TR: Elk Park/Needleton Loop with extras - WhiteBlaze We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. 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. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. 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. We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. After lunch, the trail had gained enough elevation to start giving us some better views as it passed alongside some cliffs. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! Are there fishing opportunities along this route? Very clear and interesting. Past that meadow, the trail begins to climb past the treeline. Required fields are marked *. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. We got to the train station around 7:15am, as we were told to be there 45 minutes early. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. Columbine Pass and Chicago Basin probably were the highlights of the trip -- incredibly high and scenic alpine country. Im taking a group on essentially this same trip in a couple weeks, and your pictures and story are very inspiring. From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. . Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. Today we slept in to 6am. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. I decided to head downhill in a hurry. 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. 2/21/22 12:55pm. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. Have a good hike! 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. Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. It filtered a little more slowly than usual because we were at high elevation, but still worked well. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. 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. The trail flattens out at the basin below Columbine Lake and once you arrive you're in for a real treat. Dogs are also able to. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). We were thrilled when a ranger who had just cleared out the trail told us the three 12,000-foot passes on our route were free of snow. The nature back there is unbelievable. In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! The train showed up about 5-10 minutes late, but was a welcome sight nonetheless. With no campfire, stars to gaze at, or any other reason to remain awake, we went to bed as the sun went down. So far, so good. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. Soul Rider. Great backpacking experience!! Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. Not this time though! At Twin Lakes, the terrain is a bit less hospitable, and fewer campsite options with all the rocks and stuff. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. Miles: 45 Days: 6-8 Difficulty: Strenuous. So much for being packed. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. Back, finally! Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. 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. The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. It also didnt hurt that we pampered ourselves a little afterwards with a leisurely day at Pagosa Springs. I'm a traveler who loves to eat. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. There were many campsites to choose from in the area near the Vallecito Creek Bridge. Hiking The Elk Park/Needleton Loop Weminuche Wilderness 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. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. The train moves very slow, around 18 MPH max speed. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. The correct way to flag the train and let the conductor know youd like to board is by waving your hands across your knees. In good weather it should not be a problem. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails El mejor momento para visitar esta . I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. You take a train from Durango that. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. Very nice trip report! I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. This was true for much of the trip. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. 2. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. 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. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! That is, of course, after hot meal and long hot shower! 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. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). Our total distance was about 42 miles. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. We woke up today at 5:30 and began to slowly pack up camp. Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 36 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Silverton, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. The other guy was impressed with its small size. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. 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. Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. Absolute Best 5-7 Day Backpacking Trip ID,MT, or WY Cachanilla83. Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. Wilderness Access Train Rides - Durango.com Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . 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. Highly recommend. 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. These guys didnt seem as threatening though. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. My group did it in 5 days, but I would recommend giving yourself 6 or 7 so you aren't having to push yourself to get to the train on time. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. Black flies were a pain the whole week. There were cairns here and there marking the way as well, which could be seen since the Twin Lakes. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. Completed this loop early July 2021. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. 18-21 September 2017. Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. It was only 11:45, so we had 3:45 to wait. It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. Finally, the weather is cooperating! We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. What a place for a cabin though! We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. From there, youll have a choice of where youd like to go. I found nothing that was going to be snow free and chose the Gila. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? 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. PDF Trip to Weminuche Wilderness, San Juan National Forest, Colorado Nice! We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. Just import my GPX file and then you can print it out. 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. Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Down to Eldorado. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. The skies did not look good and I was not sure whether or not I would be climbing tomorrow. 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?? Enjoy the hike, its a good one! In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. 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. 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. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin. 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. We passed many more campsites along the trail shortly after leaving our camp this morning. Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. The hiker who told me about the mice up here had camped here last night. 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. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. 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. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West Basin and Range Trail (2020) We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. Your email address will not be published. Miles Hiked 14.5 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 . After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. The Animas River. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. San Juan National Forest. The skies were cloudy all around us though. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. 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). After realizing that, I looked around and could see where the trail picked up again, and started hiking directly towards the trail in the distance. Go figure, good weather on the last day. Oregon Desert Trail (2022) *Coming Soon It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. Excellent views all around. Leave from Durango or Silverton and get off to explore at Elk Park, Needleton or one of the flagstops. They didnt seem afraid of humans at all. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. 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. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. In summer, you may want to bring along a bug net to fit over your hat to protect yourself from mosquitoes, gnats and black flies. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. 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! There was a new amazing view after every turn. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. As always, questions and comments are welcome! However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! 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. Eolus. 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. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. It is a fairly difficult hike, but not one that isn't doable. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. I was . . Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content.
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elk park train stop to needleton