Carrie and I spent the weekend in Salida, Colorado which is about a 2.5 hour drive from our house in Montrose. Salida is a hip town, with several breweries and some nice restaurants.

Our first goal on the trip was Mount Princeton. Being a 14er, Mount Princeton is a popular peak. The peak has over 2000 feet of prominence and is quite visible from the highway as one drives from Salida to Buena Vista.

Monsoons were predicted, so we got an early start. We had heard horror stories about the approach road being quite narrow and busy. Despite knowing that, I was still surprised at how narrow and rutted the approach road was. We actually drove past several parking areas and parked in a small parking area at the end of a switchback. I had spotted this on Google Satellite and it would get us exactly 3000 feet of gain for the day.

From our starting spot, we followed the road to about 11800', where a trail leaves the road heading north. The trail starts off really smooth, but once it gets in the scree below Tigger Peak, it starts getting more bouldery. The trail is never that hard to follow, but it is a little slow going over the boulders.

At around 12,800', the trail switchbacks up to the saddle between Princeton and Tigger. This section of trail is less rocky and easier hiking.

The final 1200' of gain from the saddle is on a decent trail, with a few steep sections that required caution from slipping on the way down.

The summit had fine views. At 14,200', this was Carrie's new highpoint! We enjoyed the views and the monsoon was holding off. After pictures, a quick rest and snacks it was time to head down.

The descent was pretty uneventful and we enjoyed chatting with numerous groups on the way out. Then it was off to Soulcraft Brewery for a well-deserved beer!

From Buena Vista - Turn west on CR 306 and follow that for .7 miles, then turn left on CR 321 and continue south for 7.2 miles. Turn right onto CR 322.

From Salida - Head north on Highway 285. Turn west on County Road 162 (near Nathrop). Drive approximately 4 miles to a junction where you will turn right on CR 321. After 1.2 miles, turn left on CR 322.

Once on CR 322 you will drive almost a mile when you see the Mount Princeton trailhead on your right and at 8900'. This is a huge parking lot. If you don't have good clearance, park here. After the trailhead, the road becomes narrow and rutted. We caught up to a few Subaru Outback drivers just before the comm. towers at 11k and they were going pretty slow and even getting out to spot the driver over some rocky sections. That said, I have heard people in sedans make it to the towers, so go figure.

You can park near the towers or at several sections on the left side of the road on the ridge immediately after the towers. After that point, parking choices are quite limited.

See the GPS track above. This is a popular mountain, so the trail is pretty easy to follow. Finding the turnoff to the trail isn't as easy as expected, so be heads-up for that. A couple of people missed it while we were there, so it can happen.