elk park train stop to needleton

Sometimes 2 to a flower. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. The nature back there is unbelievable. Share Followers 0. Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. Our trek group of 6 - ages ranging from 17 to 64 years. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Highly recommend! Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. What a morale booster it was. 2. At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. 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 saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. The weather was holding out all morning, shine shining and blue skies. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Black flies were a pain the whole week. A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! The water was deep and fast flowing here. Thanks for sharing this one. Any feedback appreciated. We made the decision to cut our trek short. The trail follows Elk Creek, and I believe it was called the Elk Creek Trail. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 37 mile less popular intermediate route located near Silverton Colorado. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. View Profile I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. People really are friendly in Colorado! After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. They didnt seem afraid of humans at all. 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. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. Miles Hiked 14.5 I wasnt sore at all until day 4 or 5, with only moderate soreness in the hamstrings. Our total distance was about 42 miles. 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 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. We just finished this trail. Elk Park is a wide spot in the Animas River canyon located at milepost 490.5 on the Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension. 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. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. The Animas River. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! Highly recommend. 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. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. 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. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. We didn't. Windward_Coug. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. Miles Hiked 5.7 (summit Windom Peak starting from camp in Chicago Basin) I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. Required fields are marked *. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. But we opted to take the train! Any and all kinds of weather! At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Shortly after Elk Park along the Colorado Trail, also called the Elk Park trail for this section. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. Completed this loop early July 2021. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. 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. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. Lisa and I ended up taking a nap for about an hour and a half until the weather improved. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Your email address will not be published. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. While it did have some beautiful parts, Particularly at the top of the Continental Divide and Columbine Pass, I was disappointed by the avalanche debris in the first 6 miles and the lack of trail maintenance on the section below hunchback pass to the Vallecito Bridge. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. All in all, quite a bit of wildlife. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Browse different rides & seasonal events. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. My GPS said we did 16 miles today, including going up Hunchback Pass, but later when I reviewed the data for this trip it calculated the day at 14.5 miles. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. Where did you get the map? Are there fishing opportunities along this route? 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. 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 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. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. Prepare to not have a cell signal. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. There was another meadow a mile or so past our camp that would have been a nice place to spend the night. I found nothing that was going to be snow free and chose the Gila. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. So, they suggested to take train from Needleton to Silverton, wait for 1.5h and then return back to Elk Park for the price of full ticket Durango-Silverton . After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . 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. False alarm. There were many stream crossings and several large waterfalls that we passed, but due to the weather and number of miles we had to cover, we didnt spend any time checking most of them out. To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. 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. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. 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 ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). Thanks for sharing. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. . In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. 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. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. 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. The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. As of the 2013 season, a round-trip ticket is $90.10 + $10.00 for your pack. I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. Finally, some views! It even had some rails leading in and out of it. The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. The water tasted great and was very cold. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. The only stop on the southbound trail in the afternoon is Elk Park. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. Miles Hiked 5.4 Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather. I dont trust the skies and just assume it will rain later today. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. 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. 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. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. Happy trails! He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. Learn more about the wildlife in the area. El mejor momento para visitar esta . Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. 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. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. 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. To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. 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. Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! I had also been considering a climb up Sunlight Peak as well, but it was so nice up here on Windom Peak that I decided to relax, and just enjoy the beautiful view. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. The water is gorgeous. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. For example, early access to youtube videos, stickers, t-shirt, behind the scenes info on my new thru hiking route creations, special thank you card and more! Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. That is, of course, after hot meal and long hot shower! Breathtaking! The second day we did ~13 miles which included two peaks with kite lake in between. I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. So far, so good. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. It was only 11:45, so we had 3:45 to wait. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. We did this trip in September. This seemed pretty pointless though, because we just stood around until about 7:50. 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. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. 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. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. Heres what we learned while preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike, plus a few things I wish Id known ahead of time! Thank you for taking the time to write it! . The skies did not look good and I was not sure whether or not I would be climbing tomorrow. Oregon Desert Trail (2022) *Coming Soon 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 was all uphill, but it wasnt too strenuous. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. We passed many more campsites along the trail shortly after leaving our camp this morning. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. Thats how I do it these days. The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. I didnt rain much though. Nice! By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. I have a trip report on the Mogollon Mountains in the Gila Wilderness, but the popular side is the east side with all the rivers. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day.