Took the train from Durango and got off at Needleton. My experience was only the indoor climbing gym and small, simple hiking excursions around my hometown. Featuring a lengthy overall distance, rugged terrain, and plenty of elevation gain, the Chicago Basin Hike is a challenging adventure that will require experience and a good degree of planning. For trekking trips in Colorados Weminuche Wildernessyou should be ready for: Durango is located in the SW corner of Colorado, at the intersection of the sandstone towers of the desert, and the jagged, San Juan Mountains. The access to these peaks and the proximity to the train stop make Elk Creek one of the most heavily used trails in the entire Weminuche Wilderness. For more in depth information, check out the Continental Divide Trail Coalition webpage. Unless you have a current Season Pass there is a freight charge per backpack ($15). Here, you will continue along the trail as it passes through the forest for 1.5 km, meeting up with the banks of Needle Creek, before arriving at a junction in the trail. The San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests maintain hundreds of trails for these activities outside the wilderness boundary. Camping is not allowed within 100 feet of any water source. At the Divide, the trail connects with the Continental Divide Trail. Book This Needleton is a popular trailhead for hiking into the Needle Mountains. Posted on August 4, 2022 by jim. I'll be doing this loop this September 2023 except in reverse. For a detailed backpacking itinerary, dig into the associated guidebook. If experiencing any symptoms which include headache, loss of appetite, and weakness or drowsiness, descend quickly. Mulaz outsole with a technical edging platform and aggressive rear lugs for superior traction. The top of Columbine Pass is the end of Needle Creek Trail and beginning of Johnson Creek Trail #821, which descends over 3,500 feet in 7 milesto Vallecito Creek. The best spot for camping was at Kite Lake, worth waking up to see the sunrise reflected on the lake. This 19-mile trail parallels the beautiful Vallecito Creek through the heart of the Weminuche Wilderness. I was verbally told off my a forest service worker for camping in an area that seemed heavily camped in with no signage saying it was not for camping? The three tallest 14,059 foot Sunlight Peak, 14,084 foot Mount Eolus and 14,087 foot Windom Peak are the most popular climbs, but there are many other peaks offering mountaineering challenges and scenic wonder. We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. Even took a quick dip in the lake because it was so hot out! Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 20 h 6 min to complete. From here, it's a 6 mile hike to reach Chicago Basin. Backpacking in Chicago Basin by way of the Durango & Silverton Narrow At 6.5 miles you begin the steep climb to Columbine Pass. We camped at ~9300 ft. Box 2261 (mailing) 15 Burnett Court (physical) Durango, CO 81302 970.385.1210 info@sjma.org, 2018 - All Rights Reserved - San Juan Mountains Association | Web Design by Sweet P Web Development, The Continental Divide Trail traverses more than 3,000 miles from New Mexico to Canada, with more than 80 miles within the Weminuche Wilderness. Overall a pretty remote and isolated trail with beautiful scenery, clean water everywhere and pristine nature. Bring your water filter along with 1.5-2 liters of water with you. Chicago Basin - Wikipedia Supported by the Weminuche Wilderness Stewardship Fund, the San Juan Wilderness Stewardship Crewprovides a boots on the ground education and stewardship presence in the wilderness to improve access, restore damage, and enhance the visitor experience. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. Rio Grande Southern Galloping Goose #5 Excursions, K-28 100th Anniversary Fall Photo Special, Ghost Crawl: Haunted Durango Train Museum Experience, http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/sanjuan/wilderness. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. SILVERTON DEPARTURES:You will be booked on one of the afternoon trips out of Silverton and arrive at Elk Park flag stop about 30 minutes after leaving Silverton. The Boosters reversible design lets you choose. Updated for touchscreen compatibility, the StormTracker Sensor Gloves are equally at home alpine climbing, ski touring or ice climbing. Passengers are not permitted to carry firearms on the train. You need at minimum either a soft shell jacket or hard shell jacket for local Ouray based winter courses and programs. I was feeling brave so I decided to go with the 4:30 am start, figuring that if I was running late I could run the downhill from Chicago Basin to Needleton. As always, being in excellent physical shape is an important component of our our programs. Another mile leads you to the junction with the Elk Park Train Stop spur. Cardiovascular activities such as running, swimming, and cycling are great to build heart and lung endurance. Once at the saddle, choose which mountain to summit (or do both). 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. This area has excellent views and photographic possibilities. and found Eric and Whitney resting quietly just off the path leading to the bridge. Trail: Chicago Basin from Needleton Needleton Elevation: 8,212 ft. Camp Elevation: 11,000 ft. . Elevations in the Weminuche range from 7,000 to 14,000 feet. Andrew Hamilton's 2014 Attempt | 14er Speed Record Attempt San Juan National Forest Fire Restrictions, Rio Grande National Forest Fire Restrictions, provides many maps and guidebooks to help you plan your. Day Hiking Trails I summited Windom Peak in July of 2009 with a group from my high school. These pants dig climbs that take them a few hundred feet off the deck. We werent sure about the weather because it had been 80% chance of thunderstorms on NOAA; we got very lucky with lots of sunshine though. Come learn with the best The downed trees in forums were cleaned up and the trail was very well maintained. pack it in, pack it out. Lip balm is important to bring on all trips. Pack it for those days where you need just a touch of down insulation, or on those cold days on the chairlift when an extra layer might be crucial. The access point to Chicago Basin is somewhat unusual, but that's what makes this trip so special. The Chicago Basin Hike | A Stunning Hike Into the Mountains - 10Adventures Check out our. