Hike: Mount Princeton

July 25, 2009: Mount Princeton, 14,197'

I've never hiked across so much talus in my life. At least I can't remember it. There was nothing technical about this climb up Mt. Princeton, but it was sure tiring.

Mount Princeton is the impossible-to-ignore monarch of the collegiate peaks, visible for miles around and glorious to see from a distance. But what looks like solid grey rock from afar is really unfathomable amounts of boulders and talus. The farther you get from it, the more the talus appears to be pebbles, then sand, then a formidable wall of stone. I suppose it is much like an ant crawling over a pile of coffee grounds!

Mount Princeton from the last bit of real tundra on the mountain. Not far from here, the trail becomes dirt and talus.

Ah, yes. This is much more accurate.

The trail and (I believe) Unnamed Peak 13,273 as seen from the summit.

Looking back at Princeton on the way down. Still some folks on the summit (they look like black specks).

The Mount Antero massif as seen from the ridge below Princeton's summit.