Mt. Wilcox

Route: From Silver Dollar Lakes TH
Posted On: 6/11/2021, By: benmangelsdorf
Info: Getting close to summer conditions but not quite there. A few snowfields of about 15 feet long or so appear on the main trail leading up to the ridge. They were easily navigable at around 8AM today but are only going to get softer and more annoying to cross. The ridge up to the summit of Wilcox is bone dry. 

Route: Via Silver Dollar Lake
Posted On: 6/5/2021, By: k_fergie
Info: The road to Silver Dollar TH is still snowed in by a large drift close (about 5 min walk) to the main Guanella Pass paved road, but its mostly dry. So I would just start from the end of the paved road for another week or two. Some post holing, even at 6 am, above tree line when crossing the Naylor lake gullies, snow free once past Silver Dollar Lake. If you were on Square Top, Bierstadt, Grays, or Torreys at 8:15 - 8:20 AM this morning, I have your picture from the Wilcox summit, DM me if you want it 

Route: E Ridge
Posted On: 6/26/2020, By: stenquistm
Info: Started at Silver Dollar Lakes TH, summer conditions. Hiked the broad E Ridge of Mt Wilcox, and dropped down to Murray Lake to return via the Silver Dollar Lakes trail. Summer conditions on the mountain, lots of wildflowers on the E Ridge, mostly soft tundra terrain. Summit & ridge down to Wilcox/Argentine saddle: easy talus slope. Mostly tundra upon descent to the lakes, and there were a couple small (melting fast) snowfields on Silver Dollar Lakes trail, as well as some muddy spots. Photo 1: starting up the E Ridge with Naylor Lake in background Photo 2: continuing up E Ridge, lots of flowers Photo 3: summit with G&T in background Photo 4: Ridge down to Wilcox/Argentine saddle, view of Argentine Pk Photo 5: descent back down to Murray Lake 

Route: From Silver Dollar Lake
Posted On: 6/9/2020, By: Chelsea
Info: Nearly summer conditions. A few snowfields to cross on the trail to Silver Dollar & Murray Lakes, but there is a good bootpack through each. All snow above the trail is completely avoidable. We really enjoyed this route! 7.47 miles, 2,564' Photo 1: One of the handful of snow crossings on the Silver Dollar Lake Trail, Wilcox in the background. Photo 2: Most of the upper route up Wilcox is visible, we kept left of the talus (near the center of the photo). Photo 3: Silver Dollar Lake with one final snowfield before hitting Murray Lake. The lines in the snow are glissade paths. Most people were ascending just left of the snow to avoid it entirely. Photo 4: Keep left to stay on gradual grassy slopes. Photo 5: Crossing at Murray Lake's old dam. It's hard not to get wet here. Photo 6: Just above the lake, heading up Wilcox. Easiest route is just to the right of the snowfield. Photo 7: It's steep, but the grass hummocks and occasional boulders make great stairs. Photo 8: Choose your line. Photo 9: Ridge to Argentine. Photo 10: Argentine Pass/Leavenworth Basin area Photo 11: Good views to Evans/Sawtooth/Bierstadt Photo 12: Last push to summit on stable talus. 

Route: Traverse from Argentine
Posted On: 6/7/2020, By: cdgibbons
Info: Summer conditions. If accessing from Argentine, there is one moderate snowfield to cross right the start of the ridge. While there are a couple of small cornices elsewhere in the area, I found this area safe and easy to cross without traction. 

Route: Naylor Lake TH
Posted On: 11/9/2019, By: dwoodward13
Info: Trench is in fantastic condition up to Silver Dollar Lake. Decent condition up to Murray Lake. From Murray Lake I contoured NE to the obvious gully to reach the next shelf up. From there its just pick your line to Wilcox. After Murray Lake there are only a few small sections of snow, otherwise dry tundra. I headed to Edwards via Argentine from Wilcox, then reversed back to the Naylor Lake TH. Ridge the whole way is 95% dry. Note it is an long ways from Argentine to Edwards, with tons of small little bumps, so be ready and have good weather. Flotation is way overkill. I was killing myself for bringing it. I never used traction, but some may want for some steeper gully crossings up to Silver Dollar Lake. Absolute perfect bluebird day in the high country! 

