TR: Mt. Wilson & Mt. Sneffels (San Juan Mountains, Colorado)

**coloskier** · 06-10-2011, 09:46 AM

Headed down to the San Juans last weekend (June 4/5) and skied (Marc snowboarded) the east fact of Mt. Wilson from Cross Mtn trailhead and the Birthday Chutes on Sneffels from Yankee Boy Basin. Smoke from distant wildfires made things pretty hazy but otherwise a good weekend.

Mt. Wilson

Left the TH around 4:30am, followed Cross Mtn. Trail for a couple miles and then contoured over to Slate Creek. Marc following Slate Creek towards Wilson and Gladstone

Skinned up to the Boxcar, stashed some water and our skins in the avy debris, and began climbing.

Marc in the Boxcar with Lizard Head in the distance.

Topped out on the Boxcar around 8:45am. Snow was getting pretty soft so we hurried towards the summit. Marc got this shot of me.

Looking back at Marc at the top of the Boxcar. It smelled like burning.

Marc climbing the final couple hundred vert to the top.

Me on the summit with El Diente in the background.

Only spent a few minutes on the summit before dropping.

The apron was too tempting so we chose that over the Boxcar couloir.

Me enjoying some of the best corn of the season.

Had a late lunch in Telluride at Floradora followed by an early dinner a couple hours later in Ouray at Buen Tiempo before heading into Yankee Boy Basin. Eating at both places was important because it allowed us to tell twice as many people that we had just skied a 14er, and that we were about to do it again.

Mt. Sneffels

Sunrise.

Sneffels ridge.

Marc climbing the Birthday Chutes.

Near the top about 3 hours after leaving the parking lot.

On the summit with the sun poking through the smoke.

Had brought a rope to rap into to the Snake but decided to leave it in the car and make a game time decision. Sure enough, the rope wouldn't have been necessary to enter the Snake. Although after a while of siting around it was still only 9am and we didn't feel like waiting for the sun to make its way into the Snake so we hit one of the Birthday Chutes.

This aspect hadn't warmed up yet either but we were anxious to get to Arby's in Montrose so we started skiing anyway.

Still a good bit of snow up here.

Got back to the truck by 9:30am. The fact that they plowed a dirt road this high made a solid weekend that much better. Skiing back to the car is not something we're able to do very often this time of year.