This was true for much of the trip. Not too bad, but this was definitely not a class 2+ as described on 14ers.com. I'm hoping that we weren't unncessarilly cautious and missed out. Otherwise, you can order a big map from mytopo.com. Passing through a colorful meadow on the morning of day 2, Nearing the treeline, the views start improving. I used a Deuter Kids 40 pack (it has an adjustable torso section for short people!) I didnt rain much though. The pictures dont even come close to being there first hand. We passed several waterfalls and areas of whitewater. The trail follows Elk Creek, and I believe it was called the Elk Creek Trail. False alarm. Here's an overview! Getting close to the top of Hunchback Pass. Many jokes were cracked regarding the stench of ones self or others in their group. That's $100 bucks round-trip for a train ticket! If needed, when you reach the Vallecito and Johnson Creek trail junction, you could hike about 10 miles to the Vallecito Reservoir, a popular lake area. The weather was once again threatening to rain as I made it to the top, finally sitting up on the CDT. For details on the hike itself, see my post about the various trail segments. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. instead of the 7:30AM train which stopped at Needleton. He sure did look delicious, haha. Or are there other routes you could r commend for some stream and lake fishing? You then pass over the continental divide twice and the train picks you back up. . The low clouds were back, engulfing Mount Kennedy southwest of us. I am curious - does anyone have first hand knowledge of current conditions in Chicago Basin, Columbine Pass, Johnson Creek and Vallecito Trail. We made the decision to cut our trek short. See this list of my favorite freeze-dried meals if youre curious about what theyre like. You can use this file with your GPS unit, or load it in caltopo.com (or your favorite mapping website or application). We got to the train station around 7:15am, as we were told to be there 45 minutes early. If youre doing the whole Elk Park to Needleton loop, take the Durango-Silverton diesel train north from Durango to Elk Park. Lisa just made it up over the last rocky ridge on the CDT, giving way to views of Eldorado Lake. In good weather it should not be a problem. Some pretty sections, but a bit disappointed overall. When youre in the Chicago Basin, watch for mountain goats! The benefit is being able to skip the train and park at the Lime Mesa TH. Not long after, we watched the same goats cross the creek and head towards our general area. We recommend it as long as you are ready to stay 7 days in the backcountry! There was an insane amount of biting flies and mosquitoes by the river here though, and I was regretting my decision to leave the bug spray and mosquito head net behind. Very good tip report. I proceeded downhill now alongside the edge of this. It was raining up here and quite cold. Here are our top tips on preparing for a successful and safe loop from Elk Park to Needleton in the mountains of Colorado! But there would be no sleeping in tomorrow morning though, because we were off to the Great Sand Dunes National Park! Before reaching the trails down to Kite/Eldorado Lakes, we had to hike over a 100ft rocky ridge, just as the clouds looked their worst. From there, youll have a choice of where youd like to go. Our brakeman Sam was a wealth of knowledge about any kind of train-related questions we had. They must not have found much in this one and abandoned it. We didn't want to risk going up and over Hunchback, down Vallecito, up Johnson Creek, over Columbine Pass and into Chicago Basin. Nine miles long, the route climbs 3,760 feet to the Continental Divide. By tnmule20, February 10, 2022 in Camping & High Adventure. Required fields are marked *. I got injured jumping off the bridge there, so we couldn't complete the hike north over hunchback pass, and down Elk creekwe were kinda bummed. I made it to the top before Lisa and snapped a few pictures before the rain returned moments later. I was rewarded with an amazing view of the Weminuche Wilderness, unobstructed by clouds for the first time all week. This was $90 each person for a round trip ticket, plus $10 to each to haul your backpack. 