The rugged mountain on Coors beer cans that conveys contents “as cold as the Rockies”? Well, it’s the same one seen in many Jeep commercials to emphasize toughness. Wilson Peak is also the backdrop for Quentin Tarantino’s movie “The Hateful Eight.” It’s one of three fourteeners in a cluster of volcanic peaks in the western San Juans called the Wilson Group. To add to the confusion, that group includes Mount Wilson. These geographical features are named for the cartographer who mapped out much of the western slope. To the Ute people, Wilson Peak was “Shandoka,” the "Storm Maker," because clouds gather around it and affect local weather.
Though it’s accessible year round, Wilson Peak is not an easy climb. It involves scrambling over rocks. But you can also get the iconic view of the peak from the top of the Telluride Ski Resort gondola.
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Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
