Princeton or Antero

[YooperJonKornely]

So I've got 8 14ers done... enjoyed them all! I'm working up the list, basically going easiest to hardest. That being said, I've scouted the trailheads at Princeton and Antero this last weekend, I thought I'd be able to drive up a ways (still get 3,000 ft), but when I saw the roads... decided against driving and to save my car. My question is... which has a better initial hike to treeline with camping? I'm thinking of this Saturday heading to 1, then hiking to a nice spot for the night, then summiting early on Sunday. Any suggestions or ideas?! Also this will be solo... so if anyone else is solo and looking to hit up one of these this way, let me know... nice to have a camping partner to have a beer with!

[Yalegirl09]

Antero... A lot of people don't like Antero since the road goes to 13,800 feet. The road is considerably rougher than Princeton, but there are a lot of good pull outs once you get past the shelf section of the lower road. You could even drive to Baldwin Lake and camp there. When I did Antero my friend and I started at 4:30 am from 11,200 feet. We made it about a half mile from our car before we ran into traffic on the road and had the summit all to ourselves. Princeton is shorter from the 11.000 parking, but it takes much longer to climb. It's basically a huge rock pile all the way to the summit.

[TravelingMatt]

Hmmm... Antero sucks. Princeton sucks a little less; you can hike up to the radio towers and camp there, but you will have company on weekends and will probably be woken up by people driving up there in the morning. I'd put both mountains in "just do them as dayhikes to get them over with" category.

Want another suggestion? Harvard. The road to the TH is now 2wd and it is a pretty easy hike up to the bottom of Horn Fork Basin. Lots of campsites around treeline. Harvard is one of the rougher dayhikes around but should work quite nicely as an overnight. And the basin is one of the prettier areas in the Sawatch.

[SpringsHiker]

I would agree that neither is the most attractive option. For the reasons already stated I did Antero as a winter hike in November. The plus was NO traffic on the road as it was impassable and very few people--maybe 4-5 others that day, and the glisades down were nice . The negative was that with the ice on the road it was 3 miles longer each way. Still, I don't think you could talk me into a summer climb of that peak.
The road from the towers to where you leave the road is dull and uninteresting on Princeton, and from the start of the ridge to the summit it is a rock fest. I will say that the ridge line to the summit has beautiful views. At the time I kept saying to myself that I was on the set from the Lord of the Rings--it was that pretty. If I HAD to pick between those two it would be Princeton.

[YooperJonKornely]

Thanks for the advice. I have heard from a few people that these 2 hikes may not be the 'best' 14er hikes... but I'd like to cross them off the list! I might go with Princeton, and save Antero for a winter hike, that sounds like a good idea.

[paully]

Crappy and crappier. I was in clouds the whole time I climbed Princeton, so I can't comment on the views. Antero had stunning views of (I believe) North Carbonate Mountain, and the upper portion of the route was kind of interesting (plus if you stray off-route a bit, you may encounter some aquamarine miners). Other than that... flip a coin.

[Hunter]

Why don't you finish Grays & Torreys so you don't have to dread their crowds after this summer. SG is passable in a passenger car if you take it slow to the trailhead.

Antero sucks. Princeton sucks a little less. I'd put both mountains in "just do them as dayhikes to get them over with" category.

+1
Although I'd say Princeton's hike was less enjoyable than Antero's. We made it to Antero after descending from Shavano and Tabeguach. Having gone up both sides of Antero in the same day, I prefer the south route up...marginally. We didn't encounter anyone until we were on the shoulder of Mt. White. We actually went up the second main ave gully west of Mt. White which we enjoyed only because it was such a hard climb. Princeton on the other hand was nothing more than a rock pile of unstable boulders after we rolled the shoulder to the north from the main road. We were fine, but hearing the instability was at times a bit nerve racking.
Hope this info helps. -Hunter

[crossfitter]

I actually think doing Antero or Princeton soon is a great idea. Do them early before you get spoiled with the fun ones and know any better

I drove up to the radio towers on Princeton, no problem in a subaru as long as you take the rollers slowly. Walking up the mount Princeton road looks like it would be miserable. Even though Antero has that utterly lame road almost all the way to the summit it's actually relatively scenic. There are campsites just past the radio towers on Priceton but they are right next to the road. I believe Antero has campsites just before the road begins switching back up the mountain, and they are further off the road in a meadow looking area. Personally, I would try to hitch a ride up to the first stream crossing on Antero to save yourself a bunch of miles.