Fatal Accident Michigan Yesterday, Citizenship In The Community Merit Badge, Are Tamlin And Amarantha Mates, Articles E

The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. The water in Elk Creek was super clear, so I didnt have to pre-filter any of it before using my Steri-Pen Opti UV water purifier. False alarm. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. Weminuche Wilderness in southern Colorado. You take a train from Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. Sultan Peak | Map, Guide - Silverton, CO | AllTrails Actually, mid May. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. For shelter, we carried a backpacking tent, as well as a double sleeping pad, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, and a compressible backpacking quilt. The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. Were planning to do this trip in September 2022 and Ive got a couple of questions for you. 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). For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. 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. Just import my GPX file and then you can print it out. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. You take a train from Durango that. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. So much for being packed. Im taking a group on essentially this same trip in a couple weeks, and your pictures and story are very inspiring. Needleton Bridge Trailhead // Colorado 13ers We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. The second day we did ~13 miles which included two peaks with kite lake in between. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. Since cell service is unlikely, the Garmin InReach Mini 2 became our lifeline. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. I dont know which to trust, but it was a long day regardless. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop - YouTube Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. Seeking Lost: Thru-Hiking & Backpacking Adventures, Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, 8 Day Rockhounding & Mineral Collecting in the Santa Teresa Mountains, AZ (Nov 2022), How Much Did It Cost?? Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. Our total distance was about 42 miles. is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. Sad to see all the beetle damage. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. As of the 2013 season, a round-trip ticket is $90.10 + $10.00 for your pack. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. 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. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. A group of seven hikers (2 men, 5 women) also loaded their packs, giving a total of 12 of us to be dropped at Elk Park. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. We passed several waterfalls and areas of whitewater. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Share Followers 0. We brought along this Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map. Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! Very well done! I have done this one twice!! The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. 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. There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. Highly recommend! To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. Carry a comfortable pack with a water reservoir. Highly recommend. We woke up today at 5:30 and began to slowly pack up camp. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train 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. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. As always, questions and comments are welcome! There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Bugs were pretty bad this year. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. . Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 19 h 35 min to complete. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. Nearly everyone who comes by Needleton does so via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. Required fields are marked *. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. Cell service is highly unlikely. I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. 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. Cant wait to try this trip myself! Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. What a place for a cabin though! I got injured jumping off the bridge there, so we couldn't complete the hike north over hunchback pass, and down Elk creekwe were kinda bummed. It has been our group's favorite for several years. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. Weminuche Wilderness Trails - Durango Trails The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. 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 loved this trail and would highly recommend! Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. 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. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate 4.6 (42) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (363) Directions Print/PDF map Length 37.5 miElevation gain 8,579 ftRoute type Point to point Head out on this 37.5-mile point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. Everything was wet, including my feet. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. Also, this area of the Weminuche has quite the rodent population. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). Avalanche debris was cleared. This seemed pretty pointless though, because we just stood around until about 7:50. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). Some streams had a lot of flash flood debris jammed up in certain points, more so than wed seen in other areas. 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. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. Not this time though! Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. 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 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. Mojave-Sonoran Trail (2021) That is, of course, after hot meal and long hot shower! We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. We did this trip in September. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. Excellent views all around. 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. Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. There was an insane amount of biting flies and mosquitoes by the river here though, and I was regretting my decision to leave the bug spray and mosquito head net behind. Great hike! Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. These odor proof bags have never let me down, and with all the rodents around, it was going to be a real test tonight. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! Are there fishing opportunities along this route? Your email address will not be published. The third day we hiked ~11 miles, starting with 2 miles downhill and then 7 miles to the top of columbine pass and then 2 miles down to camp at Chicago basin. They really wanted to be right there, and werent taking no for an answer. The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. Tips for Camping With Your Kids in Durango, Colorado. Absolute Best 5-7 Day Backpacking Trip ID,MT, or WY The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. You write quite well. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! 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. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! These guys didnt seem as threatening though. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. Once I got a little closer to the drainage, I could see the water flowing through a narrow gorge carved into the rock. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. Weminuche Wilderness, CO - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. Before we knew it, we saw the Weminuche Wilderness boundary sign. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. Very useful. One of the things that makes this loop so special is that the trailheads can both be reached via the Silverton-Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad, a tourist train pulled by a steam locomotive that has been used in dozens of . 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). The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. It was almost comical how many people waved at us as the train chugged through town. 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 . Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. 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. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. This was true for much of the trip. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. 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. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. What a place for a cabin! They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. Prepare to not have a cell signal. 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. Thanks for sharing. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Hiking Route | Trailforks Farther downstream revealed a tall but tiny waterfall before the land leveled out near the lake. Would that be too early in the season? Completed this loop early July 2021. Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. This is when the fog really started growing. Youll encounter very rocky terrain (skip the zero drop / barefoot style boots on these trails your feet will be too sore!). It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. El mejor momento para visitar esta . There is no cover up here by Eldorado Lake, which sits well above the treeline at 12,300ft. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. 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. Today we slept in to 6am. We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. Going down always looks much harder! We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. 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. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. with an Osprey water bladder. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. Next stop: Wilderness. Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. I didnt want to go crazy on day 1 anyways, so it worked out that it was a shorter day. We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. We changed clothes in the car and tried to mask our stench with deodorant and cologne/perfume before setting off into the city in search of food. While the wilderness area has many access points, one of the best approaches is from the Durango & Silverton railroad stop of Elk Park, just outside of Silverton. Your email address will not be published. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. This was our third trek on this trail. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. 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 times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. Early morning often leaves thick fog in valleys, only to be burnt away later by the sun. I took it out of its stuff sack and unrolled it and the looks on their faces were just priceless. I didnt rain much though. I figured the total mileage for today would be about 14 miles, but everything after mile 4 or so would be downhill. After being in the rain all week, we were still getting rained on during the train ride back. . Whitewater rafting with professional guides. 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 We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. The trail was much easier to hike than I was anticipating, and I was covering pretty good ground. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Your email address will not be published. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. All in all, quite a bit of wildlife. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season. 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West 2/21/22 12:55pm. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. Hello, solitude. I highly recommend it. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. 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. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. 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. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. 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. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) Miles Hiked 5.7 (summit Windom Peak starting from camp in Chicago Basin) Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton - Colorado | AllTrails We camped at ~9300 ft. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. Here comes my ride! San Juan National Forest - Elk Creek Trail/ Colorado Trail (503) I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! 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. Success! 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. 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.