I dont know which to trust, but it was a long day regardless. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. 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. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 19 h 35 min to complete. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 36 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Silverton, Colorado that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Cant wait to try this trip myself! We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. 2. 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). John Werner: Backpacking Weminuche Wilderness not easy, but worth the with an Osprey water bladder. I am really loving the granola & almonds, its chocked full of complex carbs and good fats, perfect for hiking. At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. They didnt seem afraid of humans at all. Fog billowed from distant peaks, and it was pretty dark around me as well now. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. I am curious - does anyone have first hand knowledge of current conditions in Chicago Basin, Columbine Pass, Johnson Creek and Vallecito Trail. Are you planning a backpacking adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado? I was . There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. But we opted to take the train! After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. 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! I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. My GPS said we did 16 miles today, including going up Hunchback Pass, but later when I reviewed the data for this trip it calculated the day at 14.5 miles. As with the other days, we passed many streams and waterfalls on the way up. The train moves very slow, around 18 MPH max speed. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? Required fields are marked *. Today we slept in to 6am. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. You could see burnt trees the entire train ride, so I guess its a pretty real threat. 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 . We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. we get old because we stop hiking" on the back. This route includes 3 trails. Miles Hiked 7.4 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. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). Completed this loop early July 2021. After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. I chucked some rocks and shouted at them, but theyd just walk 5 feet away and stare back at us. Try this 60.4-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. Going down always looks much harder! Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. The Elk Park to Needleton loop in the Weminuche Wilderness, to be precise. 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. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. Morning of day 2, climbing up the Colorado Trail, Going up a funky section of the Colorado Trail, below the Miners Cabin. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. I figured the total mileage for today would be about 14 miles, but everything after mile 4 or so would be downhill. A hiking boot is preferable. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop - YouTube The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. 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. We loved this trail and would highly recommend! I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. So far, so good. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. 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. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. Not this time though! None of them seemed very dry though. Cell service is highly unlikely. By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Actually, mid May. This hike primary route. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! It took us 7 days to complete it. Very nice trip report! Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. The weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. Dogs are also able to. Heres what we learned while preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton hike, plus a few things I wish Id known ahead of time! Bugs were pretty bad this year. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. Dark skies now approached from all sides, and there was even some lightning in the distance. 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. I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. After all, it was Saturday evening. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop - Champagne Tastes Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. That is, of course, after hot meal and long hot shower! Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: Back Packing Train I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. This was a class 3 in my opinion. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. 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). The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. I'll never forget it. The on and off rain was definitely a bummer 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. 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. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. 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. The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. The Animas River. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. Weminuche Wilderness, CO - Elk Park/Needleton Loop Hike I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. The rock is slippery and there is nothing to help you balance yourself on this very narrow section of trail, which happens to have a BIG drop on your left. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. These odor proof bags have never let me down, and with all the rodents around, it was going to be a real test tonight. Needleton Bridge Trailhead // Colorado 13ers We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. 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. People really are friendly in Colorado! That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! There was another meadow a mile or so past our camp that would have been a nice place to spend the night. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. I was awestruck with the beauty of those mountains. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. Farther downstream revealed a tall but tiny waterfall before the land leveled out near the lake. All in all, quite a bit of wildlife. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. Very useful. Im interesting in making this same trip this year, and was wondering if you knew when the optimal season is? The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. Start your next Durango outdoor adventure from the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. 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. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. There were only one or two campsites occupied here, and it would have been a nice place to stay the night if we didnt already have our trip planned out. 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. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? I didnt rain much though. 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. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. Back, finally! Everything was wet, including my feet. After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. 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. Have a good hike! We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. 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. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? The map in my trip report is generated from a wordpress plugin, where I uploaded my GPX file of the hike. It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. It was around 1:45pm when we rolled into camp today. Most of our clothing was wet, including our backpacks and other gear, so we finally had a chance to dry them out some. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! The train kept on going though, as this one wasnt scheduled to stop here. Very clear and interesting. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. A Garmin InReach is one of the pricier emergency options, but there are also less expensive satellite emergency locator beacons (with less functionality). We definitely underestimated the length and altitude. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . Check out my AWESOME DIY stealth camper van build project! The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. 2/21/22 12:55pm. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. 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. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. . This seemed pretty pointless though, because we just stood around until about 7:50. Thanks for sharing this one. 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. Todays hike was all uphill, but it wasnt too strenuous. 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. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. 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. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather. You ride the Durango/Silverton Steam Train and it drops you off. You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. 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. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. This hike is definitely a good one! And what a campsite that would be, killer views! West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. Miles Hiked 5.4 Finally, with any backpacking trip, you should look for an emergency out. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. One of the biggest drawing points of the Elk Creek trail is the unique opportunity to combine a Wilderness trip with a ride on a steam locomotive. Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake. 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. (We didnt see any, but we heard they were plentiful.). Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton is a 37 mile less popular intermediate route located near Silverton Colorado. This was our third trek on this trail. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Bob Marshall. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. 28 miles, a little over 8k' of elevation gain. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. 18-21 September 2017. Ill send this to your email as well. But, thats another story for another trip report. It was cloudy and grey though, so pictures werent coming out good. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. The weather started to improve a little as we set up the tent and took care of the usual camp chores. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. The water tasted great and was very cold. 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. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes.