elk park train stop to needleton

To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. At Twin Lakes, the terrain is a bit less hospitable, and fewer campsite options with all the rocks and stuff. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. 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. Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. 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. 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. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. 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. Heres what we learned while preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike, plus a few things I wish Id known ahead of time! Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. Another option (which you should probably do anyway!) The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. we get old because we stop hiking" on the back. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop 5,560 views Aug 5, 2008 9 Dislike Share Save Elizabeth Black 394 subscribers From the steam engine train we backpack for 6 days on a 40 mile loop out in. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. 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. I have done this one twice!! The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. Since youll be hiking in the Rocky Mountains, you should be Bear Aware. Eolus. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. 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 . It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. Ill send this to your email as well. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. Finally, it was time to start this hike. The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. I didnt want to go crazy on day 1 anyways, so it worked out that it was a shorter day. 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. 18-21 September 2017. 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. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. There were no signs of private property here, so we hung out here while we waited for the train. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. 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! I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. Route Elk CReek campsite to Eldorado Lake. 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. 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. Now back on the trail, we were approaching the CDT. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! Everything was wet, including my feet. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. Cell service is highly unlikely. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. I wasnt sore at all until day 4 or 5, with only moderate soreness in the hamstrings. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. Bob Marshall. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. Anyways, with breakfast in our stomachs and all our wet gear packed away, we hit the trail around 7:30. Cant wait to try this trip myself! Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. Go figure, good weather on the last day. There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. 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. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. 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. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. My group did it in 5 days, but I would recommend giving yourself 6 or 7 so you aren't having to push yourself to get to the train on time. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. This was $90 each person for a round trip ticket, plus $10 to each to haul your backpack. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. Highly recommend! Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. . Nice! Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. It was cloudy and grey though, so pictures werent coming out good. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. I dont trust the skies and just assume it will rain later today. Oh well. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. We are early 50s, fairly fit experienced hikers from Durango, and we gave ourselves 5 nights/6 days. Required fields are marked *. We made the decision to cut our trek short. We also brought along these touch-screen activewear gloves, Buffs to help protect us from sun (or keep our ears warm), silk thermals for a base layer, and a balaclava to keep warm at night. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. Also, bring a way to filter water. Absolutely stunning! Given the popularity of Kite Lake, being right next to a 44 road just outside of the wilderness boundary, I pretty much had my mind set on Eldorado. This was perfect! I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. 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. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! This is when the fog really started growing. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. The Animas River. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! 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. Soul Rider. 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?? Any feedback appreciated. This was a class 3 in my opinion. Miles Hiked 10.4 In summer, you may want to bring along a bug net to fit over your hat to protect yourself from mosquitoes, gnats and black flies. I'll never forget it. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. Going down always looks much harder! Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. View Profile The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. 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. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. As another hiker had told me earlier today, there were a lot of rodent holes in this area, and I could see mice running around everywhere. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. drops you off in the middle of the wilderness (no car access) and do a loop that is absolutely beautiful. From Twin Lakes, I made it back to my campsite in 35 minutes. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. We were on the trail at 7:30, and saw a few more goats as we made our way out of Chicago Basin. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. On this section of the trail, the views were mostly obstructed by trees until we reached the beaver pond at mile 3. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. 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. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. Every mountain we encountered was amazing! Your email address will not be published. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). Narrow Gauge Railroad preservation & legacy. Campsite in Chicago Basin for nights 4 and 5. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. 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 Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. 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 . After all, it was Saturday evening. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. Back, finally! Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. This was our third trek on this trail. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. I meandered around the lake a while and snapped some pictures before heading back to camp. On the Elk Park to Needleton loop, the emergency outs are limited. Our total distance was about 42 miles. It took us 7 days to complete it. If I were to do it again, I wouldve done a few more miles the first day - theres a nice campsite before the first peak.