We followed Bear Creek down to the Rio Grande by following the 4wd road and used our sat phone to arrange for transportation to Silverton. 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. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. I have done this one twice!! Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. We didn't. Windward_Coug. . Required fields are marked *. The train kept on going though, as this one wasnt scheduled to stop here. I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) We brought along this Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. Dogs are also able to. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. Excellent views all around. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. Cant wait to try this trip myself! Enjoy the hike, its a good one! We just finished this trail. After all, it was Saturday evening. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. 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. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. Go to the print button at the top and choose print to pdf. 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. You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. False alarm. Success! I like having dry gear! Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! You could see burnt trees the entire train ride, so I guess its a pretty real threat. 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. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! First, dont forget your sunglasses! I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate 4.6 (42) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (363) Directions Print/PDF map Length 37.5 miElevation gain 8,579 ftRoute type Point to point Head out on this 37.5-mile point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. Completed this loop early July 2021. After realizing that, I looked around and could see where the trail picked up again, and started hiking directly towards the trail in the distance. Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. Today we slept in to 6am. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. Absolutely stunning! The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. There was a new amazing view after every turn. Are you planning a backpacking adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado? Our total distance was about 42 miles. 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. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. 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. 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. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. Required fields are marked *. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. 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. . Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. Cell service is highly unlikely. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. Very well done! 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. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. 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. 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." The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. The third day we hiked ~11 miles, starting with 2 miles downhill and then 7 miles to the top of columbine pass and then 2 miles down to camp at Chicago basin. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Park - Needleton Loop - YouTube Backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains in July 2022. Great hike! The weather was holding out all morning, shine shining and blue skies. 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. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. Down to Eldorado. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. 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. Seeing the fog rise from the mountains and engulf the peaks around us was incredible. 1. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. Where did you get the map? I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. 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. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. We also packed an MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove to boil water for all our freeze-dried meals, our hand-pump espresso machine, and a lightweight hatchet multitool to help with campfires. Im interesting in making this same trip this year, and was wondering if you knew when the optimal season is? Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? I'm a traveler who loves to eat. One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. Its most notable feature is a wye, built in 1884 to allow northbound trains to turn back when the canyons between Elk Park and Silverton, CO were blocked by winter avalanches. Some of the rocks were covered in ice making them extremely slippery too, so I had to be very careful once I neared the top. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. Avalanche debris was cleared. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. One stream crossing after the Vallecito bridge about mid calf. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. A Garmin InReach is one of the pricier emergency options, but there are also less expensive satellite emergency locator beacons (with less functionality). I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. So far, so good. Also, because I sunburn easily, I brought UV protective shirts (the BALEAF womens UPF50 quick-dry shirt). 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. Campsite in Chicago Basin for nights 4 and 5. Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. A few years ago, I was looking at hiking an alpine route (Pecos Wilderness in northern NM, and Rocky Mountain National Park) during the same time frame as you. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. It also didnt hurt that we pampered ourselves a little afterwards with a leisurely day at Pagosa Springs. 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. 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. Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. 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. Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. Your email address will not be published. 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. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. What a morale booster it was. Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. By the time we reached the lake, the peaks around us were completely engulfed by the clouds. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. - 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? Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. Thanks for the great report! This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. I dont like to sit in the tent if I dont have to. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! . I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. I decided to head downhill in a hurry. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. Venchka. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. Oh well. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. 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. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. Miles Hiked 14.5 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. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. This is when the fog really started growing. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. Now back on the trail, we were approaching the CDT. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. Obviously I skipped this route on our way up here, opting to go the traditional way up the switchbacks to the CDT, but I was curious if it was doable. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. Early morning often leaves thick fog in valleys, only to be burnt away later by the sun. Youll encounter very rocky terrain (skip the zero drop / barefoot style boots on these trails your feet will be too sore!). My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. The Durango-Silverton train offers a backpacker service from May to October, where they drop you off and pick you up at train stops which more or less correspond to the trailheads. He mentioned a possible shortcut to get up here from the Colorado Trail, by going up the drainage. It looked like a nice spot, close to the water, but the views werent excellent. 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. Thanks for sharing. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. Once I got a little closer to the drainage, I could see the water flowing through a narrow gorge carved into the rock. The cinders get in your eyes too, and they recommend that you wear sunglasses as a form of protection. We made the decision to cut our trek short. 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. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. 5h 16m. 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 We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. We loved this trail and would highly recommend! Actually, mid May. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. We did the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Loop which was 36 miles. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. Sometimes 2 to a flower. After crossing the bridge over the Animas River to the train tracks on the other side, we spotted an abandoned shack. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. 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. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. We passed several waterfalls and areas of whitewater. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. 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 Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. I found nothing that was going to be snow free and chose the Gila. Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. 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 best times to visit this trail are May through September. Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. 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. The weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. 18-21 September 2017. Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton. It was incredible to see the clouds taking over the area! They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. 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. There were no signs of private property here, so we hung out here while we waited for the train. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. 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. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. 2. I've begun planning my adventures for this summer, and while there will be a handful of overnighters and long weekends, I've settled on the Elk Park-Needleton Loop for my main trip. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. A hiking boot is preferable. Thanks for sharing. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. Since youll be hiking in the Rocky Mountains, you should be Bear Aware. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. It has been our group's favorite for several years. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. Everything was wet, including my feet. 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 . I was awestruck with the beauty of those mountains. Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. This was my first hike of more than five miles. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. The train showed up about 5-10 minutes late, but was a welcome sight nonetheless. Todays hike will take us the rest of the way up the Elk Creek drainage along the Colorado trail, where well hit the Continental Divide Trail, or CDT. It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season. This was perfect! Fog billowed from distant peaks, and it was pretty dark around me as well now. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. Go figure, good weather on the last day. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin.
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