elk park train stop to needleton

elk park train stop to needletonheart 1980 tour dates

In addition to us, there was also a group of 2, 3, and 4 other hikers who also got off the train. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. 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. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. Your email address will not be published. We got to the train station around 7:15am, as we were told to be there 45 minutes early. 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. They really wanted to be right there, and werent taking no for an answer. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? Where did you get the map? But, thats another story for another trip report. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. It was filed under Backpacking Trip Reports and was tagged with backpacking trip report, cdt, chicago basin, colorado backpacking, colorado hikes, colorado photography, colorado summer hikes, colorado trail, continental divide, durango train, eldorado lake, elk park needleton, hiking 2013, loop hike, mountain photography, multi day hikes, san juan, san juan mountains, san juan national forest, weeklong loop hike, weminuche wilderness, windom peak. 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. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. 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. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. This will give you time to make it to your seats before the final boarding call. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. Completed this loop early July 2021. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. We camped at ~9300 ft. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. Thats how I do it these days. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. Alternatively, if you feel you have any information youd like to share with others regarding this hike, please feel free to leave that below in a comment as well. What a place for a cabin! We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. 5h 16m. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. It seems that most people in Chicago Basin came from the Needleton stop, hiked here, and turned around and went back the way they came. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. Seeing the fog rise from the mountains and engulf the peaks around us was incredible. I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. I took it out of its stuff sack and unrolled it and the looks on their faces were just priceless. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. 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. The cinders get in your eyes too, and they recommend that you wear sunglasses as a form of protection. Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. Finally, it was time to start this hike. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association Lisa and I ended up taking a nap for about an hour and a half until the weather improved. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. . Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. With about five minutes to go before arriving at Elk Park, one of conductors gather all of the backpackers and ask you to head to the front of the train. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. 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 cloudy and grey though, so pictures werent coming out good. Sunlight Peak via Needle Creek Trail | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. So much for being packed. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Hello, solitude. After working so hard to get to the top, I couldnt justify turning around immediately. Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. This was my first hike of more than five miles. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. So far, so good. Tips for Camping With Your Kids in Durango, Colorado. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. Prepare to not have a cell signal. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. Hiking The Elk Park/Needleton Loop Weminuche Wilderness Venchka. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. First, dont forget your sunglasses! Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. 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. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! The hiker who told me about the mice up here had camped here last night. Needleton, Colorado - Activities and Events | San Juan County You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. Weminuche Wilderness - Elk Park to Needleton - The Wild Perspective It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. Required fields are marked *. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. This was perfect! Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Required fields are marked *. It was raining up here and quite cold. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. Dogs are also able to. Its too bad that we had already eaten dinner before starting this fire, because we still had hot dogs that we could have cooked tonight. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. Very nice trip report! Miles Hiked 14.5 Your email address will not be published. Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. Since there are no fires allowed in Chicago Basin or the rest of the Needle Creek drainage, and the fact that I was planning on climbing in morning, we called it an early night and went to bed shortly after sundown. The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. 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. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Weminuche Wilderness Trails - Durango Trails However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. DRGW.Net | Elk Park, CO The water was deep and fast flowing here. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. The stars were barely visible now that the morning light was fast approaching, but this was the most Id seen of stars the entire trip. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. It was quite a sight to see, unlike anything Ive ever witnessed before. Browse different rides & seasonal events. Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. Not too bad, but this was definitely not a class 2+ as described on 14ers.com. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. Nearly everyone who comes by Needleton does so via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. From Twin Lakes, I made it back to my campsite in 35 minutes. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. . Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. After being in the rain all week, we were still getting rained on during the train ride back. There havent been any bugs out the last 2 nights though, and I was really wishing we had a fire like this on night one. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. 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. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. Id say there were about 20 people total here waiting for the train. drops you off in the middle of the wilderness (no car access) and do a loop that is absolutely beautiful. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. Highly recommend! I took advantage of the weather and took a ton of pictures up here. Great hike! This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. I highly recommend it. The only stop on the southbound trail in the afternoon is Elk Park. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. Soon enough, wed be overtaken by the unavoidable fog. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Are there fishing opportunities along this route? None of them seemed very dry though. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. 18-21 September 2017. Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. 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. 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. 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. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Sultan Peak | Map, Guide - Silverton, CO | AllTrails Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? Are you planning a backpacking adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado? These odor proof bags have never let me down, and with all the rodents around, it was going to be a real test tonight. I found nothing that was going to be snow free and chose the Gila. 1. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. 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. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! But we opted to take the train! Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. 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 Some of the rocks were covered in ice making them extremely slippery too, so I had to be very careful once I neared the top. Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. Before we knew it, we saw the Weminuche Wilderness boundary sign. 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. My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. I used to do that, but it gets expensive to print out those big maps all the time, especially for places I likely wont return to for years. Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. The rock is slippery and there is nothing to help you balance yourself on this very narrow section of trail, which happens to have a BIG drop on your left. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. You can purchase a ticket to or from Elk Park onboard as long as space is availableno reservations are taken for this flag stop. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick.

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