Help with making a trail

[Matgauley27]

Route Request: Telluride → Navajo Lake → El Diente & Mt. Wilson (Round Trip)
Hello! I’m looking for help creating a detailed CalTopo map and GPX file for a two-day backpacking/climbing route in Colorado's San Juan Mountains. Here are the specifics:

Day 1 (Telluride → Navajo Lake):
Start at Bear Creek Trailhead in Telluride.

Follow Bear Creek Trail up to Bear Creek Falls.

At Bear Creek Falls, branch onto Wasatch Trail (#508).

Ascend Wasatch Trail to Wasatch Saddle.

Connect via Upper Bilk Basin to join Rock of Ages Trail (#429).

Cross Rock of Ages Saddle into Navajo Basin.

Descend to Navajo Lake and camp.

Day 2 (Summits & Return):
From Navajo Lake, ascend north slopes via standard scramble routes to summit El Diente Peak (14,159 ft).

Traverse along the ridgeline (Class 3–4 scramble) from El Diente to Mt. Wilson (14,246 ft).

Descend Mt. Wilson’s north slopes back to Navajo Lake.

Pack up and return to Telluride via the same route used on Day 1.

Please I really need help making it

For sections without clear trails (such as the short link between Wasatch and Rock of Ages), please use realistic off-trail routes.

Include key waypoints like trail junctions, saddles, and summits.

Mark clear camping areas near Navajo Lake.

I’d greatly appreciate if someone could help create a detailed map and GPX for this route using CalTopo. Thank you in advance!

[yaktoleft13]

I'm confused. You seem to have mapped out your trip down to the detail (other than El D's N slopes. Skip those, climb the N buttress), so why not draw it yourself? Just go on caltopo, click "add" and "line", and draw it out. Takes 2 minutes.

[masonzastrow]

14ers has a great GPX editing tool! You can go to the GPX library on this site and download files that are close to what you need (look at AllTrails for the leg out of Telluride, maybe). Upload those to the mapmaking tool (available on the Map page under the Peaks tab), and delete unnecessary pings to create a track that fits your itinerary. I've found that this is easier with a mouse than a trackpad but you can do it without. I think you can add waypoints on there too. After you have your full map, export the GPX file and upload it to CalTopo.

Personally, I think you'll be better making this map yourself. Read the trip reports associated with the GPX files you use to see what areas are challenging and where comfortable camping is. It's part of the preparation process, for me at least! Good luck!

[Matgauley27]

I'm confused. You seem to have mapped out your trip down to the detail (other than El D's N slopes. Skip those, climb the N buttress), so why not draw it yourself? Just go on caltopo, click "add" and "line", and draw it out. Takes 2 minutes.

Sorry that its not very clear, Im very new to caltopo and the hike has certain destinations that I saw are on the way online and Im just really struggling to make it and find connections.

[Matgauley27]

14ers has a great GPX editing tool! You can go to the GPX library on this site and download files that are close to what you need (look at AllTrails for the leg out of Telluride, maybe). Upload those to the mapmaking tool (available on the Map page under the Peaks tab), and delete unnecessary pings to create a track that fits your itinerary. I've found that this is easier with a mouse than a trackpad but you can do it without. I think you can add waypoints on there too. After you have your full map, export the GPX file and upload it to CalTopo.

Personally, I think you'll be better making this map yourself. Read the trip reports associated with the GPX files you use to see what areas are challenging and where comfortable camping is. It's part of the preparation process, for me at least! Good luck!

Ok thank you!

[k_fergie]

Connecting Wasatch trail to Bilk basin on foot would be a bit impractical and require road walking through the town of Ophir. Definitely doable, but not the most efficient way to walk to the Wilsons from Telluride

[13erRetriever]

I'm also confused. You have a huge jump between the Wasatch saddle and ROA. There is no "short link between Wasatch and Rock of Ages" and it would take most people a couple of days just to connect those two, let alone add peaks and getting to the top of Wasatch. Rock of Ages Trail (#429) also doesn't connect with Bilk Basin unless you're going off trail, and I'd encourage you to read up on upper Bilk Basin to gain that ridge that would lead you to ROA. There are some reports on this site that go up to that ridge from Bilk Basin and describe the loose rock.

I don't want to be "that person" that assumes anyone else's experience or lack thereof to undertake something, but your questions really concern me. If you're looking for a beautiful 2-day backpack in the Telluride area I'd suggest just sticking with one or the other (Bear Creek/Wasatch/Bridal Veil Basin/back to Town via Black Bear or a loop around Navajo Lake using the Navajo/Woods Lake/Silver Pick trails and adding the peaks or maybe a fork up Kilpacker). Good luck and please be safe out there.

[supranihilest]

If you're going to plan trips, especially big ones like this, you have to learn how to use the planning tools available to you. Not should learn, have to learn. Start with the basic stuff like drawing lines and adding markers.

https://training.caltopo.com/
https://training.caltopo.com/all_users/objects

And not to rain on your parade a second time, but your trip is ambitious even for an exceptional, well-trained athlete. Most people would struggle to do either day by itself without an overnight pack, let alone both days with an overnight pack. The route itself also makes little sense, as others have mentioned. Again, start with the basics so you don't get in trouble.

[Matgauley27]

If you're going to plan trips, especially big ones like this, you have to learn how to use the planning tools available to you. Not should learn, have to learn. Start with the basic stuff like drawing lines and adding markers.

https://training.caltopo.com/
https://training.caltopo.com/all_users/objects

And not to rain on your parade a second time, but your trip is ambitious even for an exceptional, well-trained athlete. Most people would struggle to do either day by itself without an overnight pack, let alone both days with an overnight pack. The route itself also makes little sense, as others have mentioned. Again, start with the basics before we read about your harrowing disaster in the newspaper.

Ok I understand thank you

[justiner]

Caltopo is powerful, 'cause you can make a track line go ANYWHERE
Caltopo is dangerous, 'cause you can make a track line go ANYWHERE

[d_baker]

If you're set on starting from Telluride, and going up Bear Cr, you could easily make a 2 day adventure out of it as a backpack.
There's a trail (seen on gaia) that is before Bear Creek Falls that goes up to saddle with La Junta Pk and Wasatch Mtn.
I've seen people go down from that saddle, towards Bear Cr trail, but I don't recall where the turnoff is from Bear Cr, or if it's marked.

Wasatch is sort of a walkup peak too.
Near the top there's some looser steep parts if I remember correctly.

You could also backpack into Bridal Basin, which is very nice, and still summit Wasatch Mtn or La Junta (or both).
You could walk from town to start that hike as well.

[colluvium]

The Telluride Mountain Club hosts an excellent and up-to-date area trail map that contains all the data you'd need.
https://www.telluridemountainclub.org/t ... rails-map/

The Wasatch - La Junta saddle from Telluride is indeed a wonderful hike that leads to many peaks and options for adventure. The La Junta Basin trail is best accessed from the Bear Creek to Ballard to east bear creek trails. Locating the La Junta basin trail from farther up the Bear Creek trail is not obvious and requires crossing Bear Creek. There are no signs for any of this.

To the OP: It's certainly possible to hike from Telluride to Navajo lake, but it'd be better to go via Galloping Goose to FS623 to Sunshine Mesa TH to Lizard Head Trail to Upper Bilk Basin, etc., but you're gonna need more than two days. They'll be awesome days, though.