We didn't. Windward_Coug. Here's an overview! After all, it was Saturday evening. Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. Shortly after, we saw the skull with spine still connected of some type of antlered animal alongside the trail. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. I like having dry gear! We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Very nice trip report! Todays hike will take us down by Kite Lake, over Hunchback Pass, and all the way down to the Vallecito Creek bridge, near Johnson Creek. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. 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. I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy.
Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop - Champagne Tastes However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Carry a comfortable pack with a water reservoir. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. There is no cover up here by Eldorado Lake, which sits well above the treeline at 12,300ft. 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. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. But, thats another story for another trip report. Your email address will not be published. It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. Highly recommend! It was filed under Backpacking Trip Reports and was tagged with backpacking trip report, cdt, chicago basin, colorado backpacking, colorado hikes, colorado photography, colorado summer hikes, colorado trail, continental divide, durango train, eldorado lake, elk park needleton, hiking 2013, loop hike, mountain photography, multi day hikes, san juan, san juan mountains, san juan national forest, weeklong loop hike, weminuche wilderness, windom peak. Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders. Next stop: Wilderness. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. The trail follows the 44 road past the lake, and then winds towards the trail leading up to Hunchback Pass. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. There were more mountain goats in the evening as well. Columbine Pass and Chicago Basin probably were the highlights of the trip -- incredibly high and scenic alpine country. Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. 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. There are also sections with loose pebbles where youll want good traction. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. Thanks for sharing. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! 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. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. Complete Camper Van Build Parts & Materials Spreadsheet, Zion National Park Hiking Angels Landing & The Narrows, CDT Section Hike 2021 Never Summer Wilderness & Parkview Mountain, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 9: Quartzsite to Kofa, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 8: Bouse to Quartzsite, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 7: Lake Havasu to Bouse, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 6: Bullhead City to Lake Havasu, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 5: Searchlight to Bullhead City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 4: Boulder City to Searchlight, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 3: Callville Bay to Boulder City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 2: Echo Bay to Callville Bay, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Location Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO, Park Type National Forest, Wilderness Area, Trail Type Semi loop Train drops you off and picks you up, Fires Allowed Yes (No fires in Chicago Basin or Needleton drainage). To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. The Elk Park to Needleton backpacking loop near Silverton, Colorado, covers over 40 miles and features stunning mountain vistas. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). Required fields are marked *. It was quite a sight to see, unlike anything Ive ever witnessed before. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. 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.
Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. I didnt rain much though. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. 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. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. This hike primary route. Oh well. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. Some streams had a lot of flash flood debris jammed up in certain points, more so than wed seen in other areas. Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin.
TR: Elk Park/Needleton Loop with extras - WhiteBlaze The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. Once I gained a few hundred feet in elevation, I could see that there wasnt any threat of getting soaked and I took off the extra layers. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet.
Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop - YouTube Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. Please be aware that reservations can only be made from Durango and Silverton originations. Oregon Desert Trail (2022) *Coming Soon At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. Lisa was still far below me, and the other hikers told her to hike directly to her right a ways until she hit the switchbacks, as they had a clear view from above us. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. Thank you so much for your detailed description! Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. 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.
7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West Also, A creek ran through the area and created an interesting looking gorge that I wish I had more time to check out, but we really wanted to get to camp right now. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. Basin and Range Trail (2020) View Profile There havent been any bugs out the last 2 nights though, and I was really wishing we had a fire like this on night one. There were only one or two campsites occupied here, and it would have been a nice place to stay the night if we didnt already have our trip planned out. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. Never miss a new post! 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 People really are friendly in Colorado! There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. A Garmin InReach is one of the pricier emergency options, but there are also less expensive satellite emergency locator beacons (with less functionality). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Eric Poulin, long distance hiker and outdoor adventurer, Greenland Hike/Packraft Expedition (2022) *Coming Soon 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. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. I highly recommend it. 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. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. with an Osprey water bladder. We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. I used a Garmin InReach Mini 2 to track our location, and any time we came to an unmarked trail junction, we knew which way to go. Another option (which you should probably do anyway!) We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. This was true for much of the trip. Very well done! Very clear and interesting. I am really loving the granola & almonds, its chocked full of complex carbs and good fats, perfect for hiking.
Vestal Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost After being in the rain all week, we were still getting rained on during the train ride back. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. I took it out of its stuff sack and unrolled it and the looks on their faces were just priceless. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. . 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 . A hiking boot is preferable. My backpack did get burned by an ember though, so I was a little bummed about that, but it should be something I can patch up. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. As always, questions and comments are welcome! Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. We passed several waterfalls and areas of whitewater. 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?? Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Absolutely stunning! Soon enough it was back to the rain. 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. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. For shelter, we carried a backpacking tent, as well as a double sleeping pad, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, and a compressible backpacking quilt. Your email address will not be published. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15.
Sultan Peak | Map, Guide - Silverton, CO | AllTrails We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. 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. 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. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. I decided to head downhill in a hurry. 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. Highly recommend. Before we knew it, we saw the Weminuche Wilderness boundary sign. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. 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. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. I did see a lot of goat hair stuck in the trees and bushes now, which we had not seen anywhere else yet along our hike. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. Subscribe to receive an emial notification when new content is added, Sawtooth Mountains Idaho Landscape Photography Canvas Prints, Seeking Lost Logo Shirt - Unisex Softstyle T-Shirt, Basin and Range Trail Planning Kit: Guidebook, GPX, Maps, Waypoints, Water Chart, Vanadinite Mineral Specimen (North Geronimo Mine, AZ), Wulfenite on Fluorite Mineral Specimen (Red Cloud Mine, AZ). Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night.
Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train Needleton, Colorado - Activities and Events | San Juan County I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. The weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance.
Weminuche Wilderness in southern Colorado. You take a train from The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. 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. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. We did this trip in September. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked.
28 miles, a little over 8k' of elevation gain. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up.