After an uphill battle lasting several years, the route up to Wilson Peak will be open again to the public. Wilson Peak is one of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks and is a regional icon.
Private landowner Rusty Nichols had 220 acres, including part of the normal route to the Wilson range (Mount Wilson, Wilson Peak and El Diente), and denied mountaineers and hikers access across his land. Nichols tried first to make a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service, to trade his property for other public lands, but the two parties were not able to negotiate a deal.
Nichols then threatened to mine his property, which is rich in silver and other minerals, and even pulled state permits for mining.
There was public outcry over the closure of the route to the beloved peak — there are other routes up to the Wilsons, but they are longer and more treacherous — and a conservation agency stepped up to purchase the land from Nichols and preempt any mining activity.
The agency, Trust for Public Lands, has successfully preserved other high country land in the region and garnered support for its efforts to negotiate with Nichols. The Telluride Foundation gave $150,000 to help TPL secure the property, which has an estimated value of more than $3 million. Blind mountaineer Erik Weihenmayer, the only blind athlete to climb all seven summits on each continent, including Mount Everest, climbed Wilson Peak this August to help raise awareness about the closure of the route, and funds to help reopen it.
According to officials from TPL, the deal was finally negotiated this fall and access should be restored late next summer.
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