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| Backpack | 28.00 Miles |
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| | Backpack | 28.00 Miles | 3 Days | | |
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| no partners | | A mellow backpacking trip through an incredibly beautiful area of Colorado. So lush and green with raging rivers, wildflowers everywhere, waterfalls, incredible views of alpine peaks and... GOATS!!
Day 1 - Purgatory TH to Needles Basin (8.8 miles, on 2 hours of sleep!) The trail takes you down and then along the gulch of Purgatory creek. We had a few miles of hiking in the rain but nothing too crazy. Camped at Needles Basin and was lulled off to sleep by the sounds of the thundering river.
Day 2 - Needles Basin to Chicago Basin (then back down to the Animas River, 15.4 miles). So yeah... goats!!! They were roaming around everywhere once we got up to Chicago Basin. There was even a baby goat frolicking around which was by far the cutest thing I've ever seen on a hike. Chicago Basin was unreal, so incredibly beautiful that I can hardly believe we were really there when I see the photos. After hanging out with goats and eating lunch, eventually we turned around to head back to one of the sweet campsites we found along the Animas river.
Day 3 - Back up to Purgatory TH (3.7 miles). We saved the remainder of the elevation for the last day. Hiking back along this peaceful trail in morning light, through sunlit meadows and thickets of dew-covered wildflowers... I was not ready to leave!! We were out much too fast and a big part of me wanted to turn right back around and go back into the woods. Going to Grassburger in Durango was a good way to get back to civilization though. 
Notes... There are several 14ers you can hit up from Chicago Basin. Had our start not been delayed by weather, we would have attempted to hike all the way to Chicago Basin on Day #1 and summit Windom peak on Day #2. It is such a great area that coming back is an absolute must. It would be fun to do this as a loop using the Durango train as well. Staring up at those peaks REALLY gave me the itch to do a CO 14er now!!!!
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