Wilson Group

Dogs No Dogs

Features Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This is a unique shuttle route designed to give its finishers ultimate bragging rights. Starting from the Kilpacker Trailhead, this run takes you through loose rock over the summit of El Diente Peak, across one of Colorado's four grand traverses, down Mt. Wilson, up Wilson Peak, and down the Rock of Ages Trail. This is without a doubt one of the most dangerous, technical, and physically demanding runs on this site. Expect a very full day - this took me 14 hours, well over half of which was spent on perilously loose rock.

Experts only! If you aren't comfortable climbing low class 5 without a rope or traveling on extremely loose rock for hours on end, avoid this run.

And, if you don't already know what to bring and when to start a 14er...avoid this run! And please do bring a helmet and a partner.

Not for trail runners. While this hike can be done light and fast in a single day, it requires far too much technical scrambling to be Forrest Gump-friendly.

From Telluride, drive south on CO 145 over Lizard Head Pass. Continue south for 5.1 miles and turn right onto Forest Road (FR) 535. Drive 5 more miles on 2WD dirt road to reach the signed Kilpacker Trailhead. Turn right and drive 0.1 miles to camping and the start of the trail.

Get an early start. 3 AM is a good time - it will be light by the time you start the technical portions and gives you a chance to beat the weather. If weather turns by noon you can evacuate down Navajo Lake Trail back to Kilpacker Trailhead. If it's still good you can complete the entire route.

Start up the Kilpacker Trail, staying right at the junction with El Diente Southern Slopes approach. Don't go up and into Navajo Basin unless you plan to split up these peaks - it takes more time. Summit El Diente and continue across the Wilson Traverse to summit Mt. Wilson. Descend Mt. Wilson Trail into Navajo Basin. Run up the northern side of the basin via the final portion of the Navajo Lake Trail to reach the Rock of Ages Saddle. From here, run Wilson Peak Trail to the summit of Wilson Peak. Backtrack back down to the saddle, and head down the other side on the talus of Rock of Ages Trail. Once you reach the road, it's just a class 1 walk out.

You'll probably be pretty scraped up after this. There's a stream a mile down the road once you reach the Rock of Ages Trail parking area. It's a good place for a quick dip.

This is an absurd "grand slam" of a run. If it's your kind of thing, check out the Chicago Basin Grand Slam, or string together some routes near Blanca Peak or the Crestones.

You'll see plenty of marmots and pika anywhere, but the Wilsons boast some more unique wildlife. The wolverine, a kind of marmot-bear-looking critter, may be seen in Navajo Basin, usually up by some abandoned mining equipment. Below these majestic mountains, beautiful alpine basins contain stunning San Juan wildflowers.

Wilson Peak may look at least subliminally familiar to many Americans. Unfortunately this isn't due to its climbing history, but to its association with a certain brewery. Yes, it is the mountain in the Coors logo.