Durango-Silverton Train

Trailhead condition requests, questions, alerts, etc.
Forum rules
  • This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
  • Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
  • Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
  • Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
User avatar
ClimbingFool
Posts: 104
Joined: 9/25/2019
14ers: 58 
13ers: 7
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by ClimbingFool »

Reservations for booking the train with wilderness access are now open. Enjoy!

Now my question is, will I need a bear can for Chicago Basin?
User avatar
WildWanderer
Posts: 157
Joined: 7/25/2017
14ers: 58  18 
13ers: 491 13
Trip Reports (343)
 
Contact:

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by WildWanderer »

ClimbingFool wrote: Sat May 01, 2021 11:06 am Reservations for booking the train with wilderness access are now open. Enjoy!

Now my question is, will I need a bear can for Chicago Basin?
No, but you will need to hang your food, and just about everything you leave behind while hiking: the marmots and goats will chew through tents/gear to get to your stuff. If you're leaving your site, hang your gear.
It's a mountain: get over it.
User avatar
jrs1965
Posts: 702
Joined: 1/3/2010
14ers: 58  1  3 
13ers: 10
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by jrs1965 »

Looking at the website, I am not seeing an option for the Needleton stop?
User avatar
askwjs
Posts: 45
Joined: 7/8/2017
13ers: 65 3
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by askwjs »

You have to call to book Needleton stop. Just booked ours this morning
mpz220
Posts: 13
Joined: 4/15/2021
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by mpz220 »

I was hoping to hop off at Elk Park and hike the half loop to Chicago Basin. However, the person at the RR advised against it due to avalanche debris at Elk Park.

Anyone know any details about this? If it is passable, I would definitely prefer to go that route.
User avatar
WildWanderer
Posts: 157
Joined: 7/25/2017
14ers: 58  18 
13ers: 491 13
Trip Reports (343)
 
Contact:

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by WildWanderer »

mpz220 wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 10:46 am I was hoping to hop off at Elk Park and hike the half loop to Chicago Basin. However, the person at the RR advised against it due to avalanche debris at Elk Park.

Anyone know any details about this? If it is passable, I would definitely prefer to go that route.
Is this a new avalanche area, or the one(s) that happend 2 years ago? I was in the area last year, and there was a clear path through the avalanche debris.
It's a mountain: get over it.
DaveLanders
Posts: 531
Joined: 3/7/2009
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by DaveLanders »

The avalanche debris is left over from 2019. Part of it has been cleared. Hopefully some more will get cleared this summer. The trail is passable but a bit of a pain
Every village has at least one idiot. Successful villages choose someone else to be their leader.
mpz220
Posts: 13
Joined: 4/15/2021
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by mpz220 »

WildWanderer wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 11:16 am
mpz220 wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 10:46 am I was hoping to hop off at Elk Park and hike the half loop to Chicago Basin. However, the person at the RR advised against it due to avalanche debris at Elk Park.

Anyone know any details about this? If it is passable, I would definitely prefer to go that route.
Is this a new avalanche area, or the one(s) that happend 2 years ago? I was in the area last year, and there was a clear path through the avalanche debris.
It's the one from 2019. The person I spoke to made it seem very difficult to pass.

I was quite skeptical of the advice. Just wanted to check in here to see what others had to say and if it was still worth pursuing.
mpz220
Posts: 13
Joined: 4/15/2021
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by mpz220 »

DaveLanders wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 11:19 am The avalanche debris is left over from 2019. Part of it has been cleared. Hopefully some more will get cleared this summer. The trail is passable but a bit of a pain
Good to know. I am quite committed to this route mentally so as long as it is passable -- without adding a significant amount of mileage -- I am happy.
User avatar
ReginaThomas
Posts: 27
Joined: 5/8/2020
14ers: 45 
13ers: 99 1
Trip Reports (7)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by ReginaThomas »

Here’s a pic of the avy debris in 2019. There are 3 slides left
To be cleared I think.
Attachments
7CBC7BA1-B473-4F8B-AADE-8D035EA34D31.jpeg
7CBC7BA1-B473-4F8B-AADE-8D035EA34D31.jpeg (370.18 KiB) Viewed 2809 times
mpz220
Posts: 13
Joined: 4/15/2021
Trip Reports (0)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by mpz220 »

ReginaThomas wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 3:52 pm Here’s a pic of the avy debris in 2019. There are 3 slides left
To be cleared I think.
Thank you for sharing! How many miles does the debris go on for?
User avatar
dwoodward13
Posts: 735
Joined: 3/26/2011
14ers: 58  12 
13ers: 157 6
Trip Reports (1)
 

Re: Durango-Silverton Train

Post by dwoodward13 »

ReginaThomas wrote: Wed May 05, 2021 3:52 pm Here’s a pic of the avy debris in 2019. There are 3 slides left
To be cleared I think.
There are actually only 2 piles left. All of the piles had orange flagging tape marking where to go thru if all the polished wood and broken sticks weren't clue enough as of Aug 2020. Its not a big deal other than taking a bit more time. Longest one is 1000 feet long.

https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/ ... ado-trail/
https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/ ... s-by-fall/
Post Reply