Wilson Peak (14,020)
Route: Northeast face via Silver Pick Basin
Distance: 8.3 miles
Vertical: 4,220 feet
Date: May 02, 2022
Time: 8 hours 24 minutes
Partners: Chris and Jennifer Malone
My GPS track
![wilsonpk 1](wilsonpk_small/wilsonpktrack.png)
Picture of the Northeast Face on a better show year.
![wilsonpk 1](wilsonpk_small/coorsFace.jpg)
Our ski route drawn on the previous image. Normally one would continue
directly down one of the gullies all the way to the valley floor but this
year none of these routes were skiable due to thin snow cover at the cliff bands.
Thus we opted for a long traverse to the large snowfield to lookers right.
![wilsonpk 3](wilsonpk_small/route.jpg)
An ice sculpture just below Silver Pick Basin.
![wilsonpk 2](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0087.jpeg)
Entering Silver Pick Basin.
![wilsonpk 3](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0088.jpeg)
First good views of Wilson Peak's Northwest face. Although the upper section looks
dry, there is a narrow snow couloir (not visible) leading through.
![wilsonpk 4](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0090.jpeg)
Higher in the basin.
![wilsonpk 5](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0091.jpeg)
View from about half way up the face.
![wilsonpk 6](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0095.jpeg)
Looking back down.
![wilsonpk 7](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0096.jpeg)
Chris and Jennifer climbing below me.
![wilsonpk 1](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0100.jpeg)
The sneaky route through the rocky section.
![wilsonpk 8](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0097.jpeg)
Further up in the couloir.
![wilsonpk 9](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0102.jpeg)
Looking back down at the top of the couloir.
![wilsonpk 10](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0103.jpeg)
Short remaining section to the summit.
![wilsonpk 11](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0104.jpeg)
Gladstone Peak, Mt. Wilson, and El Diente Peak from the summit.
![wilsonpk 12](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0105.jpeg)
Zoom of El Diente Peak.
![wilsonpk 13](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0106.jpeg)
Me on the summit.
![wilsonpk 14](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0110.jpeg)
Looking down from the top of the ski run.
![wilsonpk 15](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0115.jpeg)
Chris goes first.
![wilsonpk 16](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0116.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 17](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0117.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 18](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0118.jpeg)
Jennifer showing great nerve as she skis backwards onto the face.
![wilsonpk 19](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0119.jpeg)
The snow coverage really was not very good so we side-slipped and stepped
slowly and carefully in order to avoid being tripped up by thinly-covered
rocks.
![wilsonpk 20](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0120.jpeg)
Looking back up.
![wilsonpk 23](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0124.jpeg)
Chris again leads the second segment.
![wilsonpk 21](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0122.jpeg)
Jennifer makes it look easy.
![wilsonpk 22](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0123.jpeg)
Now it's my turn.
![wilsonpk 24](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0125.jpeg)
Finally in the main gully.
![wilsonpk 25](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0126.jpeg)
Jennifer.
![wilsonpk 26](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0127.jpeg)
We could actually ski this section.
![wilsonpk 27](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0128.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 30](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0135.jpeg)
Chris on the traverse, Jennifer waiting to go.
![wilsonpk 31](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0136.jpeg)
The snow was nice here so it is a shame that we could not continue straight
down.
![wilsonpk 32](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0138.jpeg)
The traverse is surprisingly long. The next several images were taken along
the way.
![wilsonpk 33](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0140.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 34](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0141.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 35](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0142.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 36](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0143.jpeg)
Finally able to ski again.
![wilsonpk 37](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0144.jpeg)
Instead of skiing all the way to the valley floor, we set a new traverse in
order to exit the basin high enough to join our trail from the approach.
![wilsonpk 40](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0148.jpeg)
Some of the sights on the egress.
![wilsonpk 41](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0149.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 42](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0150.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 43](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0152.jpeg)
![wilsonpk 46](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0155.jpeg)
The snow lower down was dirty and sticky.
![wilsonpk 44](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0153.jpeg)
Entering the forest again.
![wilsonpk 45](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0154.jpeg)
Chris did an excellent job navigating and we soon found the road that would
take us back to the car.
![wilsonpk 47](wilsonpk_small/IMG_0156.jpeg)