Wilson Peak Trip Report 08/03/2008

Peak(s):	Wilson Peak - 14,021 feet
Date Posted:	08/03/2008
Modified:	08/10/2011
Date Climbed:	08/01/2008
Author:	smitty

Wilson Peak - via the Elk Creek/Silver Pick
My friend Greg came out from Indiana for his second annual expedition in the CO mountains - Whicker Weekend II. Last year we did Blanca and Ellingwood via Lake Como and this year we decided to do Wilson Peak (and San Luis the next day). On to the Wilson Peak trip report... We planned to do the mountain via the Silver Pick Route, but a few minutes after showing up at the gate for the trailhead two big SUVs came down the road from the private land. It was the land owner. In a nutshell he came over and said that he owned the land and implied that we shouldn't be on it. He mentioned that an alternate route started near the entrance to the national forest called Elk Creek. We drove down that way and then up Forest Road 645 towards Elk Creek. There were some unpassable obstacles in the road a few miles from the turnoff so we parked and slept at a point just past Big Bear Creek. The next morning we headed up the road for about 2 miles until we reached the formal Elk Creek Trailhead. We were now in the next drainage from Silver Pick Basin. One of the signs had a note on it that said they were working on a route from this side that would be completed in 2009. To make a longer story short, if you followed this trail, you would end up all the way to Navajo Lake. We realized that we were headed the wrong direction and made our way back towards Silver Pick Basin on an old mining road avove treeline and below some cliffs/chutes on the upper ridge btwn the two basins. In the Silver Pick Basin, we had some more route finding problems (snow fields had apparently lead us off course) but eventually found the correct trail up above the old, broken up, rock mining building on the right side of the basin. This will bring you up to the Rock of Ages Saddle. From the saddle there is quite a bit of time consuming class 2 hiking up to the class 3 downclimb and crux near the summit. The final part made for a fun scramble to an epic summit. This report could be much longer with various details but overall the route we took around this private property (amost completely) was very indirect. We spent 10 hours hiking - this is a little frustrating considering the fact that I think we could have completed the hike in closer to 6 hours if we were able to cross the land. All I want to remember is a great hike on an awesome mountain with a couple good friends. Smitty Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Wilson Peak - via the Elk Creek/Silver Pick

My friend Greg came out from Indiana for his second annual expedition in the CO mountains - Whicker Weekend II. Last year we did Blanca and Ellingwood via Lake Como and this year we decided to do Wilson Peak (and San Luis the next day).

On to the Wilson Peak trip report...

We planned to do the mountain via the Silver Pick Route, but a few minutes after showing up at the gate for the trailhead two big SUVs came down the road from the private land. It was the land owner. In a nutshell he came over and said that he owned the land and implied that we shouldn't be on it. He mentioned that an alternate route started near the entrance to the national forest called Elk Creek. We drove down that way and then up Forest Road 645 towards Elk Creek. There were some unpassable obstacles in the road a few miles from the turnoff so we parked and slept at a point just past Big Bear Creek.

The next morning we headed up the road for about 2 miles until we reached the formal Elk Creek Trailhead.

We were now in the next drainage from Silver Pick Basin. One of the signs had a note on it that said they were working on a route from this side that would be completed in 2009. To make a longer story short, if you followed this trail, you would end up all the way to Navajo Lake.

We realized that we were headed the wrong direction and made our way back towards Silver Pick Basin on an old mining road avove treeline and below some cliffs/chutes on the upper ridge btwn the two basins.

In the Silver Pick Basin, we had some more route finding problems (snow fields had apparently lead us off course) but eventually found the correct trail up above the old, broken up, rock mining building on the right side of the basin.

This will bring you up to the Rock of Ages Saddle.

From the saddle there is quite a bit of time consuming class 2 hiking up to the class 3 downclimb and crux near the summit.

The final part made for a fun scramble to an epic summit.

This report could be much longer with various details but overall the route we took around this private property (amost completely) was very indirect. We spent 10 hours hiking - this is a little frustrating considering the fact that I think we could have completed the hike in closer to 6 hours if we were able to cross the land.

All I want to remember is a great hike on an awesome mountain with a couple good friends.

Smitty

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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