Joe Pegleg'' Morgan Cause Of Death, Teshin Warframe Steel Path, Which Sentence In This Passage Contains Redundancy, Jack Coffee Hays Quotes, Santa Clara County Sheriff Pio, Articles E

From Twin Lakes, I made it back to my campsite in 35 minutes. is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. The water was deep and fast flowing here. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! The cinders get in your eyes too, and they recommend that you wear sunglasses as a form of protection. I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. with an Osprey water bladder. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. On day one, between the Elk Park Train Drop Off Trail Head and Beaver Pond, we encountered 3 large debris fields. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. One slice was probably between the size of a small and medium pizza at most places, but it was extremely thin. 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. 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. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? I took it out of its stuff sack and unrolled it and the looks on their faces were just priceless. It was raining up here and quite cold. Looking back up the way I just came down from Windom Peak. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. Campsite in Chicago Basin for nights 4 and 5. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. 2. There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. Farther downstream revealed a tall but tiny waterfall before the land leveled out near the lake. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved 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. A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. None of them seemed very dry though. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. 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. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. Cell service is highly unlikely. 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. El mejor momento para visitar esta . During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. 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. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. I used a Garmin InReach Mini 2 to track our location, and any time we came to an unmarked trail junction, we knew which way to go. After lunch, the trail had gained enough elevation to start giving us some better views as it passed alongside some cliffs. Were planning to do this trip in September 2022 and Ive got a couple of questions for you. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . The skies did not look good and I was not sure whether or not I would be climbing tomorrow. Very good tip report. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. Share Followers 0. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. It was only 11:45, so we had 3:45 to wait. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? The clouds seemed to be chasing us up Hunchback Pass. This is when the fog really started growing. The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. 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. Here's an overview! On day three, we made our way up and over the Continental Divide and into the beautiful meadow just below Hunchback Pass. 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. Getting down to the water and going through the process of purifying the water was a bit of a pain here, but I wanted to get it out of the way in case it started raining again. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. We made the decision to cut our trek short. 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. The trail follows the 44 road past the lake, and then winds towards the trail leading up to Hunchback Pass. 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. 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. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. Great backpacking experience!! For example, early access to youtube videos, stickers, t-shirt, behind the scenes info on my new thru hiking route creations, special thank you card and more! People really are friendly in Colorado! Im interesting in making this same trip this year, and was wondering if you knew when the optimal season is? Miles Hiked 14.5 Awesome, thanks! After checking our gear and getting set up, we were on our way. . There was another meadow a mile or so past our camp that would have been a nice place to spend the night. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker. 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. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. What a morale booster it was. 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. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 5 h 9 min to complete. You write quite well. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. At the bridge over New York Creek, there was a waterfall right there along the trail.. Animas River, from the bridge at the Needleton train stop. Miles Hiked 7.4 Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. 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 . Strider1. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. For details on the hike itself, see my post about the various trail segments. 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. Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. Happy trails! A hiking boot is preferable. It looked like a nice spot, close to the water, but the views werent excellent. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. 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. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. Debris form 2020 avalanches on the elk park section have been cleared but theres quite a bit of fallen trees blocking the needle creek trail out of the Chicago Basin. Back, finally! 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. I meandered around the lake a while and snapped some pictures before heading back to camp. This page has a map of the Weminuche Wilderness near the top, with trails and trail heads. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. 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. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. This was our third trek on this trail. If we werent wet and hungry, I might have stopped to check it out further, but again, we were on a mission to find camp. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Basin and Range Trail (2020) Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. The free version of caltopo only allows 5 pages max in your pdf, so just break it up into blocks of 5 pages or less and print out the entire map that way. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. Really helpful report! 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. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. In the morning, I headed down to the railroad, and caught the train to Silverton, then rode back to Durango. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. Go figure, good weather on the last day. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. 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. Everything was wet, including my feet. Two other climbers reached the top during my stay up here. To exit we kept walking all the way to Purgatory. There are also sections with loose pebbles where youll want good traction. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. 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 I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. Complete Camper Van Build Parts & Materials Spreadsheet, Zion National Park Hiking Angels Landing & The Narrows, CDT Section Hike 2021 Never Summer Wilderness & Parkview Mountain, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 9: Quartzsite to Kofa, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 8: Bouse to Quartzsite, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 7: Lake Havasu to Bouse, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 6: Bullhead City to Lake Havasu, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 5: Searchlight to Bullhead City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 4: Boulder City to Searchlight, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 3: Callville Bay to Boulder City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 2: Echo Bay to Callville Bay, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Location Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO, Park Type National Forest, Wilderness Area, Trail Type Semi loop Train drops you off and picks you up, Fires Allowed Yes (No fires in Chicago Basin or Needleton drainage). At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. Any and all kinds of weather! 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. 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. Any way to access this trail without riding the train? Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 10 min to complete. Never miss a new post! 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. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. Nice! I love being above the treeline, and I was excited to hike today. Any feedback appreciated. Maybe, MAYBE in a low snow year but from what I can tell the west is getting quite a bit of powder this year so my guess would be July before the route is fully snow free. Since cell service is unlikely, the Garmin InReach Mini 2 became our lifeline. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. I was awestruck with the beauty of those mountains. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. After working so hard to get to the top, I couldnt justify turning around immediately. It filtered a little more slowly than usual because we were at high elevation, but still worked well. For suggestions, see my guides to the best womens hiking boots and hiking gear for men. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. We just finished this trail. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. 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 felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season. PS. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. Early morning often leaves thick fog in valleys, only to be burnt away later by the sun. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. My husband had an offline map downloaded in his Google Maps app, although we found it to be unreliable in the Vallecito Creek area. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. . Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. The water is gorgeous. Cachanilla83. 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. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. 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. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. 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 As we laid down to sleep tonight, all we could think about was laying down in that nice hotel bed tomorrow night. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. Miles Hiked 10.4 At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? Prepare to not have a cell signal. After about an hour of rain, thunder and lightning, I gave up on the idea of a fire. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. Venchka. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. - 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? Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. Absolutely stunning! tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. Route Elk CReek campsite to Eldorado Lake. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. This was a class 3 in my opinion. I didnt rain much though. 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. 18-21 September 2017. Ill send this to your email as well. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp.