elk park train stop to needletonsecrets maroma preferred club worth it

Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). I still panned on climbing Windom and maybe Sunlight. I felt a few drops of rain just as the trail leaves the Twin Lakes area and dips back into Chicago Basin. Thankfully, we never needed to press the SOS button, but I was thrilled with the functionality of the map and messaging features. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. The on and off rain was definitely a bummer though. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. While we ate our sandwiches, they grazed about 40 feet away as if we werent even there. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. On day four, we hiked along the 4wd road to Pole Creek and picked up our ride there. Great hike! From a distance, I could see faint lines on the hillside that were definitely the switchbacks. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. Its easy to explore the Colorado wilderness from the Durango train. We saw deers, elk, mountain goat, beavers. Ill send this to your email as well. A really incredible trip with unbeatable views! But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Elk Park/Needleton Loop, Colorado. We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. This is when the fog really started growing. Lisa spent the morning chasing away mountain goats. It was around 1:45pm when we rolled into camp today. The weather was holding out all morning, shine shining and blue skies. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). I was following a GPX track on my GPS of another person who had hiked this loop, and his track led me off trail a little bit. 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. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! It even had some rails leading in and out of it. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Soul Rider. Did the 38.6 mile loop from Elk. 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. I watched the bolts of lightning in the distance for a while before going to bed. I wasnt sore at all until day 4 or 5, with only moderate soreness in the hamstrings. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. It was almost comical how many people waved at us as the train chugged through town. Required fields are marked *. Looking for a 40-60 mile, week trip. 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. Elk Park flag stop to Needleton flag stop between Durango and Silverton One of the train employees told us a little about the history of the train and how things work. Patreon is a service that allows you to provide monthly financial support to your favorite content creators. Lisa was out roaming too, watching the many Ptarmigan birds in the area. Still a good ways from the pass, we pushed on as the rains started in their usual off and on fashion. I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). I like having dry gear! We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. Thank you so much for your detailed description! Absolutely stunning! Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. Excellent trip report, thanks for doing this. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. Pack your food in a bear sling or bear canister. San Juan National Forest. Elk Park to Needleton Loop, plus side trips including:-Vestal Basin . After the train dropped us off at Elk Park, it was pretty quiet. Mojave-Sonoran Trail (2021) Would you advise camping at Columbine Lake? It has a mesh frame that holds the weight of the pack slightly off your back. Early morning often leaves thick fog in valleys, only to be burnt away later by the sun. We passed many more campsites along the trail shortly after leaving our camp this morning. Lisa had a bit of trouble last year in the Maroon Bells when we hiked the Four Pass Loop, and I may have had a slight headache that first day as well. I did see a lot of goat hair stuck in the trees and bushes now, which we had not seen anywhere else yet along our hike. Go to the print button at the top and choose print to pdf. At what point along your route could you hike out and call it quits (or hike out for help)? 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 There havent been any bugs out the last 2 nights though, and I was really wishing we had a fire like this on night one. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. It took us 7 days to complete it. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. You take a train from Durango that. This time, we were sure to be acclimated to the elevation. Preparing for Elk Park to Needleton Loop - Champagne Tastes Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. The fire burned quite well once established, despite the soggy wood. It moved away pretty quickly, but I could tell it was not a rattlesnake. The trail follows the 44 road past the lake, and then winds towards the trail leading up to Hunchback Pass. - 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? Sunlight Peak via Needle Creek Trail | Map, Guide - Colorado | AllTrails The train moves very slow, around 18 MPH max speed. I was awestruck with the beauty of those mountains. Recommended Posts. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. Interesting views in the upper Chicago Basin area. There are national and state parks nearby where you can push your limits on some shorter trails first. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. Today was going to be almost all uphill, heading over Columbine Pass and down into Chicago Basin. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. Great report, how can I get your waypoints? Eolus. It was only 11:45, so we had 3:45 to wait. This snowshoe hare looks as if it could shoot lasers from its eyes, Campsite along the Elk Park trail, around 10,300ft. Discover this 6.9-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. Miles Hiked 7.4 Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. I only saw a steep trail consisting of loose rock. The views were awe inspiring, but of course, it began to rain. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! Finally, the weather is cooperating! I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. I couldnt resist the chance to whip out my Klymit Inertia X-Frame sleeping pad that I bought a few months back. This is a spectacular trip with abundant scenery and lots of solitude. It was slippery and a little scary in the rain. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. I just completed this route the July 11-15, 2022. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. Before reaching the trails down to Kite/Eldorado Lakes, we had to hike over a 100ft rocky ridge, just as the clouds looked their worst. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. We loved this trail and would highly recommend! Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. Sure enough, they appeared at the top of the trail heading down to our camp from the main trail. The rain sucked, but it sure did make you appreciate what little sunshine we did get. The free version of caltopo only allows 5 pages max in your pdf, so just break it up into blocks of 5 pages or less and print out the entire map that way. By now, there were clouds brewing in all directions, but nothing serious yet. This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. Your email address will not be published. First week of June, the only people out there will probably be CDT thru hikers, and theyll be up against a lot of snow still. There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. Expect to pay for the train tickets, a baggage fee (for your backpack, which goes in the boxcar train), and an overnight parking fee. Going down always looks much harder! Within 10 or 15 minutes, I found a decent campsite near the Lake. We woke up today at 5:30 and began to slowly pack up camp. As the evening progressed, we saw several deer both near our camp and off in the distance. If you are open to suggestions, maybe have a look at the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. 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). The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. How bad was the narrow passage near Chicago Basin? Top things to do in Durango, Colorado - Uncover Colorado Train ride through the beautiful San Juan mountains on the way to our drop off point at Elk Park. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. It was very quiet once the train left Elk Park. However, after the first couple of miles and adjusting to altitude, I love it! There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. These guys didnt seem as threatening though. On day two, we encountered an even larger debris field between Beaver Pond and the ascent to the miner's shack. To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). Ride the train to a day of ziplining on the longest course in the US. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? Cachanilla83. It was cloudy and grey though, so pictures werent coming out good. Go figure, good weather on the last day. The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. Very useful. 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. Enjoy the hike, its a good one! We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. 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. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. Yes, either hiking boots or hiking shoes are a very good idea on these trails. Get around Durango in style with rental vehicles. You write quite well. I did this loop in Late August in the mid 90s and must have gotten a lucky dry weather window. 5h 16m. A full train schedule is available on the Durango Train website. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake.

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