elk park train stop to needleton

After staring me down for a minute, they decided to move in my direction. 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. Miles Hiked 5.4 Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. 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. Required fields are marked *. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. 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. 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. He sure did look delicious, haha. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. On day one, between the Elk Park Train Drop Off Trail Head and Beaver Pond, we encountered 3 large debris fields. . Tomorrow is going to be a long day. These guys didnt seem as threatening though. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. After all, it was Saturday evening. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. They were finally able to scare the goats away for good by barking at them like a dog. Now back on the trail, we were approaching the CDT. Thanks for sharing. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. I think we also got hailed on every day as well, with the exception of our last day. Im assuming forest service will clear this soon. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. Strider1. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. I asked one of the train workers if we could sit in the covered carts even though we had tickets for the open cart, and he said sure, if theres a seat available. Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. On the train, make sure to talk to the train staff! We had a lot of rain, starting everyday around 1 pm and lasting for a couple of hours. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. Depending on where you plan to board the train, plan ahead and determine which parking option meets your needs best. I missed the shortcut from Eldorado Lake to Hunchback pass , many years ago.Im headed there in 2 wks and hoping to find itAny suggestions, This time I will have a GPS when looking from Hunchback pass I was pretty sure I could see a trail to Eldorado Lake , but wasnt positive so I didnt give it a try. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! It was a little windy last night, which can make it hard to sleep. 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 As of the 2013 season, a round-trip ticket is $90.10 + $10.00 for your pack. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. Thanks for the great report! There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. After working so hard to get to the top, I couldnt justify turning around immediately. It took us 7 days to complete it. At least we had somewhere to sit now, that was nice. There was another group who did this, and the train staff didn't seem to have any problem with it (we had paid for a RT ticket anyway). My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. They ran downhill and out of sight, and I kept moving. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. Vallecito Basin, which lies below Columbine pass, was pretty nice. PS. Once past the tricky part near the top of the pass, it was your general steep descent via switchbacks. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. The water tasted great and was very cold. However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. 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. It ended up raining everyday, several times a day while we were here. I like these Sunski polarized sunglasses and Shady Rays sunglasses. I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. We camped at ~9300 ft. We were on the trail at 7:30, and saw a few more goats as we made our way out of Chicago Basin. 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. After lunch, we continued to climb in elevation until we reached the Miners Cabin just below the CDT. He discourses on his own mortality, about getting too old to have such adventures, and striking your own path in life while you still can." Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. After 3 hours, we were finally back in Durango. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. 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. You take a train from Durango that. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. 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. The final approach of Columbine Pass was pretty steep, but manageable. One mine was fairly close to the trail, so we took a quick detour and had a look inside. Parking for the train is available in Durango and Silverton. Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate (39) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (318) Directions Print/PDF Map Share Experience this 57.9-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. 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. West Needles Contiguous Wilderness Study Area. Since cell service is unlikely, the Garmin InReach Mini 2 became our lifeline. 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. Happy trails! Also, bring a way to filter water. Im considering doing this loop this summer and you have really helped! Oh well. The water is gorgeous. Wouldnt you know it, as soon as we got all the wood together, it started raining. A hiking boot is preferable. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. We stopped to eat lunch on a talus slope and observed many pikas, no marmots yet though. 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 Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). Go figure, good weather on the last day. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. We got off the train at elk park ~11:45am and hiked ~6 miles uphill the first day. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. The first morning of a hike always takes the longest to get going. They didnt seem to concerned with our presence though. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. 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. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. 2/21/22 12:55pm. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. We knew that the odds were pretty good that goats would wander near us too, eventually. Im interesting in making this same trip this year, and was wondering if you knew when the optimal season is? It sounds funny, but for some reason hey turned and ran when I did that and never came back. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. They didnt seem afraid of humans at all. By the time we reached the lake, the peaks around us were completely engulfed by the clouds. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. The trail follows Elk Creek, and I believe it was called the Elk Creek Trail. There were more mountain goats in the evening as well. 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. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. Parking in Durango is $8 per day for cars and $10 per day for RVs. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton.