elk park train stop to needleton

Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. Oh well. 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). Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. Bugs were pretty bad this year. Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. I'm a traveler who loves to eat. Soon enough, wed be overtaken by the unavoidable fog. I meandered around the lake a while and snapped some pictures before heading back to camp. After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. Columbine Lake Trail #509 in San Juan National Forest is a difficult and steep trail with 16 discernible switchbacks but it's worth the effort. Heres my caltopo map of the Elk Park/Needleton hike: There are no fees or permits needed to hike or camp in the Weminuche Wilderness. There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. Our dehydrated meals said they were tested at 5,000-foot elevation, and to double the cook time for every additional 5,000 feet. A hiking boot is preferable. Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. 28 miles, a little over 8k' of elevation gain. False alarm. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. Your email address will not be published. I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. Also, bring a way to filter water. You could see burnt trees the entire train ride, so I guess its a pretty real threat. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. 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. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. El mejor momento para visitar esta . This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. You take a train from Durango that. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. These guys didnt seem as threatening though. I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. There were cairns here and there marking the way as well, which could be seen since the Twin Lakes. Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. Soul Rider. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. Thank you for taking the time to write it! We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! 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. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. We did the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Loop which was 36 miles. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. 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 Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. 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. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. Very good tip report. I dont know which to trust, but it was a long day regardless. Cachanilla83. Cell service is highly unlikely. I dont trust the skies and just assume it will rain later today. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. San Juan National Forest. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. Highly recommend! 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. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. After all, it was Saturday evening. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. 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 is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. So far, so good. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. The Elk Park to Needleton backpacking loop near Silverton, Colorado, covers over 40 miles and features stunning mountain vistas. Finally, it was time to start this hike. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! 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 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. 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. Browse different rides & seasonal events. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. 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. Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. As crappy as the weather has been all day, I havent seen any lightning yet. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. 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 . 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 One slice was probably between the size of a small and medium pizza at most places, but it was extremely thin. 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. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. 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. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. What a morale booster it was. The rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. Next stop: Wilderness. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Never miss a new post! Miles Hiked 5.4 Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. Finally, some views! Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. Wed been in Colorado a week now, doing other cool stuff like the Colorado National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Denver & Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park, Telluride, etc. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. This page has a map of the Weminuche Wilderness near the top, with trails and trail heads. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. Bob Marshall. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. We passed several waterfalls and areas of whitewater. Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes Thanks for sharing. Wilderness Access Train Rides - Durango.com Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. 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. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Soon enough it was back to the rain. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. The skies were cloudy all around us though. Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Any way to access this trail without riding the train? One stream crossing after the Vallecito bridge about mid calf. Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin. The correct way to flag the train and let the conductor know youd like to board is by waving your hands across your knees. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. Also, A creek ran through the area and created an interesting looking gorge that I wish I had more time to check out, but we really wanted to get to camp right now. Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. There were no beavers. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. 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 stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. The water was deep and fast flowing here. 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. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. Awesome, thanks! This was my first hike of more than five miles. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. After crossing the bridge over the Animas River to the train tracks on the other side, we spotted an abandoned shack. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. Hello, solitude. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. I highly recommend it. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. Closing loop Needleton - Elk park - Durango Forum - Tripadvisor My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado.