Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! San Juan National Forest. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. I like having dry gear! On this section of the trail, the views were mostly obstructed by trees until we reached the beaver pond at mile 3. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. The water tasted great and was very cold. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. PDF Trip to Weminuche Wilderness, San Juan National Forest, Colorado The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. El mejor momento para visitar esta . Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. As always, questions and comments are welcome! Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. View Profile What a place for a cabin! Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. It worked perfectly. I modified my workout regimen before this hike to try and strengthen certain parts of the leg muscles that support the knee function, some intense stair climb sessions (45lb pack), as well as doing a lot more stretching. Sometimes 2 to a flower. Not this time though! Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. Ill send this to your email as well. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. Wilderness Access Train Rides - Durango.com Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. Weminuche Wilderness - Elk Park to Needleton - The Wild Perspective I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. 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. We are early 50s, fairly fit experienced hikers from Durango, and we gave ourselves 5 nights/6 days. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. But we opted to take the train! Done over 5 nights and 6 days. 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). I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. False alarm. A hiking boot is preferable. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. Everything was wet, including my feet. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. 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. Go figure, good weather on the last day. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. I wanted to make it farther though, and we pushed on to about 5.5 miles where we made camp along Elk Creek, elevation ~10,300ft. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. I didnt rain much though. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. 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. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. I put my poles away now as I found it necessary to use my hands a little here and there going up some of the boulders. 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. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! 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. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop - YouTube The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. Very good tip report. I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. 2. Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. It has been our group's favorite for several years. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. 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. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. We were able to cross the creek by hopping rocks and logs, just as we were able to with every other stream crossing on this trip. The rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Please be aware that reservations can only be made from Durango and Silverton originations. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton - Colorado | AllTrails Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. Continental Divide Trail (2018), "His breathing is measured as he narrates his journey, describing the personal allure of the great outdoors, the difference between mere hobby and real passion. Back, finally! Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. 5h 16m. Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. 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. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). This was perfect! We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Next stop: Wilderness. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. Wouldnt you know it, as soon as we got all the wood together, it started raining. This time wasn't as bad as 1993, where my ancient A-frame tent blew down, but I'd suggest doing it in August for longer days and less rain. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. This was $90 each person for a round trip ticket, plus $10 to each to haul your backpack. Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. 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. Very useful. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. It was almost comical how many people waved at us as the train chugged through town. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. Weminuche Loop - The JimmyJam Hiking Club Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? Tomorrow is going to be a long day. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. 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 did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. 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Required fields are marked *. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. I asked one of the train workers if we could sit in the covered carts even though we had tickets for the open cart, and he said sure, if theres a seat available. Today we slept in to 6am. Never miss a new post! The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. 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 . Debris form 2020 avalanches on the elk park section have been cleared but theres quite a bit of fallen trees blocking the needle creek trail out of the Chicago Basin. We were on the trail at 7:30, and saw a few more goats as we made our way out of Chicago Basin. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. After about 20 minutes of hiking, I ran into my first mountain goats of the day. The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. 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! We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. The weather started to improve a little as we set up the tent and took care of the usual camp chores. Before we knew it, we saw the Weminuche Wilderness boundary sign. It was incredible to see the clouds taking over the area! Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). 2/21/22 12:49pm. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? Todays hike was all uphill, but it wasnt too strenuous. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. After all, it was Saturday evening. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. Excellent views all around. - John Glionna, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Watch Pioneering Nevada's Basin and Range Trail on other Streaming Services: Tubi, Xumo, Telus and Filmocracy, Like what you see? 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). This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. 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. The train kept on going though, as this one wasnt scheduled to stop here. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. 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?? Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Eric Poulin, long distance hiker and outdoor adventurer, Greenland Hike/Packraft Expedition (2022) *Coming Soon Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. Vestal Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. No hot dogs tonight, maybe night 3. There was a new amazing view after every turn. 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. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! It was about 1/3 the size of his sleeping pad, and as far as I know, is the lightest one on the market at 9.1 ounces. I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. Weminuche Wilderness in southern Colorado. You take a train from Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. The train showed up about 5-10 minutes late, but was a welcome sight nonetheless. We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. After being in the rain all week, we were still getting rained on during the train ride back. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. Very nice trip report! What a place for a cabin though! Are there fishing opportunities along this route? 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! Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. 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.