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I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 10 min to complete. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. Any way to access this trail without riding the train? Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. . The trail flattens out at the basin below Columbine Lake and once you arrive you're in for a real treat. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. 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?? Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. 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. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. 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. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. Our trek group of 6 - ages ranging from 17 to 64 years. 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. Learn more about the wildlife in the area. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! Thanks for sharing. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. 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. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. However, after she mentioned it a few times I could tell she really wanted one, so we gathered the driest firewood we could find and used our garbage to start the fire. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. 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. Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. Wouldnt you know it, as soon as we got all the wood together, it started raining. 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. 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). Since youll be hiking in the Rocky Mountains, you should be Bear Aware. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. Since cell service is unlikely, the Garmin InReach Mini 2 became our lifeline. A hiking boot is preferable. 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. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. I meandered around the lake a while and snapped some pictures before heading back to camp. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. 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. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. 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. The Animas River. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Would you advise camping at Twin Lakes? I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. 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. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. We snacked on sour patch kids by the fire for a while before letting it burn out. A Garmin InReach is one of the pricier emergency options, but there are also less expensive satellite emergency locator beacons (with less functionality). This was a class 3 in my opinion. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. 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. Down to Eldorado. Cachanilla83. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. Weminuche Wilderness - Elk Park to Needleton - The Wild Perspective After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. 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. We were on the trail at 7:30, and saw a few more goats as we made our way out of Chicago Basin. 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. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. We made the decision to cut our trek short. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. 18-21 September 2017. 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. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. I highly recommend it. The train moves very slow, around 18 MPH max speed. Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. Esta ruta es popular para mochilear, disfrutar de la observacin de aves y ir de camping, sin embargo, podrs disfrutar de algo de paz durante los momentos ms tranquilos del da. I am curious - does anyone have first hand knowledge of current conditions in Chicago Basin, Columbine Pass, Johnson Creek and Vallecito Trail. The train showed up about 5-10 minutes late, but was a welcome sight nonetheless. PDF Trip to Weminuche Wilderness, San Juan National Forest, Colorado Where the lake began to drain out down the mountainside, there were remnants of an old dam here. 2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Silverton | AllTrails It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . 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 didnt rain much though. 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. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. On this section of the trail, the views were mostly obstructed by trees until we reached the beaver pond at mile 3. Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. Here's an overview! My husband had an offline map downloaded in his Google Maps app, although we found it to be unreliable in the Vallecito Creek area. Avalanche debris was cleared. I dont like to sit in the tent if I dont have to. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. Great backpacking experience!! I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. Closing loop Needleton - Elk park - Durango Forum - Tripadvisor You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Sultan Peak | Map, Guide - Silverton, CO | AllTrails Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. 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. I didnt want to go crazy on day 1 anyways, so it worked out that it was a shorter day. Soon enough, wed be overtaken by the unavoidable fog. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. I like having dry gear! 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. They were just ahead of me on the trail, but again, I was able to scare them off by simply throwing my arms in the air. Before reaching the trails down to Kite/Eldorado Lakes, we had to hike over a 100ft rocky ridge, just as the clouds looked their worst. Not too bad, but this was definitely not a class 2+ as described on 14ers.com. The water was deep and fast flowing here. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. Success! Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. Sometimes 2 to a flower. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. There was a new amazing view after every turn. I found nothing that was going to be snow free and chose the Gila. Cant wait to try this trip myself! The trail was much easier to hike than I was anticipating, and I was covering pretty good ground. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker. He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. 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. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. Also, A creek ran through the area and created an interesting looking gorge that I wish I had more time to check out, but we really wanted to get to camp right now. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. Soul Rider. So, they suggested to take train from Needleton to Silverton, wait for 1.5h and then return back to Elk Park for the price of full ticket Durango-Silverton . We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin. Any feedback appreciated. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. I took advantage of the weather and took a ton of pictures up here. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. Hiking The Elk Park/Needleton Loop Weminuche Wilderness Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. You could see burnt trees the entire train ride, so I guess its a pretty real threat. Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. It looked like a nice spot, close to the water, but the views werent excellent. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. What a place for a cabin though! 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).