I've wanted to check out the NNE ridge on Wilson Peak for some time since seeing it on MP: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/108439287/nne-ridge

The prescribed approach takes the Wilson Mesa Trail (421) down to the junction with the Lizard Head Trail (409), then follows that up to a point beneath the ridge. I decided instead to stay straight onto the Morningstar Trail (420) to its junction with the Lizard Head Trail and take that down to Magpie Gulch, and gain the ridge from there. This adds a quarter mile but avoids the steep 700' descent to Bilk Creek, and it saves 300 vert overall.

Once on the ridge, I found the route to be not quite as described.

Around treeline is a blocky narrow stretch where I maintained the ridge crest. Immediately after that (just above treeline) I encountered the initial difficulties which are bypassed to right via "red scree." This I did, and then just went left up the subsequent gully to regain the ridge. I'm not sure this bypass was necessary, and I did not locate a 5.5 headwall in this area.

Then I pretty much kept to the crest, straying off to the right once or twice for easier lines. There was one extremely narrow section where I climbed directly up a loose prow with an apparent bypass left. On the final obstacle below the legacy surveyed point 13013, I ended up on a narrow ledge out left which led out of the lower, looser difficulties.

The most fun sequence occurred near the base of the Wilson Peak summit pyramid, a yellow lichen-infested, solid class 3 buttress I unfortunately had to go right back down due to the notch. Instead of downclimbing south, I just bypassed the whole yellow buttress to the north, and from there I crossed over a rock gully and followed the steep yellow lichen streak to its left. That was good and puckering, but solid. Above that, easy and funnish slabs led to the summit.

The route I took was 5.low, and I think one could do it all at class 4. But wow is it a slog! Still curious how I missed the 5.5 headwall. Not curious enough to repeat.

The contrast between real-deal San Juan choss and cleaned-and-polished 14er routes features prominently if you continue on down the standard Wilson Peak route.

I have wanted to do the traverse to Gladstone as well, so I did, while running out of water and bonking. Then I returned down its north ridge and dropped east into the basin beneath the Wilson-Gladstone cirque, another to-do list item.

After lollygagging some, I made my descent down the abandoned mining road to the Lizard Head Trail. What a treat! The recent monsoons have greened it all up, and the scenery from those trails is breathtaking.