Route Description

From Ridgway, leave U.S. 550 and take Colorado 62 towards Telluride. Drive over Dallas Divide and down to the town of Placerville. Turn left onto Colorado 145. Drive 6.5 miles and turn right on the Silver Pick road. It is 6.8 miles from here to the trailhead. From the start of the road, drive 3.1 miles to an intersection. The sign says "Silver Pick Basin - 5". Stay left. After another 0.7 mile, there is a confusing intersection. Do not continue on the road that goes straight. Turn right a bit to see the road that you want. Do not take the road that takes a hard right (it has a Private Property sign). Drive into the National Forest after another 2.2 miles (6.0 miles since you left Colorado 145). After another 0.1 mile, drive straight past the Wilson Mesa trailhead. The remaining 0.7 mile of the road is narrow and rough. There are a couple of steep switchbacks just before you reach the trailhead. The road is gated here. There is a parking area on the left.

Details:

NOTICE: In 2008, there was a resolution between the public and the private land owner of Silver Pick Basin. Construction of a new trailhead and trail is underway to bypass some of the private property parcels, but still climb to the Rock of Ages saddle. The approach should be re-opening in 2010. Until then, please do not use Silver Pick Basin to reach Wilson Peak. Read More...

For informational purposes, here's how the Silver Pick approach was for years... From the Silver Pick Basin trailhead, follow the road through the trees for approximately 1 mile and reach an intersection. There is a building down to the right and a small road that leads off in that direction. This is the Silver Pick Mill area. Turn left and continue on the main road as it goes north for a bit and then turns right and heads south up the slope. Near 11,100', the road curves west and crosses to the west side of the basin. It then turns left towards the middle of the basin. Photo #1 shows portions of the basin and Photo #2 looks toward Wilson Peak. Continue on the road as it climbs south into the basin.

Near 11,500', cables (on the ground) from an old ariel tramway become evident. The road parallels the cables for a while and briefly turns right (west) near 11,800'. The road soon leads back to the center of the basin. Stay on the road as it climbs east and then south to the top of a small hill with the remains of a rock house. From the rock house, you will need to do some brief route finding. Look directly south up on the steep slope to see the remnants of the Silver Pick mine. Just to the left of the mine, locate a dirt "trail" that leads up to the mine. From the rock house, walk across and then up some talus. There’s not a great trail here, just continue south up talus until you spot the best way to reach the base of the slope. Locate the loose trail and climb approximately 450' to the left side of the mine. Near the mine, find a better trail that heads left (southeast). Follow the trail across the steep slope (Photo #3, Photo #4, Photo #5, Photo #6 and Photo #7) to reach the "Rock of Ages" saddle near 13,000’.