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. After about 20 minutes of hiking, I ran into my first mountain goats of the day. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. I was following a GPX track on my GPS of another person who had hiked this loop, and his track led me off trail a little bit. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). The only stop on the southbound trail in the afternoon is Elk Park. We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. I'll never forget it. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. Your email address will not be published. John Werner: Backpacking Weminuche Wilderness not easy, but worth the Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. Lisa really wanted a fire, and although I knew we could get one going, but I didnt want to go through the effort of gathering wood only to have it rain again . This was $90 each person for a round trip ticket, plus $10 to each to haul your backpack. Highly recommend! I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). Campsite in Chicago Basin for nights 4 and 5. The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. What a place for a cabin though! Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. Looking back up the way I just came down from Windom Peak. Thanks for the great report! I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. We just finished this trail. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes Also, this area of the Weminuche has quite the rodent population. I dont trust the skies and just assume it will rain later today. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. Required fields are marked *. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 10 min to complete. Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. One of the train employees told us a little about the history of the train and how things work. He discourses on his own mortality, about getting too old to have such adventures, and striking your own path in life while you still can." Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. . Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. Black flies were a pain the whole week. Dogs are also able to. 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. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. It was only 11:45, so we had 3:45 to wait. Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. Bugs were pretty bad this year. Todays hike will take us down by Kite Lake, over Hunchback Pass, and all the way down to the Vallecito Creek bridge, near Johnson Creek. Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. However, if you can afford it, the train ride is fun, and it sure is nice once you reach Elk Park and realize you don't have to make that 1,700' climb back up to Molas Pass. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Yes there is. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. The water was deep and fast flowing here. 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. Awesome, thanks! My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. I was . The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. This was my first hike of more than five miles. Success! I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. My backpack did get burned by an ember though, so I was a little bummed about that, but it should be something I can patch up. We passed several waterfalls and areas of whitewater. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. They really wanted to be right there, and werent taking no for an answer. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Sometimes 2 to a flower. We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. 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. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. This route includes 3 trails. The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. Down to Eldorado. They didnt seem afraid of humans at all. 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. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? Not this time though! There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. It was around 1:45pm when we rolled into camp today. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. Not too bad, but this was definitely not a class 2+ as described on 14ers.com. Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. Esta ruta es popular para mochilear, disfrutar de la observacin de aves y ir de camping, sin embargo, podrs disfrutar de algo de paz durante los momentos ms tranquilos del da. After working so hard to get to the top, I couldnt justify turning around immediately. Miles: 45 Days: 6-8 Difficulty: Strenuous. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. San Juan National Forest - Elk Creek Trail/ Colorado Trail (503) The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. 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. Shortly after Elk Park along the Colorado Trail, also called the Elk Park trail for this section. This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. Our trek group of 6 - ages ranging from 17 to 64 years. If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. Weminuche Wilderness Trails - Durango Trails 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 weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. 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. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. I highly recommend it. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton - Colorado | AllTrails Strider1. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? He sure did look delicious, haha. We made the decision to cut our trek short. You write quite well. Since youll be hiking in the Rocky Mountains, you should be Bear Aware. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. Soon enough it was back to the rain. One slice was probably between the size of a small and medium pizza at most places, but it was extremely thin. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. 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. From there, youll have a choice of where youd like to go. 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. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. Miles Hiked 10.4 No hot dogs tonight, maybe night 3. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. You take a train from Durango that. Where did you get the map? Finally, some views! Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. On the Elk Park to Needleton loop, the emergency outs are limited. Our lunch spot today was next to a waterfall. 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! You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. Your email address will not be published. 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. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Fog billowed from distant peaks, and it was pretty dark around me as well now. Two other climbers reached the top during my stay up here. 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. Great hike! Very clear and interesting. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? Eolus. Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. The water tasted great and was very cold. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. 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. We also saw more people this morning than the rest of the trip combined! Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. Thanks for sharing this one. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. Weminuche Wilderness - Elk Park to Needleton - The Wild Perspective . Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton. Maybe, MAYBE in a low snow year but from what I can tell the west is getting quite a bit of powder this year so my guess would be July before the route is fully snow free. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. Thanks for sharing. By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. 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. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. Thats how I do it these days. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. This was perfect! We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. The Animas River. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. Absolute Best 5-7 Day Backpacking Trip ID,MT, or WY Sunlight Peak via Needle Creek Trail | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. I didnt rain much though. 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. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. we get old because we stop hiking" on the back. Leave from Durango or Silverton and get off to explore at Elk Park, Needleton or one of the flagstops. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. You would think that they would just find another place to hang out with no people nearby, but they kept trying to make their way down to our area. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. The water is gorgeous. 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. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. drops you off in the middle of the wilderness (no car access) and do a loop that is absolutely beautiful. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. Absolutely stunning! As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. A hiking boot is preferable. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. We brought along this Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map. 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. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. Past that meadow, the trail begins to climb past the treeline. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. This hike is definitely a good one! Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. 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. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. Finally, it was time to start this hike. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. My husband had an offline map downloaded in his Google Maps app, although we found it to be unreliable in the Vallecito Creek area. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. Avalanche debris was cleared. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. So much for being packed. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop - Champagne Tastes This satellite powered device is able to track your location on a digital map, share your location with friends/family, send basic text messages, and (most importantly) it has an emergency SOS button to get help. Really helpful report! Please be aware that reservations can only be made from Durango and Silverton originations. Cant wait to try this trip myself! Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. First, dont forget your sunglasses! 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. We loved this trail and would highly recommend! Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. Sad to see all the beetle damage. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. 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). Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! Weminuche Loop - The JimmyJam Hiking Club Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake.

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