The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. They were just ahead of me on the trail, but again, I was able to scare them off by simply throwing my arms in the air. As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. Ran I to some bad weather that chased us out on the 2nd day but we saw a few moose on this trail. It worked perfectly. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! 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. Completed this loop early July 2021. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. Im taking a group on essentially this same trip in a couple weeks, and your pictures and story are very inspiring. At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Within the first mile, we encountered a snake on the trail. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. 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 trail is always very clear and easy to follow. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. At that point, one of our trek members sustained a significant ankle injury. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. Here comes my ride! Recommended Posts. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. Length: 7.9 mi Est. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. Lisa was still far below me, and the other hikers told her to hike directly to her right a ways until she hit the switchbacks, as they had a clear view from above us. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. I was mainly happy to dry out my boots. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. If youre boarding the train at a flag stop, you need to alert the conductor. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. (We didnt see any, but we heard they were plentiful.). Fog billowed from distant peaks, and it was pretty dark around me as well now. After being in the rain all week, we were still getting rained on during the train ride back. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. Soon enough it was back to the rain. Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? This hike is definitely a good one! The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. On the trail by 7am today, we headed up to the CDT once again. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. San Juan National Forest. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. . 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. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. 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. 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. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. 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. 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. The skies did not look good and I was not sure whether or not I would be climbing tomorrow. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. Everyone in the shack jumped up immediately, rushing to put on boots and grab their gear as we rushed towards the tracks. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. 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. Looking back, I wish I had checked it out. Hello, solitude. One slice was probably between the size of a small and medium pizza at most places, but it was extremely thin. What a place for a cabin though! Really helpful report! By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. Also, A creek ran through the area and created an interesting looking gorge that I wish I had more time to check out, but we really wanted to get to camp right now. Very nice trip report! I am curious - does anyone have first hand knowledge of current conditions in Chicago Basin, Columbine Pass, Johnson Creek and Vallecito Trail. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. Now back on the trail, we were approaching the CDT. 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. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. Columbine Lake Trail #509 in San Juan National Forest is a difficult and steep trail with 16 discernible switchbacks but it's worth the effort. We changed clothes in the car and tried to mask our stench with deodorant and cologne/perfume before setting off into the city in search of food. 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 . 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. Awesome, glad it was useful to you. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. This was my first hike of more than five miles. I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. It was cloudy and grey though, so pictures werent coming out good. It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. So far, so good. 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. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? After checking our gear and getting set up, we were on our way. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. My group is collectively only able to go last week of May/first week of June. It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. After about 20 minutes of hiking, I ran into my first mountain goats of the day. I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. This was true for much of the trip. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. There were a lot of berries along the trail, although not all edible. Make sure everyone in your party books the train together. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. After climbing about a third of the way up to the CDT, I hit a switchback, which I gladly used the rest of the way up. Miles Hiked 5.4 There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. Past that meadow, the trail begins to climb past the treeline. Down to Eldorado. 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. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. Never miss a new post! I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. 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. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Thats how I do it these days. Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. Have a good hike! I had no way of keeping my gear out of the reach of the rodents. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. We didn't. Windward_Coug. My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. The trail leading down to Kite Lake from the CDT, View of Kite Lake, before it disappeared in the growing fog. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 11 h 10 min to complete. Great hike! I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. I updated this post to include a map of the Weminuche Wilderness, with trailhead locations marked. We loved this trail and would highly recommend! There were many campsites to choose from in the area near the Vallecito Creek Bridge. Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. This was our third trek on this trail. 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. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. The best times to visit this trail are May through September. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. There were no other campsites nearby and extremely close to the trail leading up to the three 14ers in Chicago Basin: Windom Peak, Sunlight Peak, and Mt. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. It was almost comical how many people waved at us as the train chugged through town. We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. Whitewater trips for more experienced adventurers. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. Next stop: Wilderness. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. I decided to head downhill in a hurry. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. The nature back there is unbelievable. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). Great backpacking experience!! The unincorporated community of Needleton is very secluded east from the Highway 550. The water in Elk Creek was super clear, so I didnt have to pre-filter any of it before using my Steri-Pen Opti UV water purifier. I feel like my extra efforts in training before this trip really made the difference in my knees. I love being above the treeline, and I was excited to hike today. 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. Actually, mid May. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. Are there fishing opportunities along this route? We hardly saw any other hikers until Chicago Basin. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. This hike primary route. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. I am really loving the granola & almonds, its chocked full of complex carbs and good fats, perfect for hiking. 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. Sure enough, they appeared at the top of the trail heading down to our camp from the main trail. Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. Route Eldorado Lake to Vallecito Creek Bridge. 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. There were tons of mines dotting the mountainside, some of which looked pretty difficult to get to. 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. Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. Thanks for the great report! Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. The Durango-Silverton train offers a backpacker service from May to October, where they drop you off and pick you up at train stops which more or less correspond to the trailheads. The other guy was impressed with its small size. We passed 2 guys who had asked us how far Roell Creek was, but I wasnt familiar with that one. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! 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. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it!
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