8/9/2020 Route: Southwest Ridge from Rock of Ages Trailhead Posted On: 8/9/2020, By: supranihilest Info: The way we did this route starts at Rock of Ages Trailhead, which is the standard trailhead for Wilson Peak. A shorter and easier way would be from Woods Lake Trailhead. Take the Rock of Ages Trail to the Elk Creek Trail then follow the latter as it goes west around the Wilson Massif and then curves south. At a junction a few miles in the Elk Creek Trail ends and the Navajo Basin trail continues south while the Woods Lake trail cuts hard right/northwest. Stay on the Navajo Basin trail for another half mile and Boskoff's southwest ridge becomes apparent. It's nice and grassy and easy for the first few hundred feet and then you'll run into a chossy cliff band. We went right up it and it was rather loose Class 2+/Easy Class 3, but you could also go around it on climber's left on deep scree. Then there's a short walk on loose red rock before the ridge turns into a sort of catwalk on solid rock. The summit is a short distance from here. Amazing views of Fowler Peak, Gladstone Peak, Mount Wilson, and El Diente. Worth the effort just for the views alone. |
