For my birthday weekend peak I decided to take on Wilson Peak (14,017′) the third of the 14ers in the San Miguel range. In addition to being a 14er, Wilson Peak is the San Miguel county high point.
I got a bit of a late start on Saturday but fall promised a high likelihood of a thunderstorm free day so I hit the trail from the Rock of the Ages TH at 9am enjoying the last of the morning chill.
Wilson Peak from Rock of Ages Trail:
Lower Silver Pick Basin:
Selfie time!
Upper Silver Pick Basin:
Approaching Rock of Ages Saddle:
From left to right, Gladstone Peak, Mt. Wilson, and El Diente.
Wilson Peak summit:
This short snowy section turned several parties in front of me around. I found that when I took it slow and careful it was pretty much a piece of cake. The snow wasn’t slicked out by the big guided group in front of me; instead, they’d made really nice flat foot spots to pair with pretty sold hand holds the whole way across.
Final scramble towards the top:
Summit of Wilson Peak!
Looking down on Silver Pick Basin and the trail:
Hello Lizard Head, some day I will climb well enough to summit you…
It felt so good to be out on such a beautiful fall day! The day seemed so leisurely since I wasn’t getting chased out of the high country by lightning—fall hiking in the San Juans might just be the best!
Mileage: About 10mi RT
Elevation Gain: About 4000′
Time: 5.5 hours
