The Mount Princeton Climb has become our most popular event for Princeton alumni, students, and families. Come to Colorado for a wonderful outdoor adventure culminating with a hike to the summit of Mount Princeton. The 1999 climb brought together folks from the Class of '50 all the way up to the Class of '03. This year's Mt. Princeton Adventure will be another wonderful opportunity for Princetonians, family, and friends across the generations to meet each other and share in a great adventure. The Mt. Princeton Climb is open to Princeton University alumni and their families, current Princeton students and their families, graduate students, faculty and staff at Princeton.
Mt. Princeton is big (14,197 feet)! Which means that everyone participating needs to spend several days at a high altitude (over 5,000 feet) in order to be properly acclimatized for the hike. In addition to the Mt. Princeton Climb, we have arranged several days of fun outdoor activities in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Activities include beginning rock climbing and kayaking; guided mountain-bike rides through the San Isabel National Forest; guided fly-fishing trips; day hikes; and whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River.
There are two program options, the Ponderosa Plan which includes 5 nights of lodging at the Ponderosa Lodge in Salida, Colorado or The Climb & Barbecue option where you take care of your own lodging.
Mt. Princeton is part of the Collegiate Range in the southern Rocky Mountains. Located near Nathrop, Colorado along the Arkansas River Valley. Mt. Princeton rises majestically from the valley floor at 7,059 feet to 14,197 feet, unconnected to other peaks or ridge lines giving the mountain its stately appearance and spectacular views of the surrounding 14,000-foot peaks.
The climb of Mt. Princeton is a long hike at high altitude and should only be undertaken by those in good physical shape. The Climb will begin in the cool morning hours before dawn on Friday, July 13. The first section is a 4-mile hike along a dirt road with beautiful views of the surrounding valley. The last two miles of the trail are the steepest as you climb from 12,000 feet to the summit at 14,197 feet. There is no technical climbing involved, but plenty of boulder scrambling across the open boulder slope and up to the summit ridge. For photos of the previous Climbs and map of the mountain go to the Mt. Princeton Web page (www.princeton.edu/~oa/alumni/mtpu/).
In order to help you get acclimatized to the altitude we have a range of exciting optional outdoor activities planned. These programs are available to you whether you stay at the Ponderosa Lodge or on your own. Outdoor Action is working with American Adventure Expeditions, an outfitter based in Buena Vista, to provide these exciting options. Transportation to and from the Ponderosa Lodge and lunch are provided.
Wednesday is exploration day. You can select from one of four different outdoor activities exploring the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
The San Isabel National Forest has hundreds of miles of trails for mountain biking. Your day trip can be a gentle ride down a country road or an adventurous single-track trail high into the mountains. Sites may include ghost towns, abandoned mines, beautiful valleys, mountain lakes and streams. Your mountain biking experience and physical condition will help us determine the appropriate trip. Guides will first outfit you with a quality mountain bike. Experienced guides will then lead you off on a fun-filled morning ride that will teach you basic mountain bike handling skills. After a relaxing lunch, you'll spend the remainder of the day exploring local trails. Minimum age for children is 13. (Day fee $85.00/person)
This one-day kayaking instructional program is geared for a range of abilities from beginner to intermediate (Class I-II level). The staff from American Adventure Expeditions are certified American Canoe Association instructors. Everyone will start on the lake for an introduction to strokes. Beginners will spend the day on flatwater learning basic strokes and maneuvering. More experienced paddlers will move to the river and practice skills on easy whitewater. You'll spend time learning to read water, practicing river-running strategies, and learning personal and group paddling safety. Minimum age for children is 12. Non-swimmers will not be allowed to participate. (Day fee $85.00/person)
You will spend the day at a local climbing site learning basic climbing techniques and belaying with instructors from American Adventure Expeditions. The climbing area provides a range of difficulty of climbs from beginner to intermediate. (Day fee $85.00/person)
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Comments from previous Mt. Princeton Climbs: Thanks for organizing a great experience; if OA hadn't done this we never would have made the trip. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the climb. The climb itself was the most physically challenging thing I've ever done and it's an experience I will treasure for a long time. The fellowship at the lodge, talking with and getting to know Princetonians of other generations. I cannot imagine another venue that could be done more rewardingly. The camaraderie—great discussions with interesting people on more different topics in five days than I've had in a long time. It was one of the best vacations I've ever had. |
With experienced fishing guides you can spend the day fly fishing some of the best spots in the Arkansas River Valley. Beginners can learn the basics of fly-fishing and experienced folks can tune up their technique. Bring your own gear or use equipment from American Adventure Expeditions. Fishing licenses are required. (Day fee $120.00/person with fishing license)
Acclimatization Hike on the Colorado Trail
On Thursday we will do easy hikes on the Colorado Trail around nearby Mt. Shavano ranging from 3-5 hours. These will be fun opportunities to explore the Rockies as well as get better acclimatized. Everyone who plans to climb Mt. Princeton should go on one of the hikes to help your acclimatization to altitude. The hikes and lunch are included as part of your fee.
