San Juan 60-miler

[on_the_GOEZ]

Heading out to Denver, CO next month and my GF and I are looking to do a section in the San Juans (appx 60 miles). Any recommendations? Towns for Resupply, hotel, etc.? Trail Heads?

Thanks in advance

[fiddlehead]

Access isn't easy in the San Juans.
I would probably go in at Wolf Creek Pass, heading west and come out around the Rio Grande river headwaters for the easiest access points and more downhill than up.
Wiminuche pass and trail is another option.
Vellicito reservoir (way west) is another option for a take out.
And a good one because if you end there, you get to go to the "Window" which is pretty cool.

So, I'd either put in at Wolf Creek pass and take out around the Rio Grande river (there's a dirt road there that goes north to the Rio Grande reservoir )
OR, put in at Wiminuche pass and take out at Vellicto reservoir not far from Durango

Not sure of the mileage but I believe Wolf Creek pass to Vellicto is around 100 miles (I've done that piece twice)

Good luck. It's a beautiful section.

[on_the_GOEZ]

So, I'd either put in at Wolf Creek pass and take out around the Rio Grande river (there's a dirt road there that goes north to the Rio Grande reservoir )
OR, put in at Wiminuche pass and take out at Vellicto reservoir not far from Durango

Good luck. It's a beautiful section.

Thanks for the great reply. Ive heard great things about Durango - would love to visit. Care to comment on the difficulty of the area? We are both in good shape and will be fine starting off miles in mid- to upper-teens (assuming were not tackling a super strenuous area)

Also, any ideas about weather during mid-september. Ive read the snow CAN happen then, but is unlikely. Any special gear recommendations?

BTW, Ive been all over the east coast and most of europe but this is my first time west of Chicago. Your reply last night gave me the tingly 'cant-sit-still' feeling ive been waiting on :). Cant wait!!!

[Mags]

Check out this post from Bear Creek:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?85754-recommendation-requested&p=1304485&viewfull=1#post1304485

A moderate mileage trip that should work well.... If you are coming fro lower elevations, you do not want to crank out the mileage right-off-the-bat. If you are feeling ambitious, always easy to extend the mileage a bit.

Mid-Sept can be glorious weather. But, yeah, be prepared for a freak snowstorm.

[Ronnwell]

Thanks for the great reply. Ive heard great things about Durango - would love to visit. Care to comment on the difficulty of the area? We are both in good shape and will be fine starting off miles in mid- to upper-teens (assuming were not tackling a super strenuous area)

Also, any ideas about weather during mid-september. Ive read the snow CAN happen then, but is unlikely. Any special gear recommendations?

BTW, Ive been all over the east coast and most of europe but this is my first time west of Chicago. Your reply last night gave me the tingly 'cant-sit-still' feeling ive been waiting on :). Cant wait!!!

Durango is a fun town to acclimate a day or two in for sure. Another option besides what Mags offered is to do the Colorado Trail from Durango to Silverton (or vice versa) and make use of the train to either get up to Silverton or get back to Durango. Its approximately 75 miles which is longer than you what you want to do, but its a pretty sweet hike. Alternatively, you could also take the train up to Silverton (or hitch) and there's a ton of day and multi-night hikes out of there that you could do. Both Durango and Silverton have good hostels to stay at.

[on_the_GOEZ]

Durango is a fun town to acclimate a day or two in for sure. Another option besides what Mags offered is to do the Colorado Trail from Durango to Silverton (or vice versa) and make use of the train to either get up to Silverton or get back to Durango. Its approximately 75 miles which is longer than you what you want to do, but its a pretty sweet hike. Alternatively, you could also take the train up to Silverton (or hitch) and there's a ton of day and multi-night hikes out of there that you could do. Both Durango and Silverton have good hostels to stay at.

Thanks for the replies. The train would be ideal so we can get back to (hike or train afterwards) to our Jeep to travel back home. I always enjoy hitching - great way to meet friendly people. Definately one of my favorite aspects of longdistance hiking. Maybe well see one of you fine blokes on the trail/road :)

[juma]

I just came back from there 2 weeks ago. One thing I took that was really handy was a tarp to sit under, cook under, etc while the afternoon/evening storm blows through. There were few to no bugs. I think my partner claimed he killed one mosquito. Plenty of water everywhere, so I usually only carried a pint. It got into the 30s at nite.

[on_the_GOEZ]

I just came back from there 2 weeks ago. One thing I took that was really handy was a tarp to sit under, cook under, etc while the afternoon/evening storm blows through. There were few to no bugs. I think my partner claimed he killed one mosquito. Plenty of water everywhere, so I usually only carried a pint. It got into the 30s at nite.

Did you take the train?

[colorado_rob]

Durango is a fun town to acclimate a day or two in for sure. Another option besides what Mags offered is to do the Colorado Trail from Durango to Silverton (or vice versa) and make use of the train to either get up to Silverton or get back to Durango. Its approximately 75 miles which is longer than you what you want to do, but its a pretty sweet hike. Alternatively, you could also take the train up to Silverton (or hitch) and there's a ton of day and multi-night hikes out of there that you could do. Both Durango and Silverton have good hostels to stay at. Yes! I think this would probably be the most bang for your buck. Start at Molas Pass (7 miles south of Silverton, hitch a ride), take the 3 sections of the CO trail right into durango. b-e-a-UUUU-tiful stuff, I guarantee you will like. And that train ride back to Silverton will be a nice relaxing, fun novel experience to cap it all off. Or, you could do the train first to Durango, and reverse the hike. Either way. The trains leave silverton SB early afternoon, two of them, check the schedule by googling "durango silverton Railroad Schedules.

The SJ's are definitely my all-time favorite place in Colorado, and I try to get down there 4-5 times every year, despite the 6 hour drive from Denver. Snow is not a freak occurance in September, it happens regularly, actually. Not much though. Zero bugs this time of year, but definitely cold nights. Lots of rain in the afternoons.

[bearcreek]

No hitching necessary. You could leave your vehicle in Durango and take the train to Elk Park, which is on the CT. It is 5.4 miles to Molas Pass via the CT from where you get off the train. Total miles is about 80 to the Durango trailhead. It is 5.4 miles of Seg 24 plus segments 25-28.

Weather has dried up considerably down here. September is usually fairly dry compared to August.

[colorado_rob]

No hitching necessary. You could leave your vehicle in Durango and take the train to Elk Park, which is on the CT. It is 5.4 miles to Molas Pass via the CT from where you get off the train. Total miles is about 80 to the Durango trailhead. It is 5.4 miles of Seg 24 plus segments 25-28.

Weather has dried up considerably down here. September is usually fairly dry compared to August. Good call on that itinerary. I beg to differ on the recent weather though; we just spent four days down there (in the Grendiers) and it rained every day, fairly hard. However: the weather in Durango is quite different from that around Molas Pass!

I do agree, Sept. starts drying out in general though.

[on_the_GOEZ]

Were heading to Silverton in the morning, and will begin hiking Tuesday morning. Were still unsure if we will hike from Molas Pass (west) or hitch to Durango and head north (east). Money is tight right now so no train for us this trip :( Nonetheless, doing segments 25-28. Planning 5 or six days.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions thus far. Cant wait to give a post-trip report (pictures included!) Happy trails!

[juma]

no. partner's wife shuttled us.