We didn't. Windward_Coug. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. There was a lot of toilet paper and poop laying around near some of the campsites though, evidence of heavy usage. Recommended Posts. Miles Hiked 5.4 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. There is no cover up here by Eldorado Lake, which sits well above the treeline at 12,300ft. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. Also, bring a way to filter water. Early morning often leaves thick fog in valleys, only to be burnt away later by the sun. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Very clear and interesting. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. San Juan National Forest. Every campground, hotel, and intersection we passed, there were people waving at the train. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. I got injured jumping off the bridge there, so we couldn't complete the hike north over hunchback pass, and down Elk creekwe were kinda bummed. You can download the GPX file here: http://metalbackpacker.com/wp-content/uploads/gpx/WeminucheRouteHiked.gpx. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. The rain subsided and we dipped below the clouds into a new valley. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. It might be tough to find a good alpine hike that early in the season. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. We ended up eating at Diorios Pizza which was pretty good. We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. Elk Park to Needleton Backpack Loop 5,560 views Aug 5, 2008 9 Dislike Share Save Elizabeth Black 394 subscribers From the steam engine train we backpack for 6 days on a 40 mile loop out in. Venchka. We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. There were a few more mines along the trail here, and one appeared to be deeper than the others we had explored. 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. What a place for a cabin! There are also sections with loose pebbles where youll want good traction. For comparison, where we live is around 800 feet above sea level. The Elk Park to Needleton loop in the Weminuche Wilderness, to be precise. 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. Absolutely stunning! We snacked on sour patch kids by the fire for a while before letting it burn out. While it did have some beautiful parts, Particularly at the top of the Continental Divide and Columbine Pass, I was disappointed by the avalanche debris in the first 6 miles and the lack of trail maintenance on the section below hunchback pass to the Vallecito Bridge. . Wouldnt you know it, as soon as we got all the wood together, it started raining. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Eric Poulin, long distance hiker and outdoor adventurer, Greenland Hike/Packraft Expedition (2022) *Coming Soon We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. Route Standard route up to Twin Lakes, ascended Windoms West face. I was . It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. Learn more about the wildlife in the area. Seeing the fog rise from the mountains and engulf the peaks around us was incredible. They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. At Twin Lakes, the terrain is a bit less hospitable, and fewer campsite options with all the rocks and stuff. The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. At columbine Lake, I dont think youd have an issue finding a suitable site. I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. Even though I initially didnt want to build a fire, I was really glad to have it going now. Avalanche debris was cleared. One of the train employees told us a little about the history of the train and how things work. 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. Small amounts of debris from avalanche on the Needles creek trail but easy to navigate. On day three, we made our way up and over the Continental Divide and into the beautiful meadow just below Hunchback Pass. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. When we visited in September, the days were hot and the nights were cold. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. Im interesting in making this same trip this year, and was wondering if you knew when the optimal season is? We made the decision to cut our trek short. 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. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? I wanted to make it farther though, and we pushed on to about 5.5 miles where we made camp along Elk Creek, elevation ~10,300ft. I dont know why these animals are so persistent about going to a specific location when there are humans there. Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. They really wanted to be right there, and werent taking no for an answer. 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. 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. This hike primary route. 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. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. You have to make the backpacker train reservations by phone, not online. This particular mine only ran about 30ft or so, and was not that interesting. 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. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. 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. Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. Unlike Snowmass though, the trail here was more open and very well worn, and not much here to get me wet. 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. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Also, this area of the Weminuche has quite the rodent population. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. Expect to see (or at least hear) marmots and pikas, as well as lots of chipmunks. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). Save on outdoor activities, tours & rentals. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. I reached the summit of Windom Peak (14,087ft) by around 8:30. Very well done! Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. A few years ago, I was looking at hiking an alpine route (Pecos Wilderness in northern NM, and Rocky Mountain National Park) during the same time frame as you. Any and all kinds of weather! 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. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. 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. Share Followers 0. 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. Required fields are marked *. PS. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. The weather looked like it was holding out as we neared the top, but it looked like it could turn bad at any moment. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. This route includes 3 trails. Everything was wet, including my feet. Our total distance was about 42 miles. Before we knew it, we saw the Weminuche Wilderness boundary sign. Still, I was glad to have spent the night at Eldorado Lake. Every mountain we encountered was amazing! Next stop: Wilderness. We were exhausted by the time we reached the shack and decided to camp there for the night. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. We heard later that there was a porcupine in the area chewing on things, so it couldve been the culprit. Thanks for sharing this one. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. A friend and I attempted this horseshoe hike in reverse last weekend (Aug 14). Thanks for the great report! This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. One option for a multi-day trip is from the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. The trail can be access from either Molas Trail #665 or the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Rainroad Elk Park train stop. Your email address will not be published. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. People really are friendly in Colorado! Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton. Because of this we consider it to be a hard trail but the views were worth every single second. 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. I highly recommend it. 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. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). Sad to see all the beetle damage. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? Very nice trip report! Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. What a morale booster it was. 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. I dont trust the skies and just assume it will rain later today. Ive started research for a September 2017 trip and came across your report. This was a pizza by the slice kind of place, and the slices were enormous! Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. Getting down to the water and going through the process of purifying the water was a bit of a pain here, but I wanted to get it out of the way in case it started raining again. Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. The best times to visit this trail are June through October. 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?? Not this time though! We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! 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. This satellite powered device is able to track your location on a digital map, share your location with friends/family, send basic text messages, and (most importantly) it has an emergency SOS button to get help. On this section of the trail, the views were mostly obstructed by trees until we reached the beaver pond at mile 3. The weather was holding out all morning, shine shining and blue skies. The weather started clearing up after about mile 4. The nature back there is unbelievable. Black flies were a pain the whole week. Cant wait to try this trip myself! The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why.