Wilson Peak/Soldier Cap

Wilson Peak (5,353) and Soldier Cap (5,434 feet)

Soldier Cap from the top of Wilson Peak.

Trip Report (3/30/2002):
Accompanied by Zach Vickery, I hiked the summits of Wilson Peak and Soldier Cap in the Owyhee Mountains. We did the pair in late March, while the rest of the mountains in Idaho were blanketed by snow. This is an excellent spring hike, which is very close to Boise. Heck, Soldier Cap will even give you a little class 3 work near the top.

Trip stats:
Time: 3 hours
Length: 6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1800 feet
Class (difficulty): 2

Directions:
Take ID 45 south out of Nampa. Drive over the Snake River and turn left (west) onto ID 78. Follow ID 78 for 3 miles and turn left (west) onto Wilson Creek road. Follow Wilson Creek road past a feedlot and into the hills. We just stayed on the main road and headed for Horse Race Ridge. Park where the road crosses the saddle on Horse Race Ridge.

Route:
From the road and saddle on Horse Race Ridge, we hiked cross country towards Wilson Peak, then caught the road to the top. From the top of Wilson, we hiked to the saddle between Wilson and Soldier Cap, then followed a 4-wheel drive road to the base of Soldier Cap. We then headed up the north side of Soldier Cap.

Map of the Route: