I got my late alpine start for Wilson Peak and was hiking at 0655 from the North Fork Trailhead. Approximately 1.5 miles up the trail I crossed the National Forest boundary and immediately left the trail. I walked north and crossed the creek then picked up an unmapped trail up a spur into the drainage northwest of Yellow Mountain. I followed the trail past two rock outcroppings about 200 yards apart. The side hill was steep. I should have crossed the creek at the second rock outcropping, but crossed further up after the side hilling became extremely steep. Shortly I was in a clearing and could see directly up the barren avalanche slide path to the southwest face of Wilson Peak.
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| Wilson Peak from the clearing.
I continued to follow the stream straight up the southwest face, which became extremely steep. Maybe 300 yards from the summit a whiteout snowstorm enveloped the mountain. I reached the summit in just under three hours. I took photos from the peak and then explored the saddle to the east that Kaya, Tanner, and I had seen a few days before. Unable to cross a large frozen snow field in the saddle, I backtracked to the West. I traversed out the ridge to another mountaintop at 10,3000-ish feet and took a break for photos and lunch.
From this point I could see everything. Beehive Basin and Beehive Peak, Middle Basin, Bear Basin, Gallatin Peak, Hell Roaring Creek, Table Mountain, Wilson Peak, Taylor Peaks, The Sphinx, The Helmet, and Fan Mountain. I finished lunch and started my descent into Bear Basin. I followed slushy snow fields and glissaded as much as possible to save time and energy. I reached the stream under Mount Chipperfield and crossed it then picked up the trail on the other side. Three to four miles later of great single track brought me back to the trailhead. I relaxed for quite a while in my truck then went to work.
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