I've rarely hiked Wilson on an excellent day. This spring day? It was too cold. Sleet awaited us at the top, and everything shut down on Mt. Wilson. We learned that we weren't prepared for the freezing, wet conditions, and I'm grateful that we could bail at the summit by hitching a ride back. Hot tip: the bathrooms are heated.
You may want to think twice about this strenuous hike. I recommend going in May or June, on a gloomy (but dry) day.
The hike itself, that I've trekked several times, is as stunning as ever, particularly the middle section which is heavily forested with thick tree cover. There are at least two spots where water flows if you bring a filter. Orchard Camp is a good stopping point (we should have turned back here in retrospect), but it had a lot of bugs this April.
Summary:
- Don't summit Wilson in the summer.
- Don't summit it on a wet winter day either.
- Bring bug spray.
- Bring lots of water and/or a filter.
- Bring a wallet for the Cosmic Café at the top if you fancy a snack or lunch (but expect it to close early on a cold day).
Responses
This is great information – thank you! Wilson was the one I was least familiar with. I’ll wait on this one based on your info 🙂 And Cosmic Cafe sounds cool.