Wilson Peak, San Juan Mountains, Telluride, Colorado

Reaching 14,017 feet into the sky of southwestern Colorado, Wilson Peak rises above aspen-covered mesas 13 miles southwest of the town of Telluride in Colorado’s most magnificent range of mountains. As the aspen reach their peak of color in late September and the first snows of winter begin to dust the peaks, this spectacle can take the breath away from even the most jaded world traveler. With thirteen summits over 14,000 feet, the San Juan Mountains are mecca for climbers or anyone else simply wishing to soak in this spectacular scenery. This 4,000 square-mile mountain range began to rise at the beginning of the Laramide Orogeny about 60 million years ago. The scenery we see today is mostly a result of the recent ice-age glacial advances which carved deep valleys and created many of the precipitous peaks which fill this range including the steep north face of Wilson Peak.