Summit of Wilson Peak (14,017′) – Click for slideshow

My family came out for the 4th of July and we went to one of my favorite places, Telluride, CO.  We had a tremendous time exploring the area for the week.  We started with a hike up Ajax Peak (12,875′) at the end of the box canyon.  It was my nephew Will’s first big hike to nearly 13,000′ and he did great, as did my pup, Camden.  My sister-in-law, Caroline, and my brother, Mike, made the trip up in great form as well.  The views of Telluride and the surrounding San Juan mountains made the effort well worth it and it was great to be up there with Will on his first big outing.  Robust smiles were shared all around.

Mike and I then set our sights a little higher and climbed the iconic Wilson Peak (14,017′) via the SW Ridge.  Wilson Peak, the inspiration for the Coors Light label, is a perfect pyramid shaped peak and simply a stunning mountain.  We put in a long, hard day over a lot of Class 3 terrain, but we made it and were rewarded with beautiful weather (despite some 50mph gusts) and great views.  It was Mike’s first Colorado 14er, but certainly won’t be his last.  It was a memorable climb and it’s always a pleasure to get out with my big bro when time and schedules allow.  As a bonus, standing atop Wilson Peak and Ajax Peak added two summits to my 40 peaks in 40 weeks objective bringing the early total to five successful climbs.

We also traversed the rugged 4×4 jeep trail from Ouray up and over Imogene Pass (13,114′) to Telluride.  It was a full-day outing, but the views made the rough going tolerable.  The 4th of July parade in town is always a pleasure as well.  Will was right in the mix this year and walked away with quite the stash of candy accumulated from those floats generous enough to keep the blood sugar levels maxed for the children of Telluride.  There were some elbows flying in the scrum, but he held his own and then some.

The week went by entirely too quickly, as they all seem to, but we had a great time and are already looking forward to planning next year’s 4th of July adventure.  Perhaps, Jackson Hole, the Tetons and Yellowstone.