Route: Silver dollar trail to south face.
Posted On: 9/24/2019, By: wondering_hough
Info: Bring your own pencil to sign the summit register. I never sign registers and the one time I do, no dice. Regardless, Nice day out. Fall colors are in. Saw a bull moose trotting down g pass by the watershed at 9 am. That was something else. I wanted Argentine and Squaretop but didn't have time. 

Route: Silver Dollar trail
Posted On: 7/8/2019, By: shaunblair
Info: Summer conditions, Wilcox is bare, see attached photo. The only snow is on the trail in, which is bootpacked and solid for the short sections you step in. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 6/9/2019, By: goldenite
Info: Wilcox and Argentine from Naylor Lake Rd. Road closed at Guanella Pass winter TH and mostly covered in snow. There are some dry patches, but saw skiers only have to take off their skis once. Brutal bushwack to the ridge to avoid private property due to varying snow conditions which was still varied on the way out. On the ridge, there are several snow fields to hike, but not too bad. Ridge to to Argentine has a dry line until the top where it has full coverage on the SE side. Brought microspikes, but never used them--snow was soft enough to grip and the constant transitions would have been annoying. Overall, I'd say its about 40% snow. Approximate route below. 

Route: From Silver Dollar Road
Posted On: 5/27/2019, By: WildWanderer
Info: Continuous snow from trailhead. While Guanella Pass is clear, 391 still has several feet of snow. I wore snowshoes the entire time: they were overkill in the morning (but I didn't want to carry them) and necessary after the sun rose. There was one steep section after the lake I was glad I had my ice axe for security purposes, but I never used it. Started at 4am, back down by 9am (with a summit of Otter Mountain thrown in there as well). The trail was total slush by 9am and I was glad I had snowshoes. 

Route: From Argentine Peak
Posted On: 9/3/2018, By: supranihilest
Info: From the Argentine-Wilcox saddle it's a Class 2 talus hop to the summit. The route is much easier and more straight forward than it looks in profile; the ridge is actually pretty broad. To descend from Wilcox, your best bet is probably to descend back to the Argentine-Wilcox saddle and then make your way to the lakes. If you go directly down the south face you'll encounter loads of steep, loose talus. It's tedious and probably dangerous. If you go down the east ridge you'll either descend into the trees, onto private property, or both. Going back to the saddle and then down is possibly a bushwhack through willows but eventually you'll reach the lakes where an excellent trail begins. 

Route: via Silver Dollar Lake Trail
Posted On: 7/18/2018, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Dry, summer conditions. 

Route: From Silver Dollar Lake Trailhead
Posted On: 6/23/2018, By: CatsAreMyFriends
Info: The mountain can be hiked without ever touching snow, but there are a few very easy snow crossings on the Silver Dollar trail, which is also very muddy. Beautiful hike, we only saw one other person. Wildflowers are in full bloom. Argentine appears unapproachable from the Argentine-Wilcox saddle unless you have snow equipment, but the Squaretop-Argentine saddle looked a little better. There is still plenty of snow on Argentine. Edwards looked to be completely dry. We went up from Silver Dollar, which was perfect, and then descended the eastern face, which was very pretty until we hit the forests, which had a lot of dead and fallen trees. Unless you really know your way around the area I would avoid that route for a descent, it would have been very easy to get lost without GPS. The road to the trailhead was very rutted and loose but was otherwise fine. High clearance is advisable. The area was swarming with people by noon. 

Route: From Argentine
Posted On: 7/16/2017, By: koeffling
Info: A small snowfield to cross after descending Argentine. You can make it pretty short. Not worth bringing any gear for. Another avoidable patching coming down from Wilcox but melting fast. 

Route: Connecting ridge from Argentine Peak
Posted On: 7/2/2017, By: cardgenius
Info: Hiked the ridge from Argentine peak. It's dry as a bone once you get to the saddle of Argentine/Wilcox. Great views of Bierstadt/Satooth/Evans! Lots of bugs on the summit: butterflies, bumble bees, flys, and all kinds of stuff flying around!