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Trail conditions often change rapidly; please be well prepared! Weve chosen a couple more popular routes to highlight below, but if you study a map, you will see the endless backpacking trails and route possibilities within the Weminuche. The only southbound option for wilderness access will be Elk Park. This trail is often used as an approach for climbing the four 14ers found in the Needle Mountains. It was a dream and once in a lifetime trip! If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. Incredible hike all told, with amazing views, up-close wildlife, and streams/creeks the whole way. Great backpacking experience!! As you visit, you will join thousands of others who travel in the Weminuche each year. Found it really hard to find camping and the usfs map of the basin didnt seem to match closures of where you can camp. It's mainly visited for hikers departing on overnight backpacking trips into Chicago Basin. Please contact Special Handling in the Reservation Office at 970-385-8832 to make arrangements. So I said goodbye to James, who would pack up the tent and sleeping bags and meet me down in Needleton to catch the train. Mount Eolus looked pretty hairy with steep drop-offs. Owing to its easy access via the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, its proximity to three of Colorados 14-ers, and its scenic beauty, Chicago Basin is a very popular backpacker destination in the Weminuche Wilderness. This is a popular trail for backpacking, birding, and camping, but you can still enjoy some solitude during quieter times of day. All summits in the Rocky Mountains require varying amounts of mountaineering skills; those attempting any of them should be mindful of the hazards of afternoon thunderstorms, sudden drops in temperature, and precipitous terrain. It makes a stop (when requested) at Needleton, a location near the confluence of Needle Creek and the Animas. Needleton is now a flag stop on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. (Sorry not an actual review, looking for advice) @Chris Bracken / or anyone else who has recently hiked Chicago Basin - are crampons recommended in order to summit even 1 of the 14ers? We ride the narrow gauge train to the Needleton stop, where our trek will begin. Recreational livestock are prohibited from being restrained within 100 (35 adult steps) of water. Our most popular items are: Whether you are a peak bagger, fly fisherman, avid backpacker, nature lover or all of the above, the Weminuche is a dream-come-true. We did North Eolus instead, which had more of those large granite boulders that took us to the top. The trail connects Wolf Creek Pass approximately 30 minutes east of Pagosa Springs, CO to Stoney Pass near Silverton, CO by traveling through the rugged beauty of both the San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests. There are no camping spots until you reach Chicago Basin. However I'm looking forward to making another trip here soon. This hike is definitely a good one! We summitted Windom and saw how crazy the others looked so we went back to base camp in the rain and took a rest day the next day. This was our third trek on this trail. Looking good is important too. Low-profile GORE WINDSTOPPER. Dogs are welcome and may be off-leash in some areas. An excellent investment for all of our programs. From Highway 550, the Molas Trail winds its way down 4 miles to the Animas River and the entrance to the Weminuche. Plenty water sources, every day at least 2. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). Packs will be loaded and stored in a boxcar under the supervision of the train crew. The best option for flying to the area is to fly into Durango La Plata County Airport. Small town but free parking unlike Durango. Only the Silverton Diesel Train is designated for flag stops. Roundtrip prices range from $143 - $186, and one-ways to Needles start as low as $76. Weminuche Wilderness: Trails, Camping, and Guides - SJMA Below are just a few options catering to different lodging styles and preferences. Mt. Eolus - Chicago Basin Approach | Route | 14ers.com Anyone who purchases a current hunting/fishing license, or boat, snowmobile, ATV registration already contributes to the fund. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. This allows you to pick the cheapest days to fly if your trip allows flexibility and score cheap flight deals to Needles. 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). Experience this 17.4-mile out-and-back trail near Silverton, Colorado. We took the train on a Thursday to Needleton, backpacked up too Chicago Basin that night, and allowed for climbing peaks on Friday and Saturday. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. Route NOTICE: Starting 2019, only trains starting from Durango will drop hikers off at the Needleton stop. 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. Hikers should take note that, while this route isnt overly technical, it will still require a good amount of hiking experience. Arriving at a fork, you will bear left to begin climbing the steep and rugged alpine terrain, eventually arriving at the scenic shores of the Twin Lakes after 1.8 km. 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.