Absolutely stunning! As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. 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). Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! Heres what we learned while preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike, plus a few things I wish Id known ahead of time! My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. There were more mountain goats in the evening as well. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. 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. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. We just finished this trail. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. 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. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. The on and off rain was definitely a bummer though. Down to Eldorado. we get old because we stop hiking" on the back. 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. Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. One stream crossing after the Vallecito bridge about mid calf. As always, questions and comments are welcome! We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. First, dont forget your sunglasses! Your email address will not be published. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. A hiking boot is preferable. Trail Name - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Location - Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO Park Type - National Forest, Wilderness Area Fees & Permits - None Length Of Time Hiked - 6 days, 5 nights Trail Type - Semi loop - Train drops you off and picks you up Miles Hiked - 48 Trail Difficulty - 8 A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. A group of seven hikers (2 men, 5 women) also loaded their packs, giving a total of 12 of us to be dropped at Elk Park. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. 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. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. All of our gear was dry and life was good. Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. This will give you time to make it to your seats before the final boarding call. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. 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. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Your email address will not be published. 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. . We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. There were cairns here and there marking the way as well, which could be seen since the Twin Lakes. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. 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. Great hike! It rained a little very briefly when I got back, then was party sunny the rest of the day with only a few intermittent showers. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. Still a good ways from the pass, we pushed on as the rains started in their usual off and on fashion. 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. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. From Twin Lakes, I made it back to my campsite in 35 minutes. Dogs are also able to. Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders. Leave a Comment. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. It was about 1/3 the size of his sleeping pad, and as far as I know, is the lightest one on the market at 9.1 ounces. The Durango-Silverton train offers a backpacker service from May to October, where they drop you off and pick you up at train stops which more or less correspond to the trailheads. Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. The Animas River. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. 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. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. I missed the shortcut from Eldorado Lake to Hunchback pass , many years ago.Im headed there in 2 wks and hoping to find itAny suggestions, This time I will have a GPS when looking from Hunchback pass I was pretty sure I could see a trail to Eldorado Lake , but wasnt positive so I didnt give it a try. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. He discourses on his own mortality, about getting too old to have such adventures, and striking your own path in life while you still can." But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. Required fields are marked *. Nice! Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton. By the time we reached the lake, the peaks around us were completely engulfed by the clouds. 1. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. We snacked on sour patch kids by the fire for a while before letting it burn out. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. One of the things that makes this loop so special is that the trailheads can both be reached via the Silverton-Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad, a tourist train pulled by a steam locomotive that has been used in dozens of . Thanks for sharing. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! Next stop: Wilderness. We camped at ~9300 ft. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. What a place for a cabin though! We loved this trail and would highly recommend! Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. Any way to access this trail without riding the train? Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. As of the 2013 season, a round-trip ticket is $90.10 + $10.00 for your pack. Black flies were a pain the whole week. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. On this section of the trail, the views were mostly obstructed by trees until we reached the beaver pond at mile 3. 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. The trail flattens out at the basin below Columbine Lake and once you arrive you're in for a real treat. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. Awesome, thanks! Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. Thats how I do it these days. is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. Prepare to not have a cell signal. Really helpful report! Miles Hiked 5.7 (summit Windom Peak starting from camp in Chicago Basin) I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. Train ride through the beautiful San Juan mountains on the way to our drop off point at Elk Park. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. 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. Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. 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. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. 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. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. There were many campsites to choose from in the area near the Vallecito Creek Bridge. The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. This hike primary route. Our total distance was about 42 miles. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. I was awestruck with the beauty of those mountains. 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. 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. Finally, it was time to start this hike. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. Your email address will not be published. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. Getting down to the water and going through the process of purifying the water was a bit of a pain here, but I wanted to get it out of the way in case it started raining again. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. I'll never forget it. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. I took advantage of the weather and took a ton of pictures up here. No hot dogs tonight, maybe night 3. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. The trail follows the 44 road past the lake, and then winds towards the trail leading up to Hunchback Pass. 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. - John Glionna, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Watch Pioneering Nevada's Basin and Range Trail on other Streaming Services: Tubi, Xumo, Telus and Filmocracy, Like what you see? Another option (which you should probably do anyway!) One of the biggest drawing points of the Elk Creek trail is the unique opportunity to combine a Wilderness trip with a ride on a steam locomotive. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. This was our third trek on this trail. El mejor momento para visitar esta . You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). People really are friendly in Colorado! The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way.

Pictures Of Staph Infection In Nose, Virtual Scenario Pain Assessment Ati Quizlet, Christopher Shea Glen Cove Cause Of Death, Bob Foster Hobart Football Fired, Is Stentor Harmful To Humans, Articles E