CT Day 28: Weminuche Wilderness & Elk Creek

Daily Miles: 14.9, Total Miles: 406.4

Last night I was thinking decisions, decisions – should I try to reach Silverton tomorrow? I actually set the alarm for 3:20am and was on the trail by 4am.

A brisk, frosty morning with nearly a full moon – I still needed the headlamp for a few hours. Said goodbye to the CDT at first light as the CT turned west – the CT did not disappoint.

First a climb to the Divide at sunrise with magnificent mountain views then down an impressive set of switchbacks that led to the Elk River drainage.

I followed Elk Creek down a beautiful, rugged canyon eventually reaching the Animas River.

Rather than climb up the other side to Hwy 550 and hitch into Silverton, I opted to wait 30 minutes at the Elk Park Railroad Stop. I just had to take the Durango/Silverton Narrow Gauge RR into Silverton. First I had to master the special hand signal that would signal the train engineer to stop. It worked – the $35 charge was well worth it!

First up was a pizza lunch at Avalanche Brewery – burned up some calories today. Checked into my room at the Kendall Mountain Lodge and ran a few errands. Also cleaned up some gear and watched some football.

I went to an old family favorite, the Handlebars restaurant, for dinner and surprised myself by ordering a Chef’s Salad. Just had a hankering for greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes, with, of course, a few eggs thrown in.

After such an exciting day, no doubt one of the best, I fell asleep during the Sunday night football game.