I started at 630am and made my first summit to Mt Eolus at 8am, which was all to myself! We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! We had been told by the forest service that we would encounter more avalanche debris fields in the basin. There are no camping spots until you reach Chicago Basin. Wilderness is a place where the imprint of humans is substantially unnoticeable, where natural processes are the primary influencers and human activity is limited to primitive recreation and minimum tools. The trip from Durango to the Needleton stop is about 2.5 hours (the train is very slow). Needle Creek seen near campsite. Chicago Basin 1: Sunlight & Windom Peaks - Greg Willis 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. Stunning! I scrambled my way up without too much trouble, only to later see a trail leading up a rocky slope that bypasses the rock scrambling. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. Wilderness Access - Official Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Eolus, Windom Peak, and Sunlight Peak Routes. It took us 7 days to complete it. The basin is a popular spot for climbers and backpackers and is home to three Colorado Fourteeners (mountains over 14,000 feet). The airport is a 20 minute drive from our office. Filter your water again at Twin Lakes and then continue to your mountain of choice. Heading south, the route leads to Hunchback Pass and from here to the upper end of the Vallecito Creek Trail. Taking day hikes with your loaded backpack at a local park will help train your legs for the mileage you will do in the mountains. The only southbound option for wilderness access will be Elk Park. We know that by working together, doing the hard work on the ground, and the slow work of building a wilderness conservation ethic, that we can protect the amazing wild character of the Weminuche for ourselves and for future generations. Will definitely be back to try again and spend more time here - amazingly beautiful hiking area. The third day we hiked ~11 miles, starting with 2 miles downhill and then 7 miles to the top of columbine pass and then 2 miles down to camp at Chicago basin. Again, we did North Eolus, which is the same trail as Mount Eolus (until you reach the saddle). Highly recommend! Fog and trees seen from Chicago Basin. All freight itemsmust be properly tagged with ownership and destination. We got to the train stop at noon and the train picked us up at 3pm. Backpackers with plenty of time on their hands might hike the Divide Trail north to either Stony Pass or the Highland Mary Lakes area. the train ride in makes this trail even more epic! The trail is approximately 3 miles, one way, but can be made into a 7.8 mile loop via a segment of the Continental Divide Trail to Cunningham Gulch Trail. Check out our trail access page for more information. Be prepared for a lot of bugs and rain. 7/19 Bonus Hiking Trail: Chicago Basin/Twin Lakes Trail Camp Elevation: 11,000 ft. Junction Elevation: 11,204 ft. Elevation Total: 204 ft. Mileage Total: 1.9 miles TRIP REPORT: Durango-Silverton Train to Needleton (7/19) Start Time: 9:15am End time . I have backpacked in the Weminuche three times, all in September, and each time we encountered some bad rainy weather. During the Summer of 2023, San Juan Mountain Guides will be offering the Chicago Basin Backpacking trip only by Private Arrangement.
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