18-21 September 2017. If we werent wet and hungry, I might have stopped to check it out further, but again, we were on a mission to find camp. Not cheap by any means, but it was a cool way to enter and leave the wilderness. Any and all kinds of weather! None of them seemed very dry though. Or some come at it from the opposite (Needleton) end, via Purgatory Flats Trail and the Animas River Trail (about 10 miles). Complete Weminuche Wilderness Photo Gallery | Weminuche HD Video. However, the clouds were building now and threatened to block the sun for the first time today. Lisa was quite scared here, and it took a lot of coaxing to get her to move. There were 2 large pines growing 3 feet apart, creating a dry spot large enough for our tent, all out gear, places to sit, and more. Your email address will not be published. I saw maybe 10 people on day 5, and probably about 60 on day 6. Once on board, you'll be able to ride back to Durango or Silverton to finish your adventure. Finally, some views! The skies were grey to start the day, but gave way to some blue patches by mid morning. Then, we saw 2 mountain goats on the other side of Needle Creek that had just walked into someones camp. After setting up the tent in light rain, I decided to take shelter in the tent as the rain continued. We estimated ~100 trees that we had to go over, under, or around - felt like a tough mudder. They watched as I hiked right past them, which I did after taking a few pictures. Elk Park-Needleton Loop. Most were quick to check out the shack as we did, so the cinder block and wood plank benches filled up fast. 5h 16m. I couldnt really see Kite Lake well from the the CDT, but as I said earlier, my mind was pretty much set. There was only one truck by Kite Lake, and we saw no people. More jokes were cracked to the effect of mines smaller than yours and isnt it usually the other way around?. Did this route from July 28 to August 3. Awesome, thanks! The times we've done this, the train departed Silverton about 2:45 PM and dropped us of by 3:45 PM. Again, a lot of trees were down that we had to circumnavigate. Was the extra research and time spent preparing for the Elk Park to Needleton trip worth it? We are early 50s, fairly fit experienced hikers from Durango, and we gave ourselves 5 nights/6 days. All in all beautiful scenery and a great hike. Some hikers we met said that it sleeted on them one evening (when it had only rained on us). The people were yelling at them and throwing rocks to try and scare them away, but the goats were pretty stubborn. Miles Hiked 7.4 On day one, between the Elk Park Train Drop Off Trail Head and Beaver Pond, we encountered 3 large debris fields. Before you head out into the wilderness, make sure you know where youre going! Lower elevations and farther south, definitely no snow and the spring melt off is going to be done by then. The bridge at Vallecito Creek, near Johnson Creek, is still good. The Elk Park stop gives you access to the Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Vallecito Creek Trail. 2/21/22 12:55pm. My home area is the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana and am looking for a backcountry trip in Colorado. We were thrilled when a ranger who had just cleared out the trail told us the three 12,000-foot passes on our route were free of snow. Going down always looks much harder! Needless to say, our rain gear would be used heavily on this trip. We spend a good while collecting firewood, but as wet as it was, it was a bit of a challenge. I have a trip report on the Mogollon Mountains in the Gila Wilderness, but the popular side is the east side with all the rivers. It was pretty hot when the sun was shining, but it didnt shine too long. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a9fc6034fcd46f19ce6730fcccb725d8" );document.getElementById("b86db021e5").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hi, I'm Sarah! There are a lot of trees down throughout the Johnson Creek and Needle Creek drainages - another hiker counted 155 trees across the trail on the way down from Chicago Basin to Needleton, but it looks like the FS is working their way up, clearing from the bottom up. Wed been in Colorado a week now, doing other cool stuff like the Colorado National Monument, Mesa Verde National Park, Denver & Boulder, Rocky Mountain National Park, Telluride, etc. This will give you time to make it to your seats before the final boarding call. They can be a lifesaver on a long hike. Once I gained a few hundred feet in elevation, I could see that there wasnt any threat of getting soaked and I took off the extra layers. It took us 7 days to complete it. One guy stopped and said Whoa, what are you doing going up that? The ones that did look edible werent ripe yet. We saw several deer and prairie dogs before getting into the mountains. No hot dogs tonight, maybe night 3. Everywhere along the horizon, fog could be seen rising from the mountains. I had also been considering a climb up Sunlight Peak as well, but it was so nice up here on Windom Peak that I decided to relax, and just enjoy the beautiful view. Todays hike will take us the rest of the way up the Elk Creek drainage along the Colorado trail, where well hit the Continental Divide Trail, or CDT. By the time Lisa made it to the top, we had to continue down the other side immediately. To close the loop I have to get from Needleton fo Elk Park (6.5mi). Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Moderate (39) Weminuche Wilderness Photos (318) Directions Print/PDF Map Share Experience this 57.9-km point-to-point trail near Silverton, Colorado. The top of Hunchback Pass offered no views, as the visibility was around 200 feet. It felt good to be hiking today its amazing what a little sunshine can do. Chicago Basin area was very pretty, and not too crowded with tents. The Durango-Silverton railroad heading north to Elk Park. To board at a flagstop, you must be on the east side of the tracks. Very isolated in the middle of the trail, we only saw 1 other person each day. We had to stand guard for a while to make sure they didnt walk right into our camp. It was almost comical how many people waved at us as the train chugged through town. The water is gorgeous. Your email address will not be published. Breathtaking! Thanks for sharing. Its also a good idea to drink lots of water (more so than at sea level). Back, finally! My GPS said we did 16 miles today, including going up Hunchback Pass, but later when I reviewed the data for this trip it calculated the day at 14.5 miles. Leave from Durango or Silverton and get off to explore at Elk Park, Needleton or one of the flagstops. Other trip reports Ive read have indicated that its been this way for years. By the time we were leaving the treeline behind, foul weather had returned. Thanks for the great report! We played leap frog with the other groups of hikers most of the day as we passed them on their breaks and vice versa. Down from the pass, we still had a good 10 miles to cover today. It was extra sunny during the day, and there were thunderstorms most evenings. For your monthly pledge, at various tier levels starting at $5, you receive perks and benefits in return. The Durango-Silverton train offers a backpacker service from May to October, where they drop you off and pick you up at train stops which more or less correspond to the trailheads. By the time we reached the lake, the peaks around us were completely engulfed by the clouds. Id say we averaged 5 people seen per day on days 1-4. Food takes longer to cook at high altitudes. Wouldnt you know it, as soon as we got all the wood together, it started raining. Lisa made it up 15 minutes later, but we didnt stick around too long. Bugs were pretty bad this year. Our backpack would take us on a horseshoe loop from Elk. Thanks for sharing. Whitewater rafting with professional guides. A group of seven hikers (2 men, 5 women) also loaded their packs, giving a total of 12 of us to be dropped at Elk Park. Great hope they dont cause us any trouble tonight. Shortly after Elk Park along the Colorado Trail, also called the Elk Park trail for this section. Our food and gear were safe from the mice last night, so that was a relief. The oldest cart on the train was built in 1879, and the oldest engine was from 1925 I believe. Also, because I sunburn easily, I brought UV protective shirts (the BALEAF womens UPF50 quick-dry shirt). Miles Hiked 14.5 Done over 5 nights and 6 days. Our most reliable digital map was from Garmin, within the Garmin Explore app on my phone. 09-23-2015, 12:45 #12. This was perfect! Now back on the trail, we started gaining elevation en route to Hunchback Pass. Then on the way back, youll catch the southbound train at Needleton and ride back to Durango. The trees down are no joke - this probably added an hour to our day. The rocks were still icy and required some careful footwork in some spots to negotiate. Were planning to do this trip in September 2022 and Ive got a couple of questions for you. Especially considering the status of cell phone service (which well discuss below). After heading down more switchbacks, I spied a suitable place to call home of the next 2 nights. It was great to get some hot food in our stomachs before heading to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. Swampy, muddy areas where your foot sinks ankle deep in mud are also likely, as well as multiple creek crossings. Not once did we get wet crossing a stream. After taking some great photos near the lake, I started heading down. Farther downstream revealed a tall but tiny waterfall before the land leveled out near the lake. We saw very little traffic through our area where we camped, despite being right next to the trail. Hi Ryan, Thats definitely too early in the season. Once past the tricky part near the top of the pass, it was your general steep descent via switchbacks. The train follows the overall route of the Animas River northward from Durango and stops at Silverton, however, we werent going that far. I hit the trail around 6:15 with full rain gear on. From the drainage area, it was easy to cross to the other side of the lake. Looking for a slightly larger backpacking pack that will still fit a short torso? There was goat hair all around the campsite, but we had yet to see one. Looking up, it looked very easy and straight forward. We had cinders in your hair most of the trip, they didnt seem to go away! There were cairns here and there marking the way as well, which could be seen since the Twin Lakes. After leaving Chicago Basin, the trail was actually kind of boring compared to the rest of our hike. I was happy we brought along puffer jackets and rain coats. Carry a comfortable pack with a water reservoir. A few years ago, I was looking at hiking an alpine route (Pecos Wilderness in northern NM, and Rocky Mountain National Park) during the same time frame as you. When we stopped for lunch, two deer wandered into our resting area. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. The fourth day we hiked from Chicago basin to the needleton train stop, which was an easy ~7 miles downhill. Its an extra 9 miles I believe from Purgatory to Needleton. I chose my path through the first boulder field above the lake and started moving. View Profile There was a new amazing view after every turn. I figured more people would be out here doing the full loop like we were doing, but that clearly wasnt the case. However, from the trailhead sign it was another 1/2 mile or so before we actually reached the train stop. Our stop is Elk Park, a 3 hour ride from Durango. This route climbs 8,523 ft with a max elevation of 12,843 ft then descends -9,174 ft. Local Trail Association Wilderness access gives riders an opportunity to book with the intention of getting off the train and getting outdoors. You write quite well. But if you need an even warmer quilt, weve heard very good things about the quilts from Enlightened Equipment. When taking a train leaving from Durango, you need to be in your seat 30 minutes before departure. You take a train from Durango that. tnmule20 68 Posted February 10, 2022. tnmule20. Awesome views all around, but it was still cold and precipitating out and thus my camera stayed under my rain jacket. Just as I hit that switchback, a few hikers came into view on the way down from the CDT. My two 15 year olds and I just completed it mid July 2021 and it took us five days. Strider1. Really helpful report! I only followed the drainage a short ways, but another 100ft away it appeared to drop off. More views ruined by the weather, and as a result I took few pictures in this area. Once we reached a flat area around 11,650, there were a good amount of campsites scattered about. Route Chicago Basin to Needleton train stop. Looking down on Columbine Lake near the top of Columbine Pass. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Eric Poulin, long distance hiker and outdoor adventurer, Greenland Hike/Packraft Expedition (2022) *Coming Soon Thank you for taking the time to write it! To my amazement, the sky was 100% clear when I woke up at 5:30 this morning. Early morning often leaves thick fog in valleys, only to be burnt away later by the sun. Miles Hiked 5.4 One night while we slept inside our River Country trekking pole tent, something chewed the cork handle off one of the poles (presumably because of salt residue from sweat). Or the Osprey Eja 58 pack I preferred the Airspeed suspension system on it. When youre leaving from Durango, youll need to have your gear in the boxcar at least 45 minutes before departure. There was another meadow a mile or so past our camp that would have been a nice place to spend the night. Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road. Instead of heading over to Sunlight, I decided to follow the drainage leading to Twin Lakes and explore that area. I followed the lake to its drainage, which for reference was directly south of the Miners Cabin. It was nice to know that we had a day off of hiking coming up tomorrow, at least for Lisa anyways. Caltopo is pretty awesome if you havent used it already. Your email address will not be published. Heres an overview map of the Weminuche Wilderness, which includes trailhead locations. We chatted for a while and took turns taking pictures of each other before they headed down. Also, this area of the Weminuche has quite the rodent population. This was worth the trip alone and something everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime! I do regret getting the open-cart seats though, because it was raining and it was not dry inside. . Venchka. I took it out of its stuff sack and unrolled it and the looks on their faces were just priceless. Prueba esta ruta de punto a punto de 37,3-millas cerca de Silverton, Colorado. Dogs are welcome and may be off-lead in some areas. Will b taking my 19 yr old son in early August this year for his first extended back country pack trip. Clothes and gear is now dry (mostly), and we wreaked of smoke. After going up a series of switchbacks, I had reached the Twin Lakes by around 7:15. This was a class 3 in my opinion. Happy trails! She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker. Fortunately it was all downhill, so we could cover some serious ground, which I assumed would be at the expense of my knees. It worked perfectly. We snacked on sour patch kids by the fire for a while before letting it burn out. Highly recommend. There are two main access points for the wilderness: Elk Park and Needleton. As the sun went down, the goats headed back up the mountainside for the