Where the lake began to drain out down the mountainside, there were remnants of an old dam here. 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). Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. 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. Im taking a group on essentially this same trip in a couple weeks, and your pictures and story are very inspiring. This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. As always, questions and comments are welcome! West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. At Twin Lakes, the terrain is a bit less hospitable, and fewer campsite options with all the rocks and stuff. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. It also didnt hurt that we pampered ourselves a little afterwards with a leisurely day at Pagosa Springs. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. Black flies were a pain the whole week. Were planning to do this trip in September 2022 and Ive got a couple of questions for you. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. It has been our group's favorite for several years. I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. The trail flattens out at the basin below Columbine Lake and once you arrive you're in for a real treat. 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. I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. Thanks for the great report! Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. What a place for a cabin though! Finally, the weather is cooperating! 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. - 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? with an Osprey water bladder. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. Miles Hiked 10.4 We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. 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. Miles Hiked 5.4 A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. 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. The only stop on the southbound trail in the afternoon is Elk Park. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. You can purchase a ticket to or from Elk Park onboard as long as space is availableno reservations are taken for this flag stop. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. 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. 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. Looking back up the way I just came down from Windom Peak. They really wanted to be right there, and werent taking no for an answer. Some streams had a lot of flash flood debris jammed up in certain points, more so than wed seen in other areas. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. 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. 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. On the trail by 7am today, we headed up to the CDT once again. 2. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. Bob Marshall. 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. I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! After lunch, the trail had gained enough elevation to start giving us some better views as it passed alongside some cliffs. Back, finally! I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. Would that be too early in the season? Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. Miles Hiked 7.4 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. Finally, it was time to start this hike. It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. Nice! This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. Going down always looks much harder! Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. Absolutely stunning! We also packed an MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove to boil water for all our freeze-dried meals, our hand-pump espresso machine, and a lightweight hatchet multitool to help with campfires. 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. Oregon Desert Trail (2022) *Coming Soon Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton. 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. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. We were thrilled when a ranger who had just cleared out the trail told us the three 12,000-foot passes on our route were free of snow. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. 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. 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 By the time we reached the lake, the peaks around us were completely engulfed by the clouds. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. Carry a comfortable pack with a water reservoir. Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. Next stop: Wilderness. 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. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. 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. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. . 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). We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. False alarm. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. Cant wait to try this trip myself! Columbine Pass and Chicago Basin probably were the highlights of the trip -- incredibly high and scenic alpine country. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. This hike is definitely a good one! After the train dropped us off at Elk Park, it was pretty quiet. We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. 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. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! The other guy was impressed with its small size. Soon enough it was back to the rain. 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). I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. It took us 7 days to complete it. 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. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. The nature back there is unbelievable. All of our gear was dry and life was good. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. This page has a map of the Weminuche Wilderness near the top, with trails and trail heads. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. I modified my workout regimen before this hike to try and strengthen certain parts of the leg muscles that support the knee function, some intense stair climb sessions (45lb pack), as well as doing a lot more stretching. Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders. It was raining up here and quite cold. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. Thats how I do it these days. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. I put my poles away now as I found it necessary to use my hands a little here and there going up some of the boulders. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. So far, so good. You take a train from Durango that. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. It was quite a sight to see, unlike anything Ive ever witnessed before. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. 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 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. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. Another option (which you should probably do anyway!) We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. The cinders get in your eyes too, and they recommend that you wear sunglasses as a form of protection. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. I used to do that, but it gets expensive to print out those big maps all the time, especially for places I likely wont return to for years. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. 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. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. Required fields are marked *. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. Hello, solitude. With no campfire, stars to gaze at, or any other reason to remain awake, we went to bed as the sun went down. He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. Its most notable feature is a wye, built in 1884 to allow northbound trains to turn back when the canyons between Elk Park and Silverton, CO were blocked by winter avalanches. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. Train ride through the beautiful San Juan mountains on the way to our drop off point at Elk Park. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. 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. You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. 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. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. 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. Also, bring a way to filter water. At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. Our total distance was about 42 miles. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. Yes there is. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. Anyways, with breakfast in our stomachs and all our wet gear packed away, we hit the trail around 7:30. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. This was true for much of the trip. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. After all, it was Saturday evening. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. Learn more about the wildlife in the area. 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. They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. After checking our gear and getting set up, we were on our way. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. One of the train employees told us a little about the history of the train and how things work. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. A hiking boot is preferable. Your email address will not be published. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? 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 reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. Not this time though! Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. Highly recommend. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Never miss a new post! They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. , soho house membership uk, jinkee pacquiao before photos,
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