elk park train stop to needleton23 Apr elk park train stop to needleton
Seeing the fog rise from the mountains and engulf the peaks around us was incredible. Once I got a little closer to the drainage, I could see the water flowing through a narrow gorge carved into the rock. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. Great backpacking experience!! We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. Very useful. Lisa was still far below me, and the other hikers told her to hike directly to her right a ways until she hit the switchbacks, as they had a clear view from above us. Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. It has been our group's favorite for several years. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. Arriving via a coal-powered train on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, this excursion into the dramatic Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado gets off to a unique start. You could see burnt trees the entire train ride, so I guess its a pretty real threat. All of our gear was dry and life was good. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. Not this time though! We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. What a place for a cabin though! On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Park - Needleton Loop - YouTube Backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains in July 2022. Thats how I do it these days. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. Lisa really wanted a fire, and although I knew we could get one going, but I didnt want to go through the effort of gathering wood only to have it rain again . I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. We kept the food bags in our packs too, which is kept in OPsaks. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. The trail follows the 44 road past the lake, and then winds towards the trail leading up to Hunchback Pass. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. 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. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. We woke up today at 5:30 and began to slowly pack up camp. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. Where did you get the map? Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. 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. 1. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. Miles Hiked 5.4 If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! There was another meadow a mile or so past our camp that would have been a nice place to spend the night. I dont like to sit in the tent if I dont have to. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. My husband had an offline map downloaded in his Google Maps app, although we found it to be unreliable in the Vallecito Creek area. Our trek group of 6 - ages ranging from 17 to 64 years. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. Your email address will not be published. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. 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 There were no beavers. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. But, thats another story for another trip report. Very nice trip report! From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. 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! Thanks for your support you ROCK!. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. However, if you can afford it, the train ride is fun, and it sure is nice once you reach Elk Park and realize you don't have to make that 1,700' climb back up to Molas Pass. This seemed pretty pointless though, because we just stood around until about 7:50. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. 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. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. Breathtaking! We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. There was another group who did this, and the train staff didn't seem to have any problem with it (we had paid for a RT ticket anyway). It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. Miles Hiked 7.4 Are there fishing opportunities along this route? Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Any way to access this trail without riding the train? The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. Required fields are marked *. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. False alarm. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? . PS. 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." Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. One of the train employees told us a little about the history of the train and how things work. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. 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. One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. Columbine Pass and Chicago Basin probably were the highlights of the trip -- incredibly high and scenic alpine country. After all, it was Saturday evening. 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. Soon enough it was back to the rain. Hello, solitude. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. 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. Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. The water is gorgeous. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. We camped at ~9300 ft. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. 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. 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 also saw more people this morning than the rest of the trip combined! Thanks for sharing this one. Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. The water was deep and fast flowing here. 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 . I am really loving the granola & almonds, its chocked full of complex carbs and good fats, perfect for hiking. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? Your email address will not be published. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. The Elk Park to Needleton loop in the Weminuche Wilderness, to be precise. Sometimes 2 to a flower. 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. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Great hike! Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. 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. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. While it did have some beautiful parts, Particularly at the top of the Continental Divide and Columbine Pass, I was disappointed by the avalanche debris in the first 6 miles and the lack of trail maintenance on the section below hunchback pass to the Vallecito Bridge. Two other climbers reached the top during my stay up here. 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. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Heres what we learned while preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike, plus a few things I wish Id known ahead of time! There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. Just import my GPX file and then you can print it out. For some reason, the mileage the GPS reports to me in the field is always more than the mileage it gives me at home when I am reviewing the final data. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. (We didnt see any, but we heard they were plentiful.). The water tasted great and was very cold. Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. 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 rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. El mejor momento para visitar esta . Awesome, thanks! Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. Still a good ways from the pass, we pushed on as the rains started in their usual off and on fashion. 2. That is, of course, after hot meal and long hot shower! There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. 2/21/22 12:55pm. There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. 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. Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. Share Followers 0. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! 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. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! The skies were cloudy all around us though. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. Soon enough, wed be overtaken by the unavoidable fog. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Next stop: Wilderness. Our lunch spot today was next to a waterfall. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. The weather started to improve a little as we set up the tent and took care of the usual camp chores. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. Ill send this to your email as well. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango.
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