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Willow Knob
Willow Knob
Summit Elevation 9,500'
Summit Location 40.6316° / -111.5848°
Trailhead Solitude Entry #1 or 2
Online Map View on wbskiing.com

Willow Knob is a nondescript bump on the East Willow Ridgeline. The Knob is usually wind scoured and can be a bit awkward to pass when you are ascending the ridgeline to access Neil's Bullshit Bowl, USA Bowl, or the South Monitor. The right (south) side of the Knob is usually preferable, although the scoured snow can make skinning difficult. The left (north) side is more likely to be windloaded and avalanche prone.

Getting to Willow Knob

Willow Knob from Solitude Entry #1

Willow Knob from Solitude Entry #1
Trailhead Solitude Entry #1
Trailhead Elevation 8,080'
Knob Elevation 9,500'
Total Vertical 1,400'
Skinning Distance 1.3 miles

Park near the lower Solitude parking lot. A skin track starts across the highway. Ascend this track for about 10 minutes until it joins the skin track coming from the upper Solitude parking lot (on an old jeep road). After a few minutes, you'll reach a thick grove of pine trees. Take the skin track that branches off to the right just before the trees and climbs the East Willow Ridgeline to Willow knob. It takes about 30 minutes to ascend the East Willow Ridgeline to Willow Knob.

Willow Knob from Solitude Entry #2

Willow Knob from Solitude Entry #2
Trailhead Solitude Entry #2
Trailhead Elevation 8,200
Knob Elevation 9,500'
Total Vertical 1,300'
Skinning Distance 1.4 miles

Parking near Solitude's upper Solitude parking lot requires a little less elevation gain to access Willow Knob.

From the upper parking lot, head up the private Old Stage Road on the north side of Big Cottonwood road. After less than 10 minutes, Old Stage Road turns sharply to the right as it heads toward USA Bowl. Follow the skin track that leaves the road on the outside (left-side) of this turn and climbs modestly along an abandoned jeep road toward Willow Fork. After about 15 more minutes you'll reach a thick grove of pine trees where, as mentioned above, a skin track branches off to the right just before the trees and climbs the East Willow Ridgeline to Willow Knob.