Elk Park is a wide spot in the Animas River canyon located at milepost 490.5 on the Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Venchka. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. For comparison, where we live is around 800 feet above sea level. Thanks for the great report! - John Glionna, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Watch Pioneering Nevada's Basin and Range Trail on other Streaming Services: Tubi, Xumo, Telus and Filmocracy, Like what you see? We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. 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. We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. Sultan Peak | Map, Guide - Silverton, CO | AllTrails Route Elk CReek campsite to Eldorado Lake. The nature back there is unbelievable. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. 2/21/22 12:49pm. Also, bring a way to filter water. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. There were more mountain goats in the evening as well. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. Sunlight Peak via Needle Creek Trail | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails After setting up camp, I decided to go down to the creek to purify some water. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. The water was deep and fast flowing here. Breathtaking! Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. My husband had an offline map downloaded in his Google Maps app, although we found it to be unreliable in the Vallecito Creek area. Shortly after Elk Park along the Colorado Trail, also called the Elk Park trail for this section. Our trek group of 6 - ages ranging from 17 to 64 years. This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. Would that be too early in the season? The altitude will affect water filters and food cook time, which is usually explained on the packaging. Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. What a place for a cabin! Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. I was . Most of the avalanche debris on Elk Creek/CT has now been cleared, and what is left is fairly easy to navigate. 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. After crossing the bridge over the Animas River to the train tracks on the other side, we spotted an abandoned shack. I couldnt see the mountains behind me at all now, they were lost in the clouds. At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. 2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Silverton | AllTrails 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. The trail was much easier to hike than I was anticipating, and I was covering pretty good ground. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. Please be aware that reservations can only be made from Durango and Silverton originations. Now through this little plateau area, the trail starts heaving down pretty quick. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. Hey Trey, Its been many years since I did this hike so pardon my memory here. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. What a morale booster it was. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. 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. This is the "fourth bridge" of vallecito creek, north of the vallecito campground/Trailhead. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. Required fields are marked *. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. I found nothing that was going to be snow free and chose the Gila. 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. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. Maybe not a traditional campsite, but it was by far the driest campsite Id seen on this trip yet. Another option (which you should probably do anyway!) Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Still a good ways from the pass, we pushed on as the rains started in their usual off and on fashion. On this section of the trail, the views were mostly obstructed by trees until we reached the beaver pond at mile 3. You write quite well. 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. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. Miles: 45 Days: 6-8 Difficulty: Strenuous. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? Theres also a Deuter backpacking pack thats a standard size, if youre taller than I am! Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate 4.6 (42) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (363) Directions Print/PDF map Length 37.5 miElevation gain 8,579 ftRoute type Point to point Head out on this 37.5-mile point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. There were 2 large pines growing 3 feet apart, creating a dry spot large enough for our tent, all out gear, places to sit, and more. It also didnt hurt that we pampered ourselves a little afterwards with a leisurely day at Pagosa Springs. 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 did this trip in September. From the bottom though, I couldnt tell where the switchbacks started. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). 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. 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. PS. This hike is definitely a good one! How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? Awesome, thanks! Your email address will not be published. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. For that reason, a small cart follows the train to check for any fires started by the train alongside the tracks. Bugs were pretty bad this year. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until September. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. Sad to see all the beetle damage. There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. Train ride through the beautiful San Juan mountains on the way to our drop off point at Elk Park. Your email address will not be published. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! We didnt take the train so we started at Molas Lake and walked to Needlestop. 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. I have done this one twice!! Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. Before I knew it though, I was was past the steeper summit section and back down to a more obvious trail. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. 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. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. 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). Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. 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 . Go figure, good weather on the last day. Miles Hiked 5.4 Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. We were thrilled when a ranger who had just cleared out the trail told us the three 12,000-foot passes on our route were free of snow. Ill send this to your email as well. Lots of people in the Chicago Basin, no one in the Johnson creek or Vallecito creek area. First, dont forget your sunglasses! If needed, when you reach the Vallecito and Johnson Creek trail junction, you could hike about 10 miles to the Vallecito Reservoir, a popular lake area. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. 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. I put my poles away now as I found it necessary to use my hands a little here and there going up some of the boulders. Sometimes 2 to a flower. Hello, solitude. 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. 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. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. 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. You'll need to reserve this option in advance, but it makes for a great opportunity to explore the San Juan National Forest. I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. Yes there is. I love being above the treeline, and I was excited to hike today. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. 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. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge.

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