Wilson Peak - Silver Pick UPDATE

[SkiNowWorkLater]

Is it allowable to park on Silver Pick Road a mile before the trailhead and head due east and then south around the NW ridge of Wilson Peak to climb and ski the northeast face of Wilson Peak? I'm not sure where the private property lines are that need to be avoided...

For reference, the route that I'm describing is route 4.1.1 in Dawson's 14er Guide vol. 2.

[Floyd]

How long is the hike from the Woods Lake trailhead to camp at Navajo Lake?

If I remember right, it's about the same distance as the Kilpacker approach. Only catch is you have about 500 feet of elevation gain to get back out. The trail is above treeline for a little so take the time day you plan to exit into account. I highly recommend it (less folks and the view of ED is excellent) and the Woods Lake TH is accessable via 2WD in summer.

This is why I am puzzled by the red route in the map above. It's the Woods Lake approach, just a lot longer ????

[lowlander]

I wish our forefather's had remembered to write this into OUR constitution...

Everyman's Right!

http://www.environment.fi/default.asp?c ... 391&lan=en" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[tmathews]

I just spoke with Cindy at the Norwood Ranger District Office. She said that they are still actively working to finish the relocation of the TH, but the date for reopening it is still TBD. She said hopefully sometime this year.

[Bobo]

Until Silver Pick opens... Don't forget Woods Lake as a path to base camp at Navajo Lake. This trail joins the Navajo trail about 1/2 mile before the basin.
Having hiked both it and Navajo, I enthusiastically recommend WL over the Navajo approach.
This comes up every year (and I pimp it each year), so if you don't get more feedback here, a quick search should yield lots of discussion. If I remember correctly, most folks side with WL.
I prefer it because it's more scenic, with a sick view of El Diente on the way in. There are also a few ranked 13ers (e.g. 13123) that you could include on a trip using WL.
People coming from points north (e.g. Denver) usually appreciate that it saves a lot of driving vs. crossing LH pass over to the Dunton road (Navajo/Kilpacker).

+1 for Del Sur's suggestion. I have hiked Silver Pick before the closure to Wilson Peak, but haven't hiked Navajo approach. I chose Woods Lake to save drive time (left Montrose at 10pm). The view of El Diente as you round the shoulder of Pt. 13,123 are amazing. It is a fair amount of elevation to gain, plus the 500 or so feet that you have to give up descending to the lake and regain on the return.


El Diente coming into view as I round the shoulder of Pt. 13,123.

[SteveBonowski]

For TMathews & others, we have a joint CMC/Telluride Mountain Club trail crew weekend on Sept. 10-12 to finish some things up with the USFS. They're still hoping for a reopening of the new route through Silver Pick at that time. Things hinge on getting an easement across a mining claim retained by the owner. One of the claim owner's partners died a year ago and things have been tied up in estate proceedings.

[tmathews]

For TMathews & others, we have a joint CMC/Telluride Mountain Club trail crew weekend on Sept. 10-12 to finish some things up with the USFS. They're still hoping for a reopening of the new route through Silver Pick at that time. Things hinge on getting an easement across a mining claim retained by the owner. One of the claim owner's partners died a year ago and things have been tied up in estate proceedings.

Thanks for the update, Steve!

[BrianH]

Does anybody have any recommendations for the best drive in for a LOW clearance vehicle? (My big sister's mini-van! great for sleeping, not so great for rough roads...) I took it up the road to the Grizzly Gulch - Silver Creek trailhead, and that's about as rough a road as I'd like to take it on.

[James Scott]

I assume you're wanting to climb the Wilsons? I don't think you'll have any problems getting to Kilpacker- and you can hook up to Navajo if you just want the Peak, or get on top of El Diente from the south side from there.

[daslug]

Two wheel drive vehicle will have no problem with the Woods Lake TH, the road is paved most of the way. Highly recommend this approach.

[bob863]

i was able to do a continous day-hike (12 hours) from WL TH to Wilson Peak and back....the drive up to WL TH is very doable in a 2WD vehicle...

[cheeseburglar]

I assume Silver Pick will still be open in the spring, for spring skiing.
It always has been in the past.
A seasonal closure to keep out the rifraf in the summer is understandable.