elk park train stop to needleton

There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. 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. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. Excellent trip, lots of varied terrain, meadows, forests, small mountain ponds and lakes, avalanche tree slides, large and small rock slides, multiple high passes with great views. DRGW.Net | Elk Park, CO If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. On day one, between the Elk Park Train Drop Off Trail Head and Beaver Pond, we encountered 3 large debris fields. 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. 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. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. Weminuche Wilderness Trails - Durango Trails We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . Lisa and I ended up taking a nap for about an hour and a half until the weather improved. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. 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. What a morale booster it was. Today we slept in to 6am. So far, so good. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. Cachanilla83. This was a class 3 in my opinion. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. It filtered a little more slowly than usual because we were at high elevation, but still worked well. This is when the fog really started growing. View Profile We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. So much for being packed. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. 5h 16m. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. The skies were fairly clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning, but Ive grown weary of the weather in the Weminuche Wilderness at this point. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. Thanks for sharing this one. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. It even had some rails leading in and out of it. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. Miles Hiked 5.7 (summit Windom Peak starting from camp in Chicago Basin) Reddit - Dive into anything Awesome, thanks! The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. I dont know which to trust, but it was a long day regardless. As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton - Colorado | AllTrails Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. Go to the print button at the top and choose print to pdf. 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. Finally, the weather is cooperating! Highly recommend. Bugs were pretty bad this year. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. Cell service is highly unlikely. The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. Miles Hiked 5.4 There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. Thanks for sharing. Length: 7.9 mi Est. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. 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?? Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. 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. After crossing the bridge over the Animas River to the train tracks on the other side, we spotted an abandoned shack. You take a train from Durango that. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Shortly after, we saw the skull with spine still connected of some type of antlered animal alongside the trail. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. But we opted to take the train! This was my first hike of more than five miles. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. Todays hike will take us down by Kite Lake, over Hunchback Pass, and all the way down to the Vallecito Creek bridge, near Johnson Creek. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. Thanks for sharing. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. Success! There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. 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! Go figure, good weather on the last day. I was awestruck with the beauty of those mountains. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. Really helpful report! Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. 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. It rained a little very briefly when I got back, then was party sunny the rest of the day with only a few intermittent showers. Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. Sultan Peak | Map, Guide - Silverton, CO | AllTrails There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. 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. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. I did see a lot of goat hair stuck in the trees and bushes now, which we had not seen anywhere else yet along our hike. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Hiking Route | Trailforks The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. 7 of the Best Summer Backpacking Trips in the Mountain West At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. The weather started to improve a little as we set up the tent and took care of the usual camp chores. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. 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. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. Most were quick to check out the shack as we did, so the cinder block and wood plank benches filled up fast. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. We got to the train station around 7:15am, as we were told to be there 45 minutes early. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. 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. All of our gear was dry and life was good. Basin and Range Trail (2020) Required fields are marked *. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! 2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Silverton | AllTrails We did this trip in September. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. Back, finally! It worked perfectly. We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. Hiked from elk park to needleton 7/1/2022-7/4/2022. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. I am curious - does anyone have first hand knowledge of current conditions in Chicago Basin, Columbine Pass, Johnson Creek and Vallecito Trail. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! Any and all kinds of weather! 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. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. Miles Hiked 7.4 Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. Bob Marshall. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. PS. Oh well. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. 2/21/22 12:55pm. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop - YouTube Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake. I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. 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. We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. The cinders get in your eyes too, and they recommend that you wear sunglasses as a form of protection.

Which Term Best Describes The Texture Of The Kyrie?, Citadel Basketball Coaching Staff, Articles E