Square Top Peak & Wilcox Peak

Guys, I had an adventure this weekend!

Saturday arrived bright and early as I hopped in my Pathfinder and headed over to meet Lauren and Greg at their house. We had a big day ahead of us since we had promised to meet the crew at the trailhead on Guanella Pass by 8:30.

We were last to arrive and Heidi, Lynne, and Andy and Chris from Sierra Trading Post were already there waiting for us. I had been googly eyed over the changing leaves on the pass so I hadn’t quite noticed the massive wind gusts, but they definitely made themselves known when we stepped out of the car for introductions. I lifted the handle from the inside the car and my backseat door slammed open before I could catch it; we were in for some WEATHER!

After we said our hello’s, we all loaded up our gear and hit the trail. Immediately, I noticed that the mid-30s temps weren’t going to be as toasty as I was hoping. Sure, it was sunny outside but the wind was fierce. If it was this brutal at 11,000 feet, what would it be like at the summit?!

We hit the dirt and began the trek up Square Top Peak, elevation 13,794. The trail began gradually but it quickly dissipated and we were left looking up at this mountain looming in front of us with zero trail to guide our way. Naturally, it didn’t bother our crew too much, so we pointed our boots towards the summit and started to beeline it!

The climb was wicked steep but the wind and temps were even more difficult to handle than the semi-staircase of a climb. As we passed 12k, it grew cold, and as we passed 13k, the cold turned into frigidness! I had begun the hike with only a Terramar baselayer and my new Columbia Zonafied softshell, but I quickly realized I needed a third layer along with my mountaineering mittens. I was shivering by the time I added the extra layers on, so I made the executive decision to hoof it to the ridgeline in hopes of cranking up my body heat.

Once we hit the ridge, the wind was insane and I think Andy said the gusts were upwards of 40mph. This, combined with the already-cool temps meant we were hiking in 10-15 degree weather with snow covering the rocky ground. Fortunately for me, I’ve done some winter mountaineering at elevation so I was prepared for the shockingly cold temps, but not everyone in our group felt the same. This was one of Lauren’s first winter-esque adventures, so you can read her take on it here.

We hit the summit but it was so damn cold that no one stayed long; we wanted off that ridgeline like whoa! The crew headed down the backside of the mountain, carefully picking our way through the snowy and ice-covered rocks. Again, there was no trail and the slope was crazy steep, so the footing was surprisingly more difficult than I had expected. However, once we were off the summit and down the backside, we were blocked from the wind and the temps were much more comfortable—we were back in the 30s!

While we were warm and our brains properly functioning, we took a look at the day’s initial schedule. We had originally planned to hit up Argentine Peak next, followed by Mount Wilcox for a total of 10 miles. However, it was looking like our mileage was already going to be higher than estimated, so we decided to scrap Argentine and head straight for Wilcox. Of course, now that we were thawed, we also found time for food and fun!

After shooting some video and inhaling far too many snacks (was that just a me problem?!), we put boot-to-snow and headed across the gradually inclining meadow towards the base of Wilcox. Once we hit the base, I looked up at the ridgeline towards the summit.

Fun, no? Because it was tucked into the valley with the sun hitting the rock, this final ascent would be much different than Square Top! There was zero snow on the talus fields and the rock was pretty solid. I’ve spent lots of time on talus in the past, so I’ve finally figured out how to leap from rock to rock without breaking my face. I enjoyed hopping my way up the mountain while feeling the sunshine on my face.

The entire crew arrived at Wilcox, elevation 13,408, and took in the view. Since we weren’t terrified to remove our gloves, we snapped a lot more pictures this time around!

Andy, Lynne, Lauren, Heidi, me, and Chris

As fun as the summit was, we still had a trek down and although that always sounds easier than the ascent, it never is! Once again, we were sans-trail, and the descent was crazy steep with lots of bumpy grass mounds. The hike was slow-going and it took a fair bit of time before we finally arrived at the dirt road in the valley.

The kicker? We still weren’t at the car! We walked the dirt road back to the main road that winds up Guanella Pass, but we had dropped in about 1.5 miles below the parking lot where our cars were waiting for us. Disheartened, we all began hiking the paved road, knowing that we had to get back to the cars somehow!

Luckily, Lauren saved the day by actually sticking her thumb out and hitching a ride! Two incredibly nice women in a Subaru pulled over and drove Andy and Greg back to the parking lot so they could pick up our cars and return for us. Sure, we all could’ve hiked the road, but seriously, who wants to do that?!

Waiting for Greg and Andy to come back for us!

You know, the best part about the day was the fact that I had a spectacular time with a crew of people that I knew on varying levels. Heidi and I hang out all the time, but I’m just barely getting to know Lauren and Greg and I think Lynne and I have only chatted a few times, but never adventured together. And I just met Andy and Chris that morning! It’s amazing how the outdoors can bring a crew of like-minded peeps together, you know?

Last but not least, check it out! Chris is the videographer for STP and he made a little snippet of our day. Try not to laugh too hard—I tend to talk with my hands!

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What do you guys think of the video? Do you like mini-videos likes this for outdoor adventure recaps?