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Overview | Multi-Day Itineraries | Schedule & Costs
- 3 Day Trip--Needleton to Chicago Basin.
- 5 Day Trip--Needleton to Chicago Basin--Columbine Pass--Endlich Mesa--Vallectio Reservoir.
- 9 Day Trip--Needleton to Chicago Basin--Columbine Pass--Vallecito Creek--Elk Creek--Continental Divide--Highland Mary Lakes--Cunningham Gulch.
(Chicago Basin with hiking trail marked in red)
Our 3 Day Backpacking Trip is an excellent introduction to the backcountry, and a great way to see Chicago Basin in a relatively short period of time. The 3 day trip leaves both the 5 and 9 day trips on day 3 of their respective itineraries.
Day 0: We meet at the Southwest Adventure Guides' office in the afternoon or early evening in order to go over equipment, food, and logistics issues for the following morning.
Day 1: We will meet at the Southwest Adventure Guides' office at 7:30 am and then proceed to the Durango and Silverton Railroad Station where we board the historic Narrow Gauge Train. We ride the narrow gauge train to the Needleton stop, where our trek will begin. After adjusting our packs and preparing to hike we begin by hiking up Needle creek to a creek side camp in a beautiful, open alpine meadow.
Day 2: Today we continue our hike into Chicago Basin where we make our camp. We are surrounded by towering mountains that are over 14, 000 feet in elevation. Mt. Eolus (14,065 ft.), Mt Windom (14,084 ft.), and Sunlight Peak (14,004 ft.) dominate the scenery of this must see area in the Weminuche.
Day 3: Today we'll hike up and over Columbine Pass (12,715 ft.) and down into the Vallecito Basin, then making our way over Trimble Pass (12,820 ft.), eventually camping on Silver Mesa. This is a spectacular day hiking over two mountain passes that afford us grandiose views of the entire range.
Day 4: A relatively easy day takes us down to City Reservoir and towering Sheridan Mtn (12,795 ft.) where we'll camp at the south end of the reservoir. A well deserved shorter day that drops a good deal of elevation and puts us back amongst the pine trees.
Day 5: The final day of our backpacking adventure will take us up and on to an impressive ridgeline, the Endlich Mesa, where we'll be able to view Chicago Basin from afar. Losing elevation quickly, we'll end up at Freeman Creek where our shuttle vehicle will be waiting to take us back to Durango. What a trip!!
Day 0: We meet at the Southwest Adventure Guides' office in the afternoon or early evening in order to go over equipment, food, and logistics issues for the following morning.
Day 1: We will meet at the Southwest Adventure Guides' office at 7:30 am and then proceed to the Durango and Silverton Railroad Station where we board the historic Narrow Gauge Train. We ride the narrow gauge train to the Needleton stop, where our trek will begin. After adjusting our packs and preparing to hike we begin by hiking up Needle creek to a creek side camp in a beautiful, open alpine meadow.
Day 2: Today we continue our hike into Chicago Basin where we will make our camp for the evening. We are surrounded by towering mountains that are over 14, 000 feet in elevation. Mt. Eolus (14,065 ft.), Mt Windom (14,084 ft.), and Sunlight Peak (14,004 ft.) dominate the scenery of this must see area in the Weminuche.
Day 3: Today will be a rest and acclimatization day, and will also allow us to explore Chicago Basin in more detail. For those with the energy and enthusiasm, we may attempt to hike to the top of Windom Peak (14,085 ft.).
Day 4: A big day takes us up and over Columbine Pass (12,715 ft.) and down into the trail along Vallecito Creek where we'll continue along until we locate a decent campsite near Leviathan Creek and below The Guardian (13,617 ft.).
Day 5: Continuing along the Vallecito Creek Trail, we'll eventually reach the intersection with the Continental Divide Trail. This amazing trail takes us to Kite Lake and the trail into Elk Creek, the home of the Grenadier Mountains, known for their higher quality rock. The Tritinty Peaks dominate the horizon.
Day 6: We'll take an opportunity to rest our feet a little bit on this day. Rising late demands we eat a big breakfast, then go on a leisurely hike to explore the Vestal and Elk Creek Basin.
Day 7: Shouldering the packs once more, we'll hike back up to the Continental Divide Trail and onward to the Highland Mary Lakes, an amazing complex of lakes and streams too beautiful and remote to be true.
Day 8: This is also a rest and exploration day of the terrain around the Highland Mary Lakes.
Day 9: A relatively short day takes us down into Cunningham Gulch where our shuttle vehicle will be waiting to take us back to Durango by way of Silverton. An amazing trip!!
Please note that the above itinerary is not exact. While we attempt to follow the day by day itinerary, the mountains are a dynamic environment and we may have to change the actual itinerary to meet the needs of the group or to adjust for environmental conditions. We also have custom itineraries available. Please call about these trips.
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Alaska
