
Navajo Lake Trailhead.

The trail heads through the forest for a while, and it's really pretty.

The trail then emerges into meadows and the views would be really wonderful if not for the wildfire smoke. We did get lots of wildflowers though.

A shot of Dolores Peak in the distance.

The Wilson group is ahead.



A trail junction, view back the way we came.

The Navajo Lake Trail enters the forest a couple of times, but it's mostly through meadows.

View back at our progress along the Navajo Lake Trail.

The trail suddenly starts to ascend more steeply up some switchbacks. Another shot back as we ascend up to Navajo Lake.


A short descent to reach the valley where Navajo Lake lives, which we got to after a nice forest walk.

Navajo Lake. The trail continues on its left (north) side.

View back toward Navajo Lake.

Ascending the well-manicured trail past Navajo Lake. The trail leads to the rim visible in the center, where the grade flattens out a bit.

View back toward Navajo Lake.

Just after reaching the rim mentioned earlier. Gladstone Peak visible left of center, Mount Wilson up there on the right somewhere. We left the trail around here and headed to the right.

Just after leaving the trail, a view of El Diente Peak and the north buttress route to gain El Diente Peak.

Close-up of the route we took, which follows the ridge just left of center in this photo.

Starting off with lots of big Class 2 boulder-hopping fun.

View back, the trail we came up on visible above Matt.

Very steep and loose for a fair amount of the first half.

Another shot back as we carefully pick our way up the Class 2/3 talus.

Wilson Peak visible top right.

More Class 2/3. It was fun, but a little unnerving. Lots of potential for rocks to slide away.

Another shot back, this time toward Navajo Lake.

After lots of Class 2/3 scrambling, we reached the start of the extended, very committing Class 3-4 ascent of the route, which would last until the ridgeline. We initially intended to just stay on the left side of the triangle (the ridge where Matt current is), but it was too steep. We headed to the center of this photo (onto what I'll call the "triangle"), then curved left around the steep rock and ascended on Class 3 back to the ridge. It might be tempting to keep to the right side of the triangle, but it looked incredibly steep and loose and I don't recommend it.

Class 3 move to gain the base of the triangle and then we wrapped around back to the ridge (the left side of the triangle).

Once at the base of the triangle, we headed up and curved left, regaining the ridge. Class 3+ move here.

Now back on the triangle's left side, a view back as Matt starts up a Class 3+ move. The wide shot from below (2 photos ago) of the triangle was taken from the hump visible in the center of this photo.

Wide shot of Matt on the Class 3+ move, Wilson Peak visible top right.

More Class 3 fun for a while after clearing the triangle.

Getting more steep, and now narrow.

A look back at the Class 3/3+ narrow, steep talus.

Very steep, but fun Class 3.

A look back. We spent more than an hour in this spot looking for a route. Basically just stay along the ridgeline as best you can. Our mistake was to drop to the left onto sketchy terrain, but we retraced our steps and were able to find the route, which sticks to the ridge crest. At the very end of the ridgeline, there's a short drop (next photo), which dropped us down to a small saddle and rest spot.

Look back at the short drop and saddle where we hung out to catch our breath for a bit.

Just past the saddle, a view at the route to come. This is where the serious Class 4 came in. 14ers.com writes that continuing straight up results in some loose Class 4 gullies, so we took user "KeithK" advice and instead ascended to the center of this photo, then wrapped around the rock rib on the center right (covered in algae).

A couple of Class 4 moves got us here. You can see the short drop and saddle we rested at on the left. We are now above the algae-covered rock rib mentioned earlier. The rock was generally very solid, otherwise I honestly would have turned back.

More Class 4, now more exposed. There were massive handholds, but a 20 foot drop behind us, that soon became a 50 foot drop as we ascended.

Exposed Class 4. We were moving slowly and deliberately.

View back toward the saddle we rested at in the center. Now we're 50+ feet off the deck and lots of committing Class 4 moves from there. We didn't want to turn back.

The route became a bit more safe, the Class 3/4 moves using tight chimneys with solid rock and less exposed. I would say the point where we left the saddle to gain the ridgeline required 4-5 Class 4 moves and otherwise was consistently Class 3. It took us about a half hour to make sure we were on a reasonable route and to make the moves to gain the ridge.

Ah, the summit ridge. This is a view looking west. We came up on the right somewhere. El Diente is right behind me.

El Diente Peak ahead.

We began the traverse. A social trail leads around the left side of the ridge.

View back toward El Diente as we begin the traverse.

A view of the full traverse. The route swaps to the right side of the ridgeline, avoiding the sketchy stuff visible on the left.

Now on the right side of the ridge, where we'll stay for a while.

View back toward El Diente Peak and our descent from it.

The traverse to come. We mostly stuck just right of the ridgeline, ample cairns marking the way.

Approaching the first Class 3+ move. Rather than ascend over the scary-looking spire, we kept to its right side and used some fun blocky holds.

View back toward El Diente as we start on the fun Class 3+.

Blocky Class 3+ fun. It's a bit exposed, but the holds are awesome.

More Class 2/3 navigation around the scary spire.

Class 2/3.

Now past the spire and continuing along the right, keeping to the right of the ridgeline (plenty of cairns) on what normally would be horrible terrain, but has now been worn by enough feet that there is basically a trail.

View back toward the spire (above Matt) as we continue just below the ridgeline. El Diente visible in the distance.

We gained the ridgeline, view back toward El Diente. Navajo Lake is obscured on the right.

After a short section of easy ridge talus, we got to a viewpoint of the classic Class 4 headwall. It requires heading up the lighter-colored section of rock left of center in this photo. First was a somewhat sketchy descent to reach the saddle below.

Somewhat sketchy Class 3 down-climb to reach the saddle.

At the saddle, view up toward the Class 4 moves on the headwall.

View down toward Matt as he starts up the fun Class 4 headwall. The holds are all solid. It's really not bad at all. We descended from the ridge on the top right in this photo.

Close-up of Matt.

Matt continuing on Class 4 to regain the ridgeline. There are plenty of Class 3/4 options to get to the ridge once you clear the main headwall section.

Back on the ridge, view back the way we came. El Diente visible top center. The saddle just before the headwall visible on the left.

And now for the short, fun, exposed Class 3+ knife-edge. I say Class 3+ because the moves were straightforward, but a fall would be deadly.

Along the narrow ridgeline.

View back along the ridge.

Matt pulling one of the last few move along the narrow ridgeline.

Once past the narrow ridgeline, there were still a couple of tricky Class 3/4 downclimbs with a bit of exposure.

View back at one of the sketchy downclimbs.

More ridge traversing as we descend to the base of Mount Wilson.

Another sketchy downclimb. Just past this section we kept to the left of the ridgeline, avoiding horrifying rock.

Looking back toward the sketchy downclimb and subsequent traverse around the scary ridge on loose terrain.

Ah, finally, the base of Mount Wilson. We ascended to the notch in the center of this photo.

At the notch, Class 2. At the notch is where the traverse merges with the standard Mount Wilson north route.

Matt starting up the final set of Class 3/4 moves to the summit of Mount Wilson. It's short-lived and the summit is basically right ahead of Matt. I HIGHLY recommend you just ascend via the ridge (standard route) and not do the nonsense we did in the next two photos. I didn't get any shots of the standard Class 4 moves, so check elsewhere online for those. In hindsight, we should have just done the moves since what we did was way more scary.

Not recommended: we wrapped around to the east face of Mount Wilson and ascended this. While a little less exposed, it was insanely steep and loose and I wasn't happy.

Not recommended: View back as we finish up ascending via the east face and pull a Class 4 move to gain the summit.

Mount Wilson summit, view north toward Wilson Peak. The standard route would have come up from the ridge on the left in this photo. Our descent route heads down into the basin in the center of this photo.

Mount Wilson summit, view back along the ridge to El Diente Peak. Kilpacker Basin is visible on the left (the southern approach) and Navajo Lake is visible slightly on the right (our approach).

Close-up of the traverse.

Close-up toward Liard Head (left) and the San Juans stretching forever.

Not recommended: a shot of Matt descending our ascent route. We are so dumb.

Once down from Mount Wilson, we headed down the standard northern route. We first traversed to the right, just below the ridgeline. Don't head straight down, it's steep and loose.

View back toward Mount Wilson as we traverse just below the ridgeline.

Making progress on the way down.

Another shot back at the endless talus.

Close-up of the talus field. Our goal is the green/red hump in the center, where the talus fades away and a social trail emerges.

View back up as we near the social trail.

Joined the social trail! Cairns helped lead back to the main trail.

At the social trail, view toward our descent valley, Navajo Lake down there somewhere.

Some nice lighting on our way back to the car.
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