Mount Princeton 14ner hike in CO

Mt. Princeton - Elevation 14,197 Feet

Basic Information / Directions: Visit 14ers.com for specific directions & trail information. We hiked the standard route to reach Mt. Princeton. We drove to the radio towers on Mt. Princeton Road and parked. But you can drive further up, just be advised that there are not many places past the radio towers to turn around. Mount Princeton is roughly a 7 mile up from the radio towers and is considered one of the harder 14ers. I was with a big group of people with Younglife and we had people of all shapes and sizes, in shape and not in shape. If that helps decide if you can do the hike. The hike took us roughly 8 hours and recommend going really early in the morning 5 am or so.

Also, make sure to dress in layers the weather changes so fast and it may be hot (probably not at 5am) at the bottom but at the top most the time there will be snow and it will be a big drop in temperature. Also afternoon thunderstorms usually come in the afternoon and puts you more at risk of getting struck by lighting so if a storm comes and your not to the top yet I would recommend heading back down the trail or if you can take cover somewhere and wait the storm out do that. Otherwise a few easier 14ners are:  Bierstadt, Quandary, Massive, Torreys and Grays Peak. Torreys and Grays are so close together too that you can do both in one day. 

Once on the trail, the stunning view of the upper Arkansas River Valley, including Buena Vista, Johnson Village and Nathrop, are just a turn back away.

Be prepared for lots of people on the mountain. If you are seeking peace and quiet, don't climb on a summer weekend, during the week is a better time to go if possible.

After I recommend stopping at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs and soaking in the hot springs. They have a few man made pools, but my favorite are the pods off the river. When I went a few years ago they were deeper and rocks formed around them to look like pods, but the past year we went up the river wasn't as high and didn't have the pods but with the rocks in the river you could form your own pods just weren't as deep. This varies year to year though and depends on the snow fall since the river is snow runoff.

Have you hike Mount Princeton? What did you think?

Zapata Falls, CO

Zapata Falls it's about 12 miles from the sand dunes.  Make sure if you make the trek up there you have a vehicle with four wheel drive, the road up is about 3-4 miles dirt road. Very rocky and a lot of the cars we saw going up kept bottoming out. Once we got to the top we did the half mile hike to the falls since we still wanted to see the sand dunes before heading home.

The hike in is a gradual uphill hike took us half a hour to get to the top and down. Be prepared to get wet once you get to the top you have to cross the river and the water is ice cold! Few times I didn't know if I was going to make it but continued on and once we got to the cave entrance and saw the waterfall.

I was so thankful that I continued on. It was the coolest waterfall I have ever seen. Once you enter the cave you see the little falls and than when you go back alittle further you see the bigger falls. I wish I would have brought my go pro to climb further up into the bigger falls, I didn't trust going in with my iPhone.  I think coming back in the winter would be really pretty to see the waterfall frozen and the river may be froze over so you might not have to get wet to see it.

At the top they also had a campground we had no idea was up there and the sites seemed pretty nice and had nice views. Once you get in though on that road you may not want to leave again, just in case you forget the eggs and have to run into town.

Has anyone else been to Zapata Falls? What did you think?

The Great Sand Dunes, Colorado

Hiking the dunes

Exploring the sand dunes is a must do when visiting this national park. The park entrance is $15 for a week. Hiking is best in the morning or closer to sunset. That’s because the sand is scorching during the heat of day. Just make sure you bring bug spray we noticed as the sun went down we were swarmed with mosquitoes!

Also, bring plenty of water and be prepared for a workout hauling yourself to the top of one of the dunes is no small task you will slide with every step causing double the work. And remember: there aren’t any maintained trails. I carried my phone inside my jacket in an attempt to keep the sand out, but a plastic bag would have been better. I ended up finding grit in various places and it took awhile to clean.

Daytime activities include splashing in Medano Creek, which is always a blast. The water flow changes throughout the year, too. You could have plenty of rushing water or only a small trickle. When we were there, the creek was very cool and reached just below our knees, making for an easy crossing to the dunes.

 Shortly after crossing the river we saw people sledding down a dune. The only person who looked like he was doing anything fun was a guy sliding down while standing on what looked to be a snowboard. I read that some people go to the dunes to ski in the winter, but that would be so much work without ski lifts.

Driving up Medano Pass Primitive Road

If you have a capable 4-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance, driving up Medano Pass Primitive Road will give you another unique perspective into these lands. You’ll have to navigate creek crossings, deep sand, rocks, and other obstacles.

You may even need to deflate your tire pressure to 20 psi when the sand is soft and dry. There’s a free air station in the Amphitheater parking lot, but bringing your own air compressor is a smart move. We didn't know this when we went back so we didn't chance going back as far as some of the other jeeps, being in a bigger Dodge truck and no cell service didn't want to chance it this time. But next time we go up we will be prepared!

The camping at Pinon Flats looks really neat a lot of the sites have views of the sand dunes and I bet the sunset and sunrises are remarkable.




Has anyone been to the Sand Dunes? Have any tips for hiking up the dunes? Or favorite camping sites at Pinon Flats?