Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. 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. As another hiker had told me earlier today, there were a lot of rodent holes in this area, and I could see mice running around everywhere. The correct way to flag the train and let the conductor know youd like to board is by waving your hands across your knees. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. Here comes my ride! 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. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. This is the beaver pond that people often reference when hiking this section of trail. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. This was already painting a picture of what Chicago Basin might be like tomorrow, as it is supposed to be the most heavily used area in the Weminuche Wilderness. 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. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. I guess thats good, because that was less people we saw on the other days. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. Eventually, I was able to scare them off pretty good by simply throwing my arms up in the air. 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?? This page has a map of the Weminuche Wilderness near the top, with trails and trail heads. I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. But, thats another story for another trip report. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). 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. Campsite in Chicago Basin for nights 4 and 5. 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. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. Also, bring a way to filter water. See the beauty of the San Juans on a guided tour. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Recent avalanche activity over the winter/spring created several debris fields that required us to do some significant trailblazing. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. The weather was holding out all morning, shine shining and blue skies. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. I took advantage of the weather and took a ton of pictures up here. What a place for a cabin! There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. We reached the drop off at Elk Park (about . Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. In fact, there wasnt a single cloud in sight now, just a beautiful deep blue sky in all directions. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. From Twin Lakes, I made it back to my campsite in 35 minutes. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! Thanks for the great report! One stream crossing after the Vallecito bridge about mid calf. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. Just import my GPX file and then you can print it out. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. Where did you get the map? There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Never miss a new post! Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. Lisa had a bit of trouble last year in the Maroon Bells when we hiked the Four Pass Loop, and I may have had a slight headache that first day as well. After checking our gear and getting set up, we were on our way. Route Elk Park train stop to camp along Elk Creek at ~10,300ft. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. There is no cover up here by Eldorado Lake, which sits well above the treeline at 12,300ft. Share Followers 0. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. 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. Back, finally! Oh well. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? Go to the print button at the top and choose print to pdf. Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. I hope your backpacking trip is just as epic as ours was. You can purchase a ticket to or from Elk Park onboard as long as space is availableno reservations are taken for this flag stop. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. 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. PS. I learned this the hard way when hiking around Snowmass Lake last year. Alternatively, if you feel you have any information youd like to share with others regarding this hike, please feel free to leave that below in a comment as well. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. We brought along this Weminuche Wilderness National Geographic map. I took the driest looking campsite I could find, which wasnt saying much. Venchka. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. They could not believe how small the pad was, but I got the impression it was too ultralight for them. Cachanilla83. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. 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. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? This was a class 3 in my opinion. Basin and Range Trail (2020) The best times to visit this trail are June through October. So much for being packed. At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. 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. Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. 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. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. This was $90 each person for a round trip ticket, plus $10 to each to haul your backpack. False alarm. Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. The water tasted great and was very cold. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). 2/21/22 12:49pm. I hung out up here a while longer before deciding to head down around 10am. 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. This was my first hike of more than five miles. We were able to cross the creek by hopping rocks and logs, just as we were able to with every other stream crossing on this trip. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. I purified some more water for todays hike and ate breakfast, a Metrx bar and some granola & almonds. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. The skies were fairly clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning, but Ive grown weary of the weather in the Weminuche Wilderness at this point. 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. Finally, the weather is cooperating! Cell service is highly unlikely. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. It was about 1/3 the size of his sleeping pad, and as far as I know, is the lightest one on the market at 9.1 ounces. Looking back up the way I just came down from Windom Peak. At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. For some reason, the mileage the GPS reports to me in the field is always more than the mileage it gives me at home when I am reviewing the final data. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. Actually, mid May. Very useful. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. After all, it was Saturday evening. I am curious - does anyone have first hand knowledge of current conditions in Chicago Basin, Columbine Pass, Johnson Creek and Vallecito Trail. 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. Continental Divide Trail At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. 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. From above, I spotted a deer down below on the trail to Kite Lake. A hiking boot is preferable. It looked like a nice spot, close to the water, but the views werent excellent. 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. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. 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. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. Miles Hiked 5.4 Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful.