Custom Trip: Eldorado Lake/ Continental Divide/ Highland Mary Lakes

Weminuche Wilderness

Date

TBD

COST

Custom Cost/person

difficulty

Easy - Difficult

elevation gain & Loss

2,800ft (req.)
5,000ft (optional)

Total mileage

21 (req.)
20-30 (optional)

POINTS OF INTEREST

Grenadier Mountain, All above timberline, Continental Divide Trail, Wildflowers, Eldorado Lake campsite

DETAILS

ABOUT YOUR TRIP

An 9-mile hike (elevation gain 2,000 feet) from a historic mining district in Cunningham Gulch starts this epic adventure. The hike is along the Continental Divide Trail through the beautiful tundra with tremendous views of the San Juan Mountains to our camp at Eldorado Lake. This camp is situated in a cirque valley against the Grenadier Mountains and the second day is spent exploring this amazing chain of mountains. The third day we hike 6-miles to the high tundra Highland Mary Lakes, an area that is alive with trout on our way into our camp nestled in the woods with great views down Elk Creek (elevation loss 600 feet and elevation gain 500 feet).  The layover day explores the 9 spectacular lakes in the area. The final day is a 6-mile hike (elevation loss 2,200 feet and elevation gain 300 feet) down Cunningham Creek bringing us back to our starting point at Cunningham Gulch. Detailed: Highland Mary Loop Trail Hike 2.5-miles on the highlighted route to the Continental Divide Trail /Colorado Trail another 4.5-miles on segment 24 Colorado Trail CO Trail Segment 24 to the junction of the Eldorado Lake Trail, then 1 more mile to our camp at Eldorado Lake. Hike back 3.5-miles to the highlighted trail hiking then another 2-miles to our camp near Lost Lake.  The hike out is on the highlighted trail returning to our starting point at Cunningham Gulch.

Location

Weminuche Wilderness

As the largest wilderness in Colorado, this area contains a significant portion of the San Juan Mountains. The Weminuche is surrounded by the incredible Colorado true mountain towns of Durango, Silverton, and Pagosa Springs. The area is known for its rugged terrain that is as diverse as it is spectacular. It ranges from the gaping Animas River gorge to the tops of distinguished peaks in the Needle Range that sprawl immediately to the east. The Weminuche wilderness consists of an abundance of prominent jagged peaks. The unique formations are a result of volcanic and ice age activity. The northern end of the Needle Mountains is highlighted by a range of imposing peaks called the Grenadier Range. Most of our use is in this section with our camps strategically set up to explore the acclaimed mountains. This provides a solitude only found deep in the heart of the mountains. This region is notoriously less crowded due to it not containing the sought after 14,000-foot peaks. The range is littered with 13,000 foot plus peaks that are stunning, some of the most scenic country in the world. When not distracted by the breathtaking pinnacles, you can often find wildlife like mountain goats roaming the range.

Video

Trip Highlight Video

LOGISTICS

WHAT TO EXPECT

Our trips originate in the high mountain town of Silverton, Colorado (elevation 9,316 feet) which is a historic mining town boasting gorgeous Victorian architecture. It’s renowned for its mountainous beauty and vivid alpine landscape, truly a postcard setting. Located in the heart of the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado it’s self-contained with a wide variety lodging options. Whether budget conscious, or looking for something higher end, there are accommodations suited for all tastes. The dining scene is also nicely varied with many choices (www.silvertoncolorado.com).

It is highly recommended that clients come at least a few days ahead of time to acclimate to the altitude. The nearby local airports are either Durango La Plata CO (DRO) or Montrose Telluride, CO (MTJ), and the closest major airports are Albuquerque International, NM (ABQ) or Denver International, CO. (DEN). There are many activities the surrounding areas provide, including but not limited to: exceptional hiking, jeep or ATV rentals to explore the remote high country, Mesa Verde National Park, Narrow Gauge Railroad from Durango to Silverton train ride, mountain bike rentals and alpine slide at Purgatory, and outings to the nearby towns of Ouray (home of the famous natural hot springs!), the plush resort town of Telluride, and the historic town of Durango.

Our headquarters are located in Silverton at 1708 Greene St. There is an orientation meeting the night before the trip at 6 PM where the clients meet their guides, go over the details of the trip; they also receive their panniers (llama bags) which they take back to their hotel to pack up their gear that evening. The next morning at 8:30 the trip departs from the HQ (parking for clients cars available) to the trailhead. The trips return at 2-3 PM on the last day.