elk park train stop to needleton

The third day we hiked ~11 miles, starting with 2 miles downhill and then 7 miles to the top of columbine pass and then 2 miles down to camp at Chicago basin. 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. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. There were no beavers. 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. I dont like to sit in the tent if I dont have to. San Juan National Forest. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. Shortly after Elk Park along the Colorado Trail, also called the Elk Park trail for this section. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. After climbing about a third of the way up to the CDT, I hit a switchback, which I gladly used the rest of the way up. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. I am really loving the granola & almonds, its chocked full of complex carbs and good fats, perfect for hiking. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. We were on the trail at 7:30, and saw a few more goats as we made our way out of Chicago Basin. It was quite a sight to see, unlike anything Ive ever witnessed before. . 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. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. 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. The Animas River. Learn more about the wildlife in the area. 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. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. A few years ago, I was looking at hiking an alpine route (Pecos Wilderness in northern NM, and Rocky Mountain National Park) during the same time frame as you. Some streams had a lot of flash flood debris jammed up in certain points, more so than wed seen in other areas. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 37 mile less popular intermediate route located near Silverton Colorado. At 36 miles in length, this trip would likely span four or five days for average hikers, and it offers the unique ability to ride the Durango-Silverton train to access the trail. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. I didnt want to go crazy on day 1 anyways, so it worked out that it was a shorter day. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. Heres my caltopo map of the Elk Park/Needleton hike: There are no fees or permits needed to hike or camp in the Weminuche Wilderness. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. Cachanilla83. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. Avalanche debris was cleared. 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. You take a train from Durango that. From there, youll have a choice of where youd like to go. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. 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. The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! This was $90 each person for a round trip ticket, plus $10 to each to haul your backpack. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. After the train dropped us off at Elk Park, it was pretty quiet. Soon enough it was back to the rain. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. Browse different rides & seasonal events. Mojave-Sonoran Trail (2021) For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. 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. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. I decided to head downhill in a hurry. The water in Elk Creek was super clear, so I didnt have to pre-filter any of it before using my Steri-Pen Opti UV water purifier. There were 2 large pines growing 3 feet apart, creating a dry spot large enough for our tent, all out gear, places to sit, and more. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. We just finished this trail. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. Very clear and interesting. In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. Any and all kinds of weather! Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. The nature back there is unbelievable. The second day we did ~13 miles which included two peaks with kite lake in between. Thanks for sharing. There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. I'll never forget it. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. 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. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. We made it to Chicago Basin and I made it to the "saddle" of Sunlight peak before talking myself out of going up the rest of the way (regretting it to this day). However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. Hello, solitude. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. We did not have gloves (other than one pair of fingerless gloves I use when gathering/breaking firewood and climbing), so our hands were getting a little numb. We only had to wait 30 minutes before suiting up. 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. I've begun planning my adventures for this summer, and while there will be a handful of overnighters and long weekends, I've settled on the Elk Park-Needleton Loop for my main trip. Miles Hiked 10.4 Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? This was my first hike of more than five miles. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved.

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