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Thank you so much for your detailed description! Youll be hiking in a wilderness area. It also didnt hurt that we pampered ourselves a little afterwards with a leisurely day at Pagosa Springs. Coming down from hunchback pass we had to climb over or around several (and I mean several) trees that were across the path. It resides at 8,277 feet of elevation in San Juan County. Once on the other side, the path down to Eldorado lake was pretty clear. 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. Really helpful report! Its relatively easy to walk over/around them, but be patient and expect a slight delay. We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! Coming down Columbine Pass into Chicago Basin? There is no road access to either the Elk Park or Needleton trail access points. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. Sure enough, they appeared at the top of the trail heading down to our camp from the main trail. Clearly has not been maintained for a few seasons. I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. All in all, quite a bit of wildlife. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. Breathtaking! He sure did look delicious, haha. I wonder how they get to their homes, since there are no roads anywhere near here. About a half hour later we arrived at the bridge, and it was a welcome sight. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. with an Osprey water bladder. Have a good hike! The sun was shining on the Twin Lakes now, and it was beautiful. 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. I did put a knee brace on, both knees, for the first time ever. However, Im sure you could find a clearing to put a tent somewhere. Besides that, she was very happy to have a day off to rest. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. Also, because I sunburn easily, I brought UV protective shirts (the BALEAF womens UPF50 quick-dry shirt). Awesome, thanks! To reach this trail on foot, some hikers make a longer loop from the Molas Trail (about four miles). We loaded our backpacks in the baggage car. Things open up a bit after this pond and there are some meadows to camp in if you were so inclined. There was a very brief moment of sunlight right as we crossed Red Rock Creek, which was nice to have at this moment. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. After a nice relaxing break, we hit the trail again. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. There was even a distinct trail that led much of the way up, until it could no longer be seen amongst the boulders. There was a snowshoe hare, or multiple hares, that I kept seeing as I gathered wood. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. Apparently, they felt more threatened by that than the rocks whizzing by their heads. These odor proof bags have never let me down, and with all the rodents around, it was going to be a real test tonight. Since we paid for parking at the railroad, we drove back there and parked while we set out on foot once gain. I have done this one twice!! Eolus. It was eerie and mesmerizing at the same time. Had never seen so many mountains (we're from OK). 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. Please be aware that reservations can only be made from Durango and Silverton originations. The mountain goats I saw on the rocks earlier were in the same general spot on my way back. Go figure, good weather on the last day. 18-21 September 2017. However, to hike this trail as I did, you will need to secure a train reservation through the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Did this in and back turning around a waterfall. From there, youll have a choice of where youd like to go. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. I used a Garmin InReach Mini 2 to track our location, and any time we came to an unmarked trail junction, we knew which way to go. The train moves very slow, around 18 MPH max speed. We used a Sawyer Squeeze water filter. 1. The trail flattens out at the basin below Columbine Lake and once you arrive you're in for a real treat. 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. Keep a close eye on your belongings: these feisty critters can chew threw packs quickly. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) As always, questions and comments are welcome! I recommend bringing a trekking pole to help support and steady yourself on the trail. Had to climb over a hundred trees, no joke. We didn't. Windward_Coug. 2/21/22 12:49pm. 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. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. Youll encounter very rocky terrain (skip the zero drop / barefoot style boots on these trails your feet will be too sore!). Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. My knees were holding up very well so far this trip and I figured, why not? Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. Cachanilla83. 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). One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? Literally just yards below the top of the pass, on the Chicago Basin side, the trail gets extremely steep and pretty sketchy. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. Avalanche debris was cleared. After driving around town, we realized that there was zero parking available anywhere. The skies were cloudy all around us though. Y0ou could really see just ow red it was with a little sunlight. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. Excellent trip, lots of varied terrain, meadows, forests, small mountain ponds and lakes, avalanche tree slides, large and small rock slides, multiple high passes with great views. It was about 1/3 the size of his sleeping pad, and as far as I know, is the lightest one on the market at 9.1 ounces. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. Miles Hiked 5.4 Miles Hiked 5.4 We ended up finishing around 5pm on the 5th day, so instead of waiting around for the return train to Durango on day 6, we took the train to Silverton for lunch, then rode the whole return trip to Durango. 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. We use the Therm-a-Rest Vela Double 20 quilt. This entry was posted on August 29, 2013. It was incredible to see the clouds taking over the area! It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. Train ride through the beautiful San Juan mountains on the way to our drop off point at Elk Park. Columbine Pass The crowning jewel on our recent vacation to Colorado was an epic backpacking trip. 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). 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. 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. Copyright 2015-2023 Champagne TastesAll Rights Reserved. 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. The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association 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. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. We hiked from the Elk Park train stop to Needleton, which includes about 43 miles of hiking in the San Juan mountains. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? I headed up and made good time moving through here as it was pretty easy. Between the trailhead marker and train stop was actually private property with a few shacks, cabins, and homes built. I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. Hikers exchanged stories about their experiences in the Weminuche Wilderness and beyond to kill the time. I packed a peanut butter sandwich, some jerky, and a Metrx bar to eat later, as well as 2 liters of water. As we gained elevation, the Animas River became more and more impressive. Id say we averaged about 4-5 bouts of rain per day. I was a little nervous after getting dropped off at the trail via train and watching it ride away! Straddling sections of the infamous Continental . There were a bunch of waterfalls along Needle Creek though. I was very surprised that there were no seats available, the train was pretty packed. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. I forced myself to get out of the tent and go explore the area. The plan was to camp at either Kite Lake or Eldorado Lake, whichever looked more appealing. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. The cinders get in your eyes too, and they recommend that you wear sunglasses as a form of protection. Your monthly pledge helps me bring you more quality hiking and outdoor adventure videos, trail guides and content. More mountain goats as I leave the Twins Lake area. I meandered around the lake a while and snapped some pictures before heading back to camp. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. At least we can enjoy a few hours of sunshine before the weather turns. Id say there were about 20 people total here waiting for the train. I had also been considering a climb up Sunlight Peak as well, but it was so nice up here on Windom Peak that I decided to relax, and just enjoy the beautiful view. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! Climb aboard and make memories youll cherish forever by planning an outdoor adventure that starts on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Cant wait to try this trip myself! 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. I can use train but according to DSNGRR schedule, their trains stops EITHER in Needlton OR in Elk Park, but not in BOTH. If you found my trip report useful, please dont hesitate to leave a comment! Finally below the clouds after descending Hunchback Pass, These deer practically walked right up to us while we ate lunch. 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. The food issue didnt bother me much, I was mainly worried about the rodents chewing on our sweaty gear. Cell service is highly unlikely. There were no beavers. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. 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. 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. For shelter, we carried a backpacking tent, as well as a double sleeping pad, Sea to Summit Thermolite sleeping bag liners, and a compressible backpacking quilt. Anyways, with breakfast in our stomachs and all our wet gear packed away, we hit the trail around 7:30. Route Vallecito Creek Bridge to Chicago Basin. 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. The water tasted great and was very cold. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. I would have taken more pictures, but I didnt want my camera to get wet. Your email address will not be published. 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." Some streams had a lot of flash flood debris jammed up in certain points, more so than wed seen in other areas. Making reservations to ride the train to the wilderness is easy. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. There was only one other campsite occupied the we could see in the area, so it wasnt too crowded.