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. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Were planning to do this trip in September 2022 and Ive got a couple of questions for you. Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. Really helpful report! Youll encounter very rocky terrain (skip the zero drop / barefoot style boots on these trails your feet will be too sore!). It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. You write quite well. What a place for a cabin! 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. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. Actually, mid May. As always, questions and comments are welcome! 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. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Next stop: Wilderness. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. 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. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. For some reason, the mileage the GPS reports to me in the field is always more than the mileage it gives me at home when I am reviewing the final data. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. 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. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. 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. We followed Bear Creek down to the Rio Grande by following the 4wd road and used our sat phone to arrange for transportation to Silverton. Miles Hiked 7.4 It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West You take a train from Durango that. This route includes 3 trails. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. Two other climbers reached the top during my stay up here. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. We camped at ~9300 ft. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. 28 miles, a little over 8k' of elevation gain. 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. Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes This is when the fog really started growing. This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. For details on the hike itself, see my post about the various trail segments. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. It also didnt hurt that we pampered ourselves a little afterwards with a leisurely day at Pagosa Springs. We only had to wait 30 minutes before suiting up. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. There were many campsites to choose from in the area near the Vallecito Creek Bridge. 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. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. If we werent wet and hungry, I might have stopped to check it out further, but again, we were on a mission to find camp. Miles Hiked 5.7 (summit Windom Peak starting from camp in Chicago Basin) Miles Hiked 14.5 The weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. On the trail by 7am today, we headed up to the CDT once again. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. 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. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. Still a good ways from the pass, we pushed on as the rains started in their usual off and on fashion. Where did you get the map? Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Success! Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. I wanted to make it farther though, and we pushed on to about 5.5 miles where we made camp along Elk Creek, elevation ~10,300ft. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. After about 20 minutes of hiking, I ran into my first mountain goats of the day. The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. Basin and Range Trail (2020) The Elk Park to Needleton loop in the Weminuche Wilderness, to be precise. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. That is, of course, after hot meal and long hot shower! This hike is definitely a good one! FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. 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. Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. It has been our group's favorite for several years. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. We saw 3 hikers coming down Hunchback Pass earlier as we were going up, and didnt see anyone else today until we got about a mile from the Vallecito Creek Bridge. 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). Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. Are you planning a backpacking adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado? The rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. Strider1. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop 5,560 views Aug 5, 2008 9 Dislike Share Save Elizabeth Black 394 subscribers From the steam engine train we backpack for 6 days on a 40 mile loop out in. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. So much for being packed. 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. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. 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. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. Mojave-Sonoran Trail (2021) My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. Eolus. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. Leave a Comment. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. This was a class 3 in my opinion. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. 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. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. Bob Marshall. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. Needleton Bridge Trailhead // Colorado 13ers 1. Would that be too early in the season? . However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. Also, because I sunburn easily, I brought UV protective shirts (the BALEAF womens UPF50 quick-dry shirt). Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. This was my first hike of more than five miles. Venchka. Some of the rocks were covered in ice making them extremely slippery too, so I had to be very careful once I neared the top. PDF Trip to Weminuche Wilderness, San Juan National Forest, Colorado Top things to do in Durango, Colorado - Uncover Colorado Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. TR: Elk Park/Needleton Loop with extras - WhiteBlaze It worked perfectly. This was true for much of the trip. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. No hot dogs tonight, maybe night 3. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. 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. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. 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. Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. We brought along this Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! Sometimes 2 to a flower. Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop - Champagne Tastes John Werner: Backpacking Weminuche Wilderness not easy, but worth the I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. 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. 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. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. We were able to cross the creek by hopping rocks and logs, just as we were able to with every other stream crossing on this trip. 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 chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop - YouTube 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. I didnt rain much though. Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. Carry a comfortable pack with a water reservoir. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. Leave from Durango or Silverton and get off to explore at Elk Park, Needleton or one of the flagstops. Go figure, good weather on the last day. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. 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. 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. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. 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). Required fields are marked *. I love being above the treeline, and I was excited to hike today. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. He sure did look delicious, haha. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. . Highly recommend. After about an hour of rain, thunder and lightning, I gave up on the idea of a fire. DRGW.Net | Elk Park, CO Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. Nice! False alarm. 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. Hello, solitude. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. There are a lot of trees down throughout the Johnson Creek and Needle Creek drainages - another hiker counted 155 trees across the trail on the way down from Chicago Basin to Needleton, but it looks like the FS is working their way up, clearing from the bottom up. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. I am really loving the granola & almonds, its chocked full of complex carbs and good fats, perfect for hiking. Go to the print button at the top and choose print to pdf. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. There was another group who did this, and the train staff didn't seem to have any problem with it (we had paid for a RT ticket anyway). It was incredible to see the clouds taking over the area! My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. Absolutely stunning! After lunch, the trail had gained enough elevation to start giving us some better views as it passed alongside some cliffs. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. 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. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. San Juan National Forest. 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 Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. For comparison, where we live is around 800 feet above sea level. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that?
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