evening. We stayed up a little later tonight due to the fire, and ended up going to bed around 11pm. The trail wasnt too steep most of the way up this morning. This was our third trek on this trail. There was another group who did this, and the train staff didn't seem to have any problem with it (we had paid for a RT ticket anyway). There didnt appear to be any evidence of beavers here either. Any way to access this trail without riding the train? The Twin Lakes were still in the shadows, as the sun had not yet risen high enough to illuminate it. We also packed an MSR PocketRocket Deluxe backpacking stove to boil water for all our freeze-dried meals, our hand-pump espresso machine, and a lightweight hatchet multitool to help with campfires. It looked like a nice spot, close to the water, but the views werent excellent. You can board the train for wilderness access in Durango or Silverton. The San Juan mountains are notorious for being snowy and the best time is probably mid July to Mid September. Go figure, good weather on the last day. The names of surrounding landmarks included Stormy Gulch and Storm King Peak, and now I understood why. The train gives outdoors lovers immediate access to the Weminuche Wilderness and San Juan National Forest for hiking, backpacking, rafting, fishing and other activities. Length: 7.9 mi Est. NOTE: As of 2021, we have been informed that you cannot board the train in Silverton and get dropped off at Needleton. There are a lot of down trees and we had rain and some route finding to cross streams. Not today, it gre more and more intense as time went on. As we waited by the tracks, one of the hikers we were talking to in the shack was showing another guy his sleeping pad. we get old because we stop hiking" on the back. Of course, this is contingent on cooperating weather. Two friends of mine and I did this backpack in 1995. Basin and Range Trail (2020) A hiking boot is preferable. The second day we did ~13 miles which included two peaks with kite lake in between. And what a campsite that would be, killer views! I decided to head downhill in a hurry. Every mountain we encountered was amazing! It is a fairly difficult hike, but not one that isn't doable. Have a good hike! So far my knees have been doing great this hike, but an entire day going downhill worried me. Carrying a backpack downhill has wreaked havoc on my knees on my last few hikes, but I was spared this time. He had camped in this area, not by Eldorado, and thus had left the trail to set up his camp. There were many stream crossings and several large waterfalls that we passed, but due to the weather and number of miles we had to cover, we didnt spend any time checking most of them out. Thats how I do it these days. Parking is available at the Silverton Depot at no charge. We saw a few more deer throughout the day, more snowshoe hare, and even a weasel. Given the popularity of Kite Lake, being right next to a 44 road just outside of the wilderness boundary, I pretty much had my mind set on Eldorado. My wife and I completed this hike in September of 2016 and loved it. Down to Eldorado. But, thats another story for another trip report. Highlights were kite lake, columbine pass, and Chicago basin. There were at least 5 if not 6 avalanche debris fields on the Elk creek trail. We had a couple of long days and some short days with lots of time to relax. Cachanilla83. Thanks for sharing this one. Todays hike was all uphill, but it wasnt too strenuous. A mine along the trail leading down into Chicago Basin. Brandon why didnt you ask for Tiffanys number??? The Weminuche Loop is a classic 40-50 mile horseshoe hike that starts at Elk Park and ends at Needleton. We did the Elk Park Train Stop to Needleton Loop which was 36 miles. What a morale booster it was. Note that these satellite device options typically require that you have an active subscription to use the features. These guys didnt seem as threatening though. Campsite in Chicago Basin for nights 4 and 5. Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. There is no cover up here by Eldorado Lake, which sits well above the treeline at 12,300ft. I did see a lot of goat hair stuck in the trees and bushes now, which we had not seen anywhere else yet along our hike. This is when the fog really started growing. I have done this one twice!! The mountain scenery is spectacular the whole way, and you cross over several high passes along the way. It was only 11:45, so we had 3:45 to wait. The Animas River. is to leave an itinerary with a responsible person back home, as well as a time and date when they should call for help if they dont hear from you. Youre hiking at high elevation in a very sunny spot, so protecting your eyes is important. Are you planning a backpacking adventure in the Weminuche Wilderness of southern Colorado? This was after 10 minutes of having rocks thrown at them. Amazing views and pretty easy navigation (cant miss the trail). Twin Lakes, still waiting