. Its too bad that we had already eaten dinner before starting this fire, because we still had hot dogs that we could have cooked tonight. Seeking Lost: Thru-Hiking & Backpacking Adventures, Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, 8 Day Rockhounding & Mineral Collecting in the Santa Teresa Mountains, AZ (Nov 2022), How Much Did It Cost?? Looking back up the way I just came down from Windom Peak. Venchka. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Before we knew it, we saw the Weminuche Wilderness boundary sign. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. I climbed up to the top of this ridge for some truly amazing views of the Weminuche Wilderness, Beautiful views of Eldorado Lake during the best weather of the afternoon, Awesome views from an unnamed high point above Eldorado Lake. Anyways, with breakfast in our stomachs and all our wet gear packed away, we hit the trail around 7:30. Excellent trip, lots of varied terrain, meadows, forests, small mountain ponds and lakes, avalanche tree slides, large and small rock slides, multiple high passes with great views. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather. I didnt want to push Lisa too much in the first few days so I think the plan for days 1 and 2 were pretty good. So far, so good. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate 4.6 (42) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (363) Directions Print/PDF map Length 37.5 miElevation gain 8,579 ftRoute type Point to point Head out on this 37.5-mile point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. Lisa really wanted a fire, and although I knew we could get one going, but I didnt want to go through the effort of gathering wood only to have it rain again . There was a new amazing view after every turn. He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. There was another group who did this, and the train staff didn't seem to have any problem with it (we had paid for a RT ticket anyway). Your email address will not be published. The skies were fairly clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning, but Ive grown weary of the weather in the Weminuche Wilderness at this point. Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. He sure did look delicious, haha. We saw 3 hikers coming down Hunchback Pass earlier as we were going up, and didnt see anyone else today until we got about a mile from the Vallecito Creek Bridge. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. Lisa had a bit of trouble last year in the Maroon Bells when we hiked the Four Pass Loop, and I may have had a slight headache that first day as well. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. Bugs were pretty bad this year. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. In summer, you may want to bring along a bug net to fit over your hat to protect yourself from mosquitoes, gnats and black flies. At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. The Elk Park to Needleton loop in the Weminuche Wilderness, to be precise. My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. Success! Not this time though! The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). This was a class 3 in my opinion. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. For some reason, the mileage the GPS reports to me in the field is always more than the mileage it gives me at home when I am reviewing the final data. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. On day three, we made our way up and over the Continental Divide and into the beautiful meadow just below Hunchback Pass. We made the decision to cut our trek short. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. Arriving via a coal-powered train on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, this excursion into the dramatic Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado gets off to a unique start. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. If I were to do it again, I wouldve done a few more miles the first day - theres a nice campsite before the first peak. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map, Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop (Silverton, CO), Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents, Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. Todays hike will take us the rest of the way up the Elk Creek drainage along the Colorado trail, where well hit the Continental Divide Trail, or CDT. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. We also brought along these touch-screen activewear gloves, Buffs to help protect us from sun (or keep our ears warm), silk thermals for a base layer, and a balaclava to keep warm at night. Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. We camped at ~9300 ft. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. Sometimes 2 to a flower. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. This satellite powered device is able to track your location on a digital map, share your location with friends/family, send basic text messages, and (most importantly) it has an emergency SOS button to get help. Great backpacking experience!! I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! The hiker who told me about the mice up here had camped here last night. The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Finally, it was time to start this hike. That is, of course, after hot meal and long hot shower! Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. This was our third trek on this trail. This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. There are a lot of trees down throughout the Johnson Creek and Needle Creek drainages - another hiker counted 155 trees across the trail on the way down from Chicago Basin to Needleton, but it looks like the FS is working their way up, clearing from the bottom up. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. This hike is definitely a good one! To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). We just finished this trail. There were many stream crossings and several large waterfalls that we passed, but due to the weather and number of miles we had to cover, we didnt spend any time checking most of them out. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. Everything was wet, including my feet. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. Thank you so much for your detailed description! Share Followers 0. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. The on and off rain was definitely a bummer though.

Billerica High School Staff Directory, Chesapeake Police Department Accident Reports, Articles E