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. Great hike! To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). Going down always looks much harder! We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. Awesome, thanks! Also, because I sunburn easily, I brought UV protective shirts (the BALEAF womens UPF50 quick-dry shirt). One slice was probably between the size of a small and medium pizza at most places, but it was extremely thin. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. It was quite a sight to see, unlike anything Ive ever witnessed before. Mojave-Sonoran Trail (2021) My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. (We didnt see any, but we heard they were plentiful.). Colorado Adventure 2022 San Juan Mountains Weminuche Wilderness Elk All we could do is move downhill as quickly as possible, and after descending another 1500 feet or so, all was well again. Now back on the trail, we were approaching the CDT. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. Lots of flowers, waterfalls, and views. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. 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. The ride is slow and sooty and other than the crying kids that overpopulated our car, the ride really was wonderful. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. Cachanilla83. 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. But, thats another story for another trip report. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). My husband had an offline map downloaded in his Google Maps app, although we found it to be unreliable in the Vallecito Creek area. Would you advise camping at Twin Lakes? One night while we slept inside our River Country trekking pole tent, something chewed the cork handle off one of the poles (presumably because of salt residue from sweat). Hello, solitude. Elk Park to Needleton Backpacking Loop - Champagne Tastes Amherst and Organ mountains in the background. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Here, there were several more mountain goats hanging out on the rocks by a small pool of water. 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. 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. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. 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 Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. 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. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. Also, bring a way to filter water. I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). We also brought along these touch-screen activewear gloves, Buffs to help protect us from sun (or keep our ears warm), silk thermals for a base layer, and a balaclava to keep warm at night. This was my first hike of more than five miles. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! Thanks for the great report! Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. The water was deep and fast flowing here. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. Im taking a group on essentially this same trip in a couple weeks, and your pictures and story are very inspiring. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). Bugs were pretty bad this year. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Seeing the fog rise from the mountains and engulf the peaks around us was incredible. First, dont forget your sunglasses! 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. It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. It is a fairly difficult hike, but not one that isn't doable. After 6 days of hiking, we couldnt wait to get to the hotel. Eolus. Excellent views all around. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! The trail follows the 44 road past the lake, and then winds towards the trail leading up to Hunchback Pass. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. 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. Any feedback appreciated. I found a semi dry spot under a pine tree to hang out during the rain while Lisa took cover in the tent. At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. Required fields are marked *. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. We saw 3 hikers coming down Hunchback Pass earlier as we were going up, and didnt see anyone else today until we got about a mile from the Vallecito Creek Bridge. The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. Since cell service is unlikely, the Garmin InReach Mini 2 became our lifeline. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. I decided to take pictures of the lake later and just head up Windom now. These guys didnt seem as threatening though. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. This cabin would be a good place to wait out a storm, but its not suitable as an overnight shelter due to its condition. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. The water tasted great and was very cold. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. For details on the hike itself, see my post about the various trail segments. Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. Todays hike will take us down by Kite Lake, over Hunchback Pass, and all the way down to the Vallecito Creek bridge, near Johnson Creek. I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. 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. The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. 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. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. Our total distance was about 42 miles. The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. This hike is definitely a good one! The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. After working so hard to get to the top, I couldnt justify turning around immediately. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season.
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