for early morning light to hit tis waters. Seeing the fog rise from the mountains and engulf the peaks around us was incredible. Excellent trip, lots of varied terrain, meadows, forests, small mountain ponds and lakes, avalanche tree slides, large and small rock slides, multiple high passes with great views. Eventually, it became steeper, to the point where there were some moments of exposure. I'll never forget it. Also, if youre looking for a GPX file, you can download that here http://metalbackpacker.com/gpx-files/. Physically, I did pretty well on this hike. My boots were the driest theyd been since day 1, and I really didnt want to get stuck in rain today. I climbed up the highest hill along the edge which was roughly 12,700ft, which provided awesome views of Eldorado and everything else around. Our morning routine is a little more polished now, and we were on the trail by 7am. We set our packs up on a rock ledge with rain covers on, hoping thats be enough to keep them dry. The weather was cloudy and more scattered rain throughout the rest of the day. Still a good ways from the pass, we pushed on as the rains started in their usual off and on fashion. Recommended Posts. I just forwarded the link so he get get psyched up! Never miss a new post! A very convenient spot for an abandoned shack to be located. Comments are not currently showing up on my site right now, need to troubleshoot that. I always recommend carrying a waterproof paper trail map on a hike (because even if you have a digital map, sometimes technology fails). It was one of our Black Diamond Alpine carbon trekking poles, which was extra sad. Creating new thru-hiking routes & guides, hiking videos, outdoor documentaries, backpacking trip reports, trail journals, photos and more! Route Elk CReek campsite to Eldorado Lake. Por lo general, se considera una ruta moderada, que se tarda una media de 20 h 5 min en recorrer. This was comical, yet useful information at the same time. This was my first hike of more than five miles. I ended up spending an hour and a half up here just hanging out. Your email address will not be published. We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase. Here, theres a good view of Vestal Peak. If I recall correctly we did it in 6 nights. We walked 44 miles vs the 36 listed in the app. Hiking through Vallecito Basin on our way up Columbine Pass. Elk Park is a wide spot in the Animas River canyon located at milepost 490.5 on the Silverton Branch of the San Juan Extension. There were also a lot of flowers alongside the trail, and there were tons of butterflies on them. Please be aware that reservations can only be made from Durango and Silverton originations. I've begun planning my adventures for this summer, and while there will be a handful of overnighters and long weekends, I've settled on the Elk Park-Needleton Loop for my main trip. It didnt rain extremely heavily at any time, but it was just so damn frequent. This trail is great for hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. This is where Eldorado Lake drains off the mountainside and down to the Miners Cabin area we passed earlier today, Looking up at 13,627ft White Dome from the Eldorado Lake drainage. I knew I was going to punish them here and figured itd be best to give them any help they can get. Next I found myself on the saddle below the approach to Windom Peak. Weve also been testing this Deuter Aircontact Ultra 45 + 5 pack and love it. Share Followers 0. It has been our group's favorite for several years. The amazing view from Hunchback Pass clouds. Call the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad at 1-888-872-4607 to book and make your reservation. Seating is only guaranteed if you book a seat in advance. Thanks for your support you ROCK!. The skies were pretty blue now and there was abundant sunshine. This section of trail is also part of the Colorado Trail, a 400 mile trail that goes from Durango to Denver. Are there fishing opportunities along this route? There havent been any bugs out the last 2 nights though, and I was really wishing we had a fire like this on night one. (we were going from Needleton to Elk Park). We camped at ~9300 ft. Early morning at the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad station. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. Cant wait to try this trip myself! Elk Park Stop Elk Creek Trail This trail travels east from the railroad, climbing into the upper reaches of the Needle Mountains. But we opted to take the train! The trial follows the 44 road by Kite Lake. Really, it shouldnt be called a creek, but a river instead. Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of 19 h 35 min to complete. We only had to wait 30 minutes before suiting up. I modified my workout regimen before this hike to try and strengthen certain parts of the leg muscles that support the knee function, some intense stair climb sessions (45lb pack), as well as doing a lot more stretching.