The train moves very slow, around 18 MPH max speed. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. Anyways, with breakfast in our stomachs and all our wet gear packed away, we hit the trail around 7:30. At 36 miles in length, this trip would likely span four or five days for average hikers, and it offers the unique ability to ride the Durango-Silverton train to access the trail. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. 18-21 September 2017. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. We woke up today at 5:30 and began to slowly pack up camp. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. I highly recommend it. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. 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. However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. The train ride out of Durango and through the Rockwood Cut was quite enjoyable. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. This seemed pretty pointless though, because we just stood around until about 7:50. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! The hiker who told me about the mice up here had camped here last night. Basin and Range Trail (2020) Down to Eldorado. 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. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. Youll encounter very rocky terrain (skip the zero drop / barefoot style boots on these trails your feet will be too sore!). Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. Not this time though! This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. Highly recommend! Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. It rained a little very briefly when I got back, then was party sunny the rest of the day with only a few intermittent showers. Thats for water drainage, and maybe goats. I laughed and told him how I lost the trail before it headed up. Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. A group of seven hikers (2 men, 5 women) also loaded their packs, giving a total of 12 of us to be dropped at Elk Park. It is a fairly difficult hike, but not one that isn't doable. Very well done! Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. Actually, mid May. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. Were planning to do this trip in September 2022 and Ive got a couple of questions for you. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. So much for being packed. Your email address will not be published. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. The Animas River. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. 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. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. The water is gorgeous. The skies were cloudy all around us though. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. It was around 1:45pm when we rolled into camp today. 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. Great backpacking experience!! The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. Thats how I do it these days. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. 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. 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. Lisa really wanted a fire, and although I knew we could get one going, but I didnt want to go through the effort of gathering wood only to have it rain again . It was almost comical how many people waved at us as the train chugged through town. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. I used to do that, but it gets expensive to print out those big maps all the time, especially for places I likely wont return to for years. Cachanilla83. My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. Shortly after, we saw the skull with spine still connected of some type of antlered animal alongside the trail. Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. There are also sections with loose pebbles where youll want good traction. There were no signs of private property here, so we hung out here while we waited for the train. It was filed under Backpacking Trip Reports and was tagged with backpacking trip report, cdt, chicago basin, colorado backpacking, colorado hikes, colorado photography, colorado summer hikes, colorado trail, continental divide, durango train, eldorado lake, elk park needleton, hiking 2013, loop hike, mountain photography, multi day hikes, san juan, san juan mountains, san juan national forest, weeklong loop hike, weminuche wilderness, windom peak. The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. The altitude on this backpacking loop varies from around 8,000 to nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. For details on the hike itself, see my post about the various trail segments. 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. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. The nature back there is unbelievable. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. After all, it was Saturday evening. I was . I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). Since cell service is unlikely, the Garmin InReach Mini 2 became our lifeline. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. This hike is definitely a good one! After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. Miles Hiked 10.4 Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. I dont trust the skies and just assume it will rain later today. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. You would think that they would just find another place to hang out with no people nearby, but they kept trying to make their way down to our area. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. Trains run daily, with wilderness access available during summer months. 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. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. The correct way to flag the train and let the conductor know youd like to board is by waving your hands across your knees. One of the train employees told us a little about the history of the train and how things work. Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! Columbine Pass and Chicago Basin probably were the highlights of the trip -- incredibly high and scenic alpine country. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. 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. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk Park - Needleton Loop - YouTube Backpacking trip in the San Juan Mountains in July 2022. I didnt rain much though. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. 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. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. So far, so good. 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?? 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. I'm a traveler who loves to eat. Weminuche Wilderness, CO Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. 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. People really are friendly in Colorado! We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. In addition to us, there was also a group of 2, 3, and 4 other hikers who also got off the train. Once I got a little closer to the drainage, I could see the water flowing through a narrow gorge carved into the rock. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. We did the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Loop which was 36 miles. 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. None of them seemed very dry though. It was raining up here and quite cold. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC.
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