Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. Miles Hiked 7.4 Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. This is a popular trail for birding and hiking, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. Thanks for sharing. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Awesome, thanks! Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. 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. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? Miles Hiked 5.4 Completed this loop early July 2021. Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. Miles: 45 Days: 6-8 Difficulty: Strenuous. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. Here's an overview! Lisa and I ended up taking a nap for about an hour and a half until the weather improved. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. My breakfast today was a very hearty helping of granola and almonds (about 800 calories worth), and some dried strawberries. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Todays hike was all uphill, but it wasnt too strenuous. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. 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. I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. 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. After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association Cachanilla83. Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? 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. Any and all kinds of weather! 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. Tips for Camping With Your Kids in Durango, Colorado. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. 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). Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 19 h 35 min to complete. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. 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. Other hikers trickled in to the area as time went on. Any feedback appreciated. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). There was a new amazing view after every turn. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. Its too bad that we had already eaten dinner before starting this fire, because we still had hot dogs that we could have cooked tonight. The second day we did ~13 miles which included two peaks with kite lake in between. My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. Definitely recommend to bring waterproofs shoes and pants to be comfortable. Either way, it was going to be another short day with only about 6 miles to cover. After lunch, the trail had gained enough elevation to start giving us some better views as it passed alongside some cliffs. It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season. Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. Anyways, with breakfast in our stomachs and all our wet gear packed away, we hit the trail around 7:30. There is no cover up here by Eldorado Lake, which sits well above the treeline at 12,300ft. These guys didnt seem as threatening though. Done over 5 nights and 6 days. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. Never miss a new post! Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? Would that be too early in the season? The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. What a place for a cabin! It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. I was awestruck with the beauty of those mountains. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. It was well worn and looked much less difficult than I had imagined. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. 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. The only way to combat them is it cover up your skin with long sleeves, jacket hood, etc. We camped at ~9300 ft. 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. Soon enough it was back to the rain. Cant wait to try this trip myself! It was raining up here and quite cold. 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. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. Also, because I sunburn easily, I brought UV protective shirts (the BALEAF womens UPF50 quick-dry shirt). Nearly everyone who comes by Needleton does so via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. 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. You can purchase a ticket to or from Elk Park onboard as long as space is availableno reservations are taken for this flag stop. Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). We made the decision to cut our trek short. Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. I dont like to sit in the tent if I dont have to. This time wasn't as bad as 1993, where my ancient A-frame tent blew down, but I'd suggest doing it in August for longer days and less rain. We departed about 15 minutes late, and slowly made our way out of Durango. My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Almost immediately, it began to rain a little. Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. 5h 16m. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. Finally, it was time to start this hike. Very well done! There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. 28 miles, a little over 8k' of elevation gain. It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. Back up on the CDT, it was evident that the weather was not going to cooperate today. I highly recommend it. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. 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 have done this one twice!! Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. 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. Great hike! The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. We didn't. Windward_Coug. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. One of the things that makes this loop so special is that the trailheads can both be reached via the Silverton-Durango Narrow Gauge Railroad, a tourist train pulled by a steam locomotive that has been used in dozens of . Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined.
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