elk park train stop to needleton

The weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. 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. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. 2/21/22 12:55pm. Excellent trip, lots of varied terrain, meadows, forests, small mountain ponds and lakes, avalanche tree slides, large and small rock slides, multiple high passes with great views. Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. What a place for a cabin though! Todays hike was all uphill, but it wasnt too strenuous. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. However, after she mentioned it a few times I could tell she really wanted one, so we gathered the driest firewood we could find and used our garbage to start the fire. Hikers can be seen on the Continental Divide Trail, above on the ridgeline, The path up to the CDT is a long, winding series of switchbacks. . I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. 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). She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. Im interesting in making this same trip this year, and was wondering if you knew when the optimal season is? With about five minutes to go before arriving at Elk Park, one of conductors gather all of the backpackers and ask you to head to the front of the train. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! 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. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. Miles Hiked 5.4 Now back on the trail, we were approaching the CDT. 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. 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. Never miss a new post! 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. We kept the food bags in our packs too, which is kept in OPsaks. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. The water is gorgeous. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. Thanks for the trip report, I had originally planned just on Chicago Basin but will now do the whole loop after seeing your report and talking to the forest service rangers. Miles Hiked 5.7 (summit Windom Peak starting from camp in Chicago Basin) This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. After about 20 minutes of hiking, I ran into my first mountain goats of the day. 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. - 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? There were no other campsites nearby and extremely close to the trail leading up to the three 14ers in Chicago Basin: Windom Peak, Sunlight Peak, and Mt. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. We walked down to Needle Creek and took a side path over to a waterfall, but besides that, we spent the rest of the day relaxing in camp mostly. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. 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. Trees blocked most of the views. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. The weather was holding out all morning, shine shining and blue skies. I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. It has been our group's favorite for several years. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. Go figure, good weather on the last day. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. We just finished this trail. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. Shortly after, we saw the skull with spine still connected of some type of antlered animal alongside the trail. All in all, quite a bit of wildlife. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. What a morale booster it was. 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. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. Before reaching the trails down to Kite/Eldorado Lakes, we had to hike over a 100ft rocky ridge, just as the clouds looked their worst. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. We brought along this Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map. This was true for much of the trip. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Miles Hiked 10.4 We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. 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. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. 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. The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. Farther downstream revealed a tall but tiny waterfall before the land leveled out near the lake. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. The water tasted great and was very cold. Today we slept in to 6am. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). 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. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Once I got a little closer to the drainage, I could see the water flowing through a narrow gorge carved into the rock. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. But, thats another story for another trip report. I am really loving the granola & almonds, its chocked full of complex carbs and good fats, perfect for hiking. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). with an Osprey water bladder. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. I wasnt sore at all until day 4 or 5, with only moderate soreness in the hamstrings. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. I didnt want to go crazy on day 1 anyways, so it worked out that it was a shorter day. I'm a traveler who loves to eat. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it.

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