elk park train stop to needleton

Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. . There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. This page has a map of the Weminuche Wilderness near the top, with trails and trail heads. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. Next stop: Wilderness. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. Cell service is highly unlikely. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. There were only one or two campsites occupied here, and it would have been a nice place to stay the night if we didnt already have our trip planned out. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 37 mile less popular intermediate route located near Silverton Colorado. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). 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. At the bridge over New York Creek, there was a waterfall right there along the trail.. Animas River, from the bridge at the Needleton train stop. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Really helpful report! After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders. All of our gear was dry and life was good. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. Elk Park is a wide spot in the Animas River canyon located at milepost 490.5 on the Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. So much for being packed. Happy trails! The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. Any way to access this trail without riding the train? Soon enough it was back to the rain. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. Our lunch spot today was next to a waterfall. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. 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). Prepare to not have a cell signal. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. It is a fairly difficult hike, but not one that isn't doable. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). 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. 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. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. El mejor momento para visitar esta . After checking our gear and getting set up, we were on our way. Any and all kinds of weather! Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. 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. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? We just finished this trail. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. I took it out of its stuff sack and unrolled it and the looks on their faces were just priceless. Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bugs were pretty bad this year. 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. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. I like having dry gear! Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. Awesome, thanks! After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. I wasnt sore at all until day 4 or 5, with only moderate soreness in the hamstrings. None of them seemed very dry though. Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. Very clear and interesting. One of the train employees told us a little about the history of the train and how things work. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. Thats why, if you come from a lower elevation like us, I recommend easing yourself into it while youre preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike! It was raining up here and quite cold. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. Back, finally! 2. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. What a morale booster it was. 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 havent been any bugs out the last 2 nights though, and I was really wishing we had a fire like this on night one. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. On day one, between the Elk Park Train Drop Off Trail Head and Beaver Pond, we encountered 3 large debris fields. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. 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. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. I dont like to sit in the tent if I dont have to. Going down always looks much harder! Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. 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. Your email address will not be published. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. Avalanche debris was cleared. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. 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." Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. Thats how I do it these days. My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. After being in the rain all week, we were still getting rained on during the train ride back. I have done this one twice!! That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. I highly recommend it. It was incredible to see the clouds taking over the area! Id say there were about 20 people total here waiting for the train. The Elk Park to Needleton backpacking loop near Silverton, Colorado, covers over 40 miles and features stunning mountain vistas. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. 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. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. 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. Required fields are marked *. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) 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. I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). Thanks for your support you ROCK!. Sure enough, they appeared at the top of the trail heading down to our camp from the main trail. 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. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. Todays hike will take us the rest of the way up the Elk Creek drainage along the Colorado trail, where well hit the Continental Divide Trail, or CDT. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. 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. Length: 7.9 mi Est. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. I was . Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! 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. We kept the food bags in our packs too, which is kept in OPsaks. We did the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Loop which was 36 miles. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. We passed several waterfalls and areas of whitewater. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. First, dont forget your sunglasses! 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. From Twin Lakes, I made it back to my campsite in 35 minutes. 18-21 September 2017. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. A few years ago, I was looking at hiking an alpine route (Pecos Wilderness in northern NM, and Rocky Mountain National Park) during the same time frame as you. 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. The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. I didnt rain much though. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. Soon enough, wed be overtaken by the unavoidable fog. The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. I figured the total mileage for today would be about 14 miles, but everything after mile 4 or so would be downhill. I decided to head downhill in a hurry. The Animas River. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 19 h 35 min to complete. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. 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. drops you off in the middle of the wilderness (no car access) and do a loop that is absolutely beautiful. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Park - Needleton Loop - YouTube Backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains in July 2022. Its most notable feature is a wye, built in 1884 to allow northbound trains to turn back when the canyons between Elk Park and Silverton, CO were blocked by winter avalanches. 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.

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