It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). We settled for this spot and set up camp by 4pm or so. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. 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. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. This looks more like some of the pictures Id seen of the San Juans before our trip. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. A hiking boot is preferable. Im sure the views would have been great here in the absence of the clouds, but this was still pretty cool. We met others that were completing this 36-40 mile trip as we were walking into the wilderness from Needleton. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? So, they suggested to take train from Needleton to Silverton, wait for 1.5h and then return back to Elk Park for the price of full ticket Durango-Silverton . Although it was monsoon season during our trip, we were told that the coal cinders often start forest fires. At mile 4.25 or so, there were some nice camping spots in the meadow. You can purchase a ticket to or from Elk Park onboard as long as space is availableno reservations are taken for this flag stop. This will be especially helpful during creek crossings and on downhill areas with loose pebbles. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. Highly recommend. Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. Absolutely stunning! I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. Dogs are also able to. As another hiker had told me earlier today, there were a lot of rodent holes in this area, and I could see mice running around everywhere. Purgetory was the popular trailhead of choice for non-train riders.
Top things to do in Durango, Colorado - Uncover Colorado Molas Lake to Animas River via Molas Trail, Vestal Basin via Colorado and Elk Creek Trail, Stony Pass, ATV Trail 821, and Cinnamon Pass OHV Route. 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. Complete Camper Van Build Parts & Materials Spreadsheet, Zion National Park Hiking Angels Landing & The Narrows, CDT Section Hike 2021 Never Summer Wilderness & Parkview Mountain, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 9: Quartzsite to Kofa, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 8: Bouse to Quartzsite, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 7: Lake Havasu to Bouse, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 6: Bullhead City to Lake Havasu, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 5: Searchlight to Bullhead City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 4: Boulder City to Searchlight, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 3: Callville Bay to Boulder City, Mojave-Sonoran Trail Thru Hike 2021 Section 2: Echo Bay to Callville Bay, Las Vegas Review-Journal article on the Basin and Range Trail, Location Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan National Forest, CO, Park Type National Forest, Wilderness Area, Trail Type Semi loop Train drops you off and picks you up, Fires Allowed Yes (No fires in Chicago Basin or Needleton drainage). Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. We had about 7 miles of downhill hiking to the train, which arrives at 3:30, and thus were not in a hurry. I am curious - does anyone have first hand knowledge of current conditions in Chicago Basin, Columbine Pass, Johnson Creek and Vallecito Trail. The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. There were no signs of private property here, so we hung out here while we waited for the train. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. The trail is always very clear and easy to follow. 2/21/22 12:55pm. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. Check out this 17.3-mile out-and-back trail near Durango, Colorado. 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. 1. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! I like having dry gear! 5h 16m. Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. There were no beavers.
Weminuche Loop - The JimmyJam Hiking Club Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. Yes there is. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! 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 didnt rain much though. 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. It looked like a nice spot, close to the water, but the views werent excellent. As always, questions and comments are welcome! The skies were cloudy all around us though. False alarm. Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. 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. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded. Just import my GPX file and then you can print it out. Everything was still pretty wet from the rains overnight, and it was cold. Once I got a little closer to the drainage, I could see the water flowing through a narrow gorge carved into the rock. Highly recommend! During the summer months, May-October, adventurers can access the wilderness from the Durango train. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. This seemed pretty pointless though, because we just stood around until about 7:50. We didn't. Windward_Coug. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. This route includes 3 trails. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. Hail/freezing rain/snow was falling, and it was Hunchback Pass all over again, with a little better visibility. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). The Needleton stop also gives you access to the Needle Creek Trail, Johnson Creek Trail and the Chicago Basin. Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. He sure did look delicious, haha. 18-21 September 2017. There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. What a morale booster it was. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. At 2:45, we heard a train approaching that sounded its whistle. We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. Oh well. The trail follows Elk Creek, and I believe it was called the Elk Creek Trail. There were a few pockets of snow tucked away here and there, but nothing too large. She said that several of them approached the campsite and some got extremely close. Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. Very well done! We returned back to the shack for a while, but decided to wait at the track 15 minutes prior to its scheduled arrival. Yet another day we found ourselves traversing a pass in bad weather.
Vestal Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost Some streams had a lot of flash flood debris jammed up in certain points, more so than wed seen in other areas. Without going closer, theres no way of knowing what the rest of it looked like. Miles Hiked 5.4 The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. 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. Obviously I skipped this route on our way up here, opting to go the traditional way up the switchbacks to the CDT, but I was curious if it was doable. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. 2/21/22 12:49pm. Eolus. Next stop: Wilderness. Finally, it was time to start this hike. It was the kind of terrain, like sand, that feels like you take one step back for every two steps forward. Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. I am going in Aug 2017 and want to make sure to get a good map. Breathtaking! So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. I climbed up to the top of this ridge for some truly amazing views of the Weminuche Wilderness, Beautiful views of Eldorado Lake during the best weather of the afternoon, Awesome views from an unnamed high point above Eldorado Lake. The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). 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. Of course, now it starts to rain for the first time today. 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. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. Fog billowed from distant peaks, and it was pretty dark around me as well now.
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