Shooting the rapids on the Arkansas River.
Whitewater Rafting
Saturday offers a chance to experience the excitement of whitewater rafting. The Arkansas River offers tremendous Class II - Class III whitewater through Brown's Canyon. This is a great trip for rafters of all experience levels and includes rapids like Pinball, Big Drop, Staircase, Squeeze Play, and Twin Falls. The rafting trip is a half-day trip beginning at 1:00 PM on Saturday so you can have a relaxed morning after the big climb. Non-swimmers will not be allowed to participate. (Half-day fee $35.00/person).
The Ponderosa Plan
The Ponderosa Lodge sits in the San Isabel National Forest outside of Salida, Colorado, on the banks of the North Fork of the South Arkansas River. The lodge is about 20 miles from Mount Princeton. We will be the only guests at the lodge, allowing for exclusive use of all facilities such as volleyball, badminton, walking trails, swimming pool, and hot tub. There are hiking trails right across the road from the Lodge.
Breakfast and dinner will be at the Ponderosa offering ample opportunities to enjoy the camraderie of other Princetonians. We will be planning the menu for our stay. Hearty lunches will be provided by American Adventure Expeditions for the optional day activities on Wednesday, the day hike on Thursday, the Mt. Princeton Climb, and whitewater rafting on Saturday.
The lodge feels like a large, rustic home with 18 rooms that sleep four to eight people in single beds. Also, there are six one-room cabins, which sleep four to six people. All rooms and cabins have their own small bathroom. Couples will be placed in rooms with another couple. Solo participants will be assigned bunkmates in single-sex rooms with people of similar age (just like freshman year). Every effort will be made to honor roommate requests. There are no phones or televisions in the sleeping rooms. No smoking is allowed in the rooms and cribs are not available.
Looking up at the majestic summit ridge.
The Ponderosa Plan package includes a five-night stay—Tuesday July 10 to Sunday, July 15—at the Ponderosa Lodge. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Thursday acclimatization day hike lunch, the Mount Princeton Climb and western barbecue, and local transportation for activities, all included in the package price of $595 per person. There will be an additional fee for the optional activities on Wednesday or the whitewater rafting trip on Saturday (lunches and transportation included). Shuttle service from the Denver airport to the Ponderosa is available on July 10 & 15 for an extra fee. Reservation forms and deposits of $250/person plus the full fee for any optional activities are due by April 1, 2001. The remaining balance is due by May 15, 2001.
Families are encouraged to participate and many of the activities are suitable for children. Due to the long hiking distance and the significant elevation gain (13 miles round trip and 5,300 feet of elevation) the main summit hike is not recommended for children under 10. Younger children who are adventurous and experienced may want to hike Mount Princeton's southern ridge (eight-mile round trip hike from 8,900 up to 12,000 feet).
For those who want to combine the climb with other vacation plans, we offer a special two-day package that includes joining the group for the day hike on Thursday, July 12 and the Mount Princeton climb on Friday, July 13 (Rain date: Saturday, July 14). Both hikes include lunch, and the barbecue after the climb. The cost of this option is $140 per person. You are responsible for your own lodging. There are a number of local accommodations in the area including motels, other lodges like Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Lodge, and campgrounds. Keep in mind that this is a popular destination in the summer and reservations are mandatory; many of these establishments will fill by mid-Spring. In order to climb Mt. Princeton you must spend a minimum of two days at higher altitude (over 5,000 feet). Reservations and full fee are due by April 1, 2001.
Please complete the registration form and return it with your deposit check to Outdoor Action. A portion of your fee goes to support Outdoor Action activities on campus. Spaces on the Ponderosa Plan are limited to the first 100 and spaces for the Climb/BBQ option are limited to 50 both on a first-come, first-served basis. A detailed information packet with climb preparation information, equipment list, airline and other lodging options and information to help you prepare for the climb will be mailed to you and is available at: