elk park train stop to needleton

The Durango-Silverton train offers a backpacker service from May to October, where they drop you off and pick you up at train stops which more or less correspond to the trailheads. Thanks for the trip report, I had originally planned just on Chicago Basin but will now do the whole loop after seeing your report and talking to the forest service rangers. We walked down to Needle Creek and took a side path over to a waterfall, but besides that, we spent the rest of the day relaxing in camp mostly. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. 18-21 September 2017. Basin and Range Trail (2020) Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. Actually, mid May. It is a fairly difficult hike, but not one that isn't doable. He sure did look delicious, haha. Here comes my ride! I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Park - Needleton Loop - YouTube Backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains in July 2022. It was raining up here and quite cold. 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. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. For comparison, where we live is around 800 feet above sea level. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. 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. 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. Down to Eldorado. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. I love being above the treeline, and I was excited to hike today. I meandered around the lake a while and snapped some pictures before heading back to camp. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. Your email address will not be published. On the Elk Park to Needleton loop, the emergency outs are limited. Sunlight Peak via Needle Creek Trail | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails Another option (which you should probably do anyway!) Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Weminuche Wilderness, CO - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. There was another meadow a mile or so past our camp that would have been a nice place to spend the night. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? It looked like a nice spot, close to the water, but the views werent excellent. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. Highly recommend. I didnt want to go crazy on day 1 anyways, so it worked out that it was a shorter day. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. Completed this loop early July 2021. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. This hike primary route. My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. The water was deep and fast flowing here. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. 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. San Juan National Forest. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. If I were to do it again, I wouldve done a few more miles the first day - theres a nice campsite before the first peak. While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! 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. It worked perfectly. Finally, some views! Miles Hiked 14.5 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. Oh well. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. 2/21/22 12:49pm. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. One of the biggest drawing points of the Elk Creek trail is the unique opportunity to combine a Wilderness trip with a ride on a steam locomotive. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. Weminuche Wilderness Trails - Durango Trails I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. It filtered a little more slowly than usual because we were at high elevation, but still worked well. Soon enough, wed be overtaken by the unavoidable fog. Very clear and interesting. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. The train moves very slow, around 18 MPH max speed. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map, Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop (Silverton, CO), Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents, Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents. Breathtaking! After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. I have done this one twice!! There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. Past that meadow, the trail begins to climb past the treeline. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. I didnt rain much though. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Hiking Route | Trailforks 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 What a place for a cabin though! Hiking The Elk Park/Needleton Loop Weminuche Wilderness Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. San Juan National Forest - Elk Creek Trail/ Colorado Trail (503) The correct way to flag the train and let the conductor know youd like to board is by waving your hands across your knees. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. Cachanilla83. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. Finally, it was time to start this hike. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. Hikers can be seen on the Continental Divide Trail, above on the ridgeline, The path up to the CDT is a long, winding series of switchbacks. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. The trail was much easier to hike than I was anticipating, and I was covering pretty good ground. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. Miles: 45 Days: 6-8 Difficulty: Strenuous. This was a class 3 in my opinion. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 37 mile less popular intermediate route located near Silverton Colorado. Top things to do in Durango, Colorado - Uncover Colorado It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. 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. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. I'm a traveler who loves to eat. 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. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. 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. If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. We woke up today at 5:30 and began to slowly pack up camp. This was perfect! I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? 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. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. You write quite well. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. Go to the print button at the top and choose print to pdf. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. The skies did not look good and I was not sure whether or not I would be climbing tomorrow. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 19 h 35 min to complete. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Sure enough, they appeared at the top of the trail heading down to our camp from the main trail. I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. Black flies were a pain the whole week. None of them seemed very dry though. 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. First, dont forget your sunglasses! Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? There were no beavers. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. 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. If we werent wet and hungry, I might have stopped to check it out further, but again, we were on a mission to find camp. 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. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. 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. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. 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 This page has a map of the Weminuche Wilderness near the top, with trails and trail heads. After about an hour of rain, thunder and lightning, I gave up on the idea of a fire. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. One stream crossing after the Vallecito bridge about mid calf. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. 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 was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. 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?? The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. There were no other campsites nearby and extremely close to the trail leading up to the three 14ers in Chicago Basin: Windom Peak, Sunlight Peak, and Mt. 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. We made the decision to cut our trek short. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. Im interesting in making this same trip this year, and was wondering if you knew when the optimal season is? The free version of caltopo only allows 5 pages max in your pdf, so just break it up into blocks of 5 pages or less and print out the entire map that way. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). Great backpacking experience!! Length: 7.9 mi Est. The rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Very nice trip report! Trees blocked most of the views. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. Next stop: Wilderness. We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. Highly recommend! In addition to us, there was also a group of 2, 3, and 4 other hikers who also got off the train. We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. We did this trip in September. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. 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 . Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. we get old because we stop hiking" on the back. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. Subscribe to receive an emial notification when new content is added, Sawtooth Mountains Idaho Landscape Photography Canvas Prints, Seeking Lost Logo Shirt - Unisex Softstyle T-Shirt, Basin and Range Trail Planning Kit: Guidebook, GPX, Maps, Waypoints, Water Chart, Vanadinite Mineral Specimen (North Geronimo Mine, AZ), Wulfenite on Fluorite Mineral Specimen (Red Cloud Mine, AZ). We loved this trail and would highly recommend! Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. 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. 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. Every mountain we encountered was amazing! Miles Hiked 5.4 There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West Wilderness Access Train Rides - Durango.com 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. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. Vestal Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. As always, questions and comments are welcome! My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. 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. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. 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."

Se Puede Dejar El Caldo Fuera De La Nevera, Randolph County, Nc Probation Officer Directory, Eau Claire High School Basketball Roster, Baptism Is Only Symbolic True Or False, Articles E