Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? Success! I put my poles away now as I found it necessary to use my hands a little here and there going up some of the boulders. Would that be too early in the season? Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. The water was deep and fast flowing here. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. 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. It has been our group's favorite for several years. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. Learn more about this exciting opportunity for outdoor recreation youll find only in Durango. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. 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. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. Soul Rider. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Have a good hike! It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. 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 Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. Hiking The Elk Park/Needleton Loop Weminuche Wilderness Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. Excellent views all around. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. Carry a comfortable pack with a water reservoir. 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. Completed this loop early July 2021. Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. You write quite well. Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Top things to do in Durango, Colorado - Uncover Colorado I wanted to make it farther though, and we pushed on to about 5.5 miles where we made camp along Elk Creek, elevation ~10,300ft. Black flies were a pain the whole week. Not this time though! Also, bring a way to filter water. One stream crossing after the Vallecito bridge about mid calf. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. They were all well marked but took extra time to navigate. There were tons of waterfalls everywhere, many more than our hike in the Maroon Bells last year. 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. We headed down towards Kite, watching as the fog grew more and more around us. The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. We didn't. Windward_Coug. Thats how I do it these days. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. Very nice trip report! The best times to visit this trail are June through October. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. 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. This route includes 3 trails. 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. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. Weminuche Loop - The JimmyJam Hiking Club Shortly after, we saw the skull with spine still connected of some type of antlered animal alongside the trail. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. Today we slept in to 6am. The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. First, dont forget your sunglasses! It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. . Weminuche Wilderness Trails - Durango Trails Miles: 45 Days: 6-8 Difficulty: Strenuous. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. I decided to head downhill in a hurry. Leave a Comment. Vestal Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. Happy trails! This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. 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 . This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. Closing loop Needleton - Elk park - Durango Forum - Tripadvisor This was true for much of the trip. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 37 mile less popular intermediate route located near Silverton Colorado. Here comes my ride! Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. 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). Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. This was perfect! 2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Silverton | AllTrails So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. 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. Bob Marshall. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). drops you off in the middle of the wilderness (no car access) and do a loop that is absolutely beautiful. Trees blocked most of the views. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. The four debris fields we crossed we scary enough. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. Bugs were pretty bad this year. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! Youll encounter very rocky terrain (skip the zero drop / barefoot style boots on these trails your feet will be too sore!). Past that meadow, the trail begins to climb past the treeline. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop - YouTube Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. Are there fishing opportunities along this route? This is when the fog really started growing. Basin and Range Trail (2020) What a place for a cabin though! Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. Tips for Camping With Your Kids in Durango, Colorado. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. 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. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Miles Hiked 5.4 Dogs are also able to. Still, there were several more people that were waiting by the train tracks and elsewhere. It is a fairly difficult hike, but not one that isn't doable. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. Finally, the weather is cooperating! Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles).
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