DO NOT ATTEMPT when Horse Race Ridge is muddy, at least not with standard car tires. For me, it had rained the night before, and I ended up with mud caked around the wheels of my Ford Escape, nearly slid off the road, and had to stop several times on the way down to scrape it off. Honestly it's a well maintained road... when it's dry.

This is a fascinating area, unique geology and striking features. It looks as though there are plenty of untouched, tantalizing boulder problems a mile from the trailhead, which I left untouched due to the aforementioned mud coating my shoes. Wilson Peak is a standard walk up, not terribly exciting but with great views. Soldier Cap, on the other hand, is fun to look at, fun to hike (I found a route that involved using my hands only once), and has expansive views of the Owyhee front. This pair of peaks makes for a great low-stress outing. The summit register is fairly well buried in the summit cairn on Soldier Cap; getting it out is a small puzzle. Looks like the register was placed in 2014, and not many have signed it since. Saw a couple familiar names in there anyway.

A strong (if too early) start to the 2019 peakbagging season!