This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. I'm a traveler who loves to eat. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. The rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. Obviously I skipped this route on our way up here, opting to go the traditional way up the switchbacks to the CDT, but I was curious if it was doable. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. Lisa and I ended up taking a nap for about an hour and a half until the weather improved. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. 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. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! People really are friendly in Colorado! The rock is slippery and there is nothing to help you balance yourself on this very narrow section of trail, which happens to have a BIG drop on your left. Miles Hiked 5.4 Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. At Twin Lakes, the terrain is a bit less hospitable, and fewer campsite options with all the rocks and stuff. Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. 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. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. My husband had an offline map downloaded in his Google Maps app, although we found it to be unreliable in the Vallecito Creek area. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. Once past the tricky part near the top of the pass, it was your general steep descent via switchbacks. 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. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. Required fields are marked *. We made the decision to cut our trek short. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). El mejor momento para visitar esta . Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Hiking Route | Trailforks Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Park - Needleton Loop - YouTube Backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains in July 2022. If needed, when you reach the Vallecito and Johnson Creek trail junction, you could hike about 10 miles to the Vallecito Reservoir, a popular lake area. Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. I found nothing that was going to be snow free and chose the Gila. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. Trees blocked most of the views. Wed been in Colorado a week now, doing other cool stuff like the Colorado National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Denver & Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park, Telluride, etc. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. I took advantage of the weather and took a ton of pictures up here. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! I'll never forget it. There were cairns here and there marking the way as well, which could be seen since the Twin Lakes. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. On the Elk Park to Needleton loop, the emergency outs are limited. Wilderness Access Train Rides - Durango.com The Elk Park to Needleton backpacking loop near Silverton, Colorado, covers over 40 miles and features stunning mountain vistas. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. You would think that they would just find another place to hang out with no people nearby, but they kept trying to make their way down to our area. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). 1. Miles Hiked 10.4 They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. This was perfect! Continental Divide Trail (2018), "His breathing is measured as he narrates his journey, describing the personal allure of the great outdoors, the difference between mere hobby and real passion. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. This hike primary route. The trail flattens out at the basin below Columbine Lake and once you arrive you're in for a real treat. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. Alternatively, if you feel you have any information youd like to share with others regarding this hike, please feel free to leave that below in a comment as well. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. Most were quick to check out the shack as we did, so the cinder block and wood plank benches filled up fast. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. View Profile Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? Mojave-Sonoran Trail (2021) Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). 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. This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. I asked one of the train workers if we could sit in the covered carts even though we had tickets for the open cart, and he said sure, if theres a seat available. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. Sad to see all the beetle damage. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. This is when the fog really started growing. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. Are you planning a backpacking adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado? Oh well. We got to the train station around 7:15am, as we were told to be there 45 minutes early. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. As another hiker had told me earlier today, there were a lot of rodent holes in this area, and I could see mice running around everywhere. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. There were more mountain goats in the evening as well. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. Absolutely stunning! Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. 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. I wasnt sore at all until day 4 or 5, with only moderate soreness in the hamstrings. The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. Hiking The Elk Park/Needleton Loop Weminuche Wilderness There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. Are there fishing opportunities along this route? This time wasn't as bad as 1993, where my ancient A-frame tent blew down, but I'd suggest doing it in August for longer days and less rain. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. drops you off in the middle of the wilderness (no car access) and do a loop that is absolutely beautiful. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. We only had to wait 30 minutes before suiting up. 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. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. We changed clothes in the car and tried to mask our stench with deodorant and cologne/perfume before setting off into the city in search of food. Would you advise camping at Twin Lakes? Hello, solitude. Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. Not too bad, but this was definitely not a class 2+ as described on 14ers.com. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. Finally, the weather is cooperating! I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate (39) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (318) Directions Print/PDF Map Share Experience this 57.9-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. Elk Park is a wide spot in the Animas River canyon located at milepost 490.5 on the Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension. Thanks for sharing. This hike is definitely a good one! Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. Vestal Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost False alarm. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. I didnt want to go crazy on day 1 anyways, so it worked out that it was a shorter day. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. The second day we did ~13 miles which included two peaks with kite lake in between. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. 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. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. Debris form 2020 avalanches on the elk park section have been cleared but theres quite a bit of fallen trees blocking the needle creek trail out of the Chicago Basin. There was an insane amount of biting flies and mosquitoes by the river here though, and I was regretting my decision to leave the bug spray and mosquito head net behind. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. 28 miles, a little over 8k' of elevation gain. Our trek group of 6 - ages ranging from 17 to 64 years. First week of June, the only people out there will probably be CDT thru hikers, and theyll be up against a lot of snow still. Please be aware that reservations can only be made from Durango and Silverton originations. 2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Silverton | AllTrails FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. It seems that most people in Chicago Basin came from the Needleton stop, hiked here, and turned around and went back the way they came. Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. Recommended Posts. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. You write quite well. After realizing that, I looked around and could see where the trail picked up again, and started hiking directly towards the trail in the distance. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. The stars were barely visible now that the morning light was fast approaching, but this was the most Id seen of stars the entire trip. It filtered a little more slowly than usual because we were at high elevation, but still worked well. I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. We ended up finishing around 5pm on the 5th day, so instead of waiting around for the return train to Durango on day 6, we took the train to Silverton for lunch, then rode the whole return trip to Durango. While the wilderness area has many access points, one of the best approaches is from the Durango & Silverton railroad stop of Elk Park, just outside of Silverton. Given the popularity of Kite Lake, being right next to a 44 road just outside of the wilderness boundary, I pretty much had my mind set on Eldorado. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 36 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Silverton, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far.

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