Chicago Basin help

[DArcyS]

Intersting. The flies were like that in the Flat Tops as well. I've never seen so many in Colorado.

I'm not sure what is up with all the flies this year.

I'll ditto that. I was west of Castle Peak grabbing 13ers recently and the flies were as bad as I've ever experienced. I wasn't sure if it was just the area because of a few cows, but it sounds like it is more of a weather or some other environmental factor across Colorado this year. The San Juans usually don't have so many bothersome insects. And for what it's worth, I barely saw a miller moth this year. I think I'd favor conditions that yield millers instead of flies and mosquitoes.

[pak]

I've always run into quite a few black flies in the Needleton area or other places along the Animas in the vicinity of Pigeon Creek and Noname, but higher up they tend to subside. Sorry to hear they have increased.

[BKS]

Was there last weekend. Yes, flies were horrible.

Forecast was for 60% afternoon rain showers. I allowed for 2 nights/2 days to make sure I got them all, but hoped to do it all in one day. I left at 5 a.m. was back to tent by 1 p.m. and made it for Durango train by 330. I just did everything but Windom, but that would have only added 1 hour. I'm not a speedster.

It didn't end up raining on either day until about 3 p.m. I did Sunlight first so as not to have to do summit block wet.

[Brimstone10]

I'm heading down there this Thursday to spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the basin. Our plan is to do them over two days but depending on the weather I may go for all 4 in a day. I'll report back on the fly situation upon my return.

[Brimstone10]

I'm heading down there this Thursday to spend Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the basin. Our plan is to do them over two days but depending on the weather I may go for all 4 in a day. I'll report back on the fly situation upon my return.

After looking at the weather forecast, I feel my post should say I'm heading down to get soaked for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I'm hoping that super early starts will allow me to miss the weather.

[RonfarZ3]

My climbing partner and I did them in 2014 around July 4th and we had no weather issues at all (I don't think it rained once while we were there). In fact, we likely would have been able to do all four in a day had I not injured my IT Band during a self-arrest descending a snowfield off of Eolus/N. Eolus. That being the situation, we still managed to bag Sunlight and got Windom the next day.

From the other posts on this thread, seems that we climbed at the drier side of the season.

[STINKYMARMOT19]

There's been lots of good feedback already, but I thought I'd add my experience...

My buddy and I made our trip into Chicago Basin in the middle of September. Not many bugs and I think we saw more mountain goats and mule deer than people. Day 1, took the morning train and hiked into the upper basin to set up camp. Day 2, Climbed Eolus, then Sunlight, waited out a thunderstorm hiding under some big rocks, once that passed I scrambled up Windom which had some fresh snow on the north face? which made it slick in spots (but everything else we climbed was clear). So, all 3 in the same day, and could've easily added North Eolus but I was so focused on getting the main 3, I had forgotten about it while we were up there. Day 3, hiked out and flagged the train back to Durango. I'll be heading back for North Eolus some day. Being such a beautiful place and fun trip, I have no problem doing it again. Aside from the one quick storm, our weather was great.

Making train reservations was a little nerve wracking... wanting to go on a good weather forecast, but making it far enough in advance to score a ticket, plus lots of unknowns with logistics since I had never done it before. I think I ended up just picking a couple of days, preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best. Sometimes you just gotta wing it! Like one of the other guys mentioned... during the course of a few days you'll likely get a climbing window as storms usually pass. Even if you don't summit anything, its an awesome trip. Enjoy being in one of the most secluded wilderness areas of CO.

[Brimstone10]

We ended up pushing our trip out to early September in hopes of better weather. Being that its later in the year, that will be a rain or shine trip regardless if we summit anything.

[bigDmulc009]

Thank you all for your responses!

Luckily I have the ability to push this around for the remainder of August. The railroad charged me for a second rescheduling to next week (11-13th) so maybe I'll be able to line up with the Perseids and clear skies... a guy can dream.

I'll be sure to report on what I find should I actually make the trip. As of now I am just trying to focus on attainable 14ers, potentially down in the Sangres

[bigDmulc009]

The key to the summer months, is timing the trip between monsoon moisture pulses. The forecast discussion and the hourly forecasts on the NOAA site are a good places for this info, and unfortunately for your plans, Thurs-Fri doesn't look so favorable.

Any links to this? I appreciate the advice just have little to no idea how to follow it

[wineguy]

Making train reservations was a little nerve wracking... wanting to go on a good weather forecast, but making it far enough in advance to score a ticket,

Has anyone ever been denied a train ticket? I showed up about 2 hours before departure from Silverton on July 27 and bought a ticket for same day. I also waited until the last minute on my previous trip. On July 29 I returned a day before my official reservation and there was plenty of room on the train. Reservation agent said they always have room for backpackers who deviate from their original schedule. Someone told me that they keep adding cars as required (I can't vouch for this comment). On July 27 they added a fourth train from Durango. But if I've just been lucky and I need to plan further in advance, please let me know.

[KentonB]

Making train reservations was a little nerve wracking... wanting to go on a good weather forecast, but making it far enough in advance to score a ticket,

Has anyone ever been denied a train ticket? ...

Wineguy, when I was there last week, I had the same thoughts! I've only been there twice, but both times there were a splattering of empty seats on both the trip there and the trip back. I asked the ticket agent what would happen if all seats were full and we were trying to exit the wilderness. She said they'd still take you back but you might have to stand or sit on the floor.

But given the fact that its a train... and the number of cars is variable, I do suspect they add/subtract cars based on the number of presold tickets.