Mt. Wilson - climbing the southwest slopes route

My ascent and descent of San Juan 14er Mt. Wilson by way of the SW slopes route on September 13th, 2024, exactly 150 years after the first recorded ascent of the mountain by surveyor and namesake A.D. Wilson in 1874. The high, broad, jagged peak anchors the magnificent westernmost group of 14ers in Colorado, which also includes fourteeners El Diente Peak, Wilson Peak, and centennial 13er Gladstone Peak. The trip up this mountain from the Kilpacker Basin trailhead takes me through serene meadows and forest, up through the talus and boulders of Kilpacker Basin, then up a loose, steep, treacherous set of class 3 gullies, and finally up the fun class 3 stretch of rock to a summit that is the 2nd highest in all the San Juans. Certainly this is one of the harder 14ers, so do come physically and logistically prepared and studied on the route and terrain. In this video, as always I provide maps and route description, as well as bits of the history of the mountain, and hopefully some inspiring pictures and footage. The contents of this video are as follows: 0:00 Different views of the mtn, its naming history, and A.D. Wilson 2:35 Route overview & description 3:40 Directions to the TH, and driving Dunton road (FR 535) 3:56 Overview of lower approach, ~10,100’ to ~10,400’ 5:26 Overview of upper approach, ~10,400’ to ~12,600’ 7:34 SW slopes, part 1: ~12,600’ to ~13,800’ 21:34 SW slopes, part 2: ~13,800’ to the top, 14,256’ 43:59 Scenes at the top 47:59 Descending SW slopes part 2, 14,256’ to ~13,800’ 1:00:42 Descending SW slopes part 1, ~13,800’ to ~12,600’ 1:08:33 Descending the approach hike, ~12,600’ to the TH, ~10,100’ 1:11:37 Final thoughts and reflections on the mtn and the route, and a few comparisons/rankings 1:13:54 Final images. AMOR FATI! #14ers #colorado #mountains #hiking #nature #rockymountains #climbing #mountainclimbing #mountainscenery #naturedocumentary #sanjuanmountains Music selections: 1) “9th Symphony, Finale” - Beethoven (YouTube audio library) 2) “Today Remains Sweet” - Lish Grooves (YouTube audio library) 3) “Keep Climbing” - The Soundings (YouTube audio library) 4) “Battle of the Beast” - The Soundings (YouTube audio library) Additional sources: 1) For maps: U.S. Geological Survey - USGS 2) "A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners" by Walter R. Borneman and Lyndon J. Lampert. Pruett Publishing, 2nd edition, 1988. 3) "Colorado's Fourteeners - From Hikes to Climbs" by Gerry Roach. Fulcrum Publishing, 3rd edition, 2011. 4) 14ers.com: Mt. Wilson/routes 5) For signs: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA 6) "Colorado's Highest - The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks" by Jeri L. Norgren. John Fielder Publishing, 2020.