Mt. Princeton 2026

This was to be our third and final big hiking day of our 2026 trip to Colorado. Originally I had been planning to take two of my sons, Luke and Seth up Grizzly Peak as a new peak for all 3 of us and it looked like a fun climb. However, 2 days prior we had a very big day on Holy Cross doing the Halo Ridge and my son Luke decided he was good for the trip and didn't want the extra hiking day. This left my son Seth and I to either tackle the new peak (Grizzly) or an opportunity for Seth to hike a peak his brother had already done. We went with the latter option and that led us to Mt. Princeton. My oldest Luke and my 2nd Jonah did Princeton back in 2017 and Seth wasn't along that day. This would be the perfect hike, especially as we were staying close to Buena Vista, for us to tackle.

Mt. of the Holy Cross Halo Ridge

Mount of the Holy Cross is a wildly underestimated fourteener peak amongst the ranks in Colorado. Certainly underestimated in its physical difficulty with its long strenuous approach. But also underestimated in its beauty and what a wonder it is, though remote, and far from the beaten path.

When my father, brother, and I first summited it in 2000 we were on a backpacking trip by the Seven Sisters Lakes Area. We sorta made our own route up to the summit approaching along the ridge from the south. We never had the pleasure of the standard route and Halfmoon Pass approach to Holy Cross. As I've begun to repeat most of the 14ers over the years this was quickly rising to the top of wishes to experience that route.

Along the way I'd also learned of the Halo Ridge route it also quickly peeked my own interests. My brother and I have especially been enjoying trying alternate routes, even some of the more difficult and formidable ones, like the Ellingwood Ridge on La Plata. He and I have discussed numerous times putting Halo Ridge on the to do list someday. Unfortunately my brother and I hadn't yet been able to figure out a year to make it happen but opportunity struck for me to take two of my sons this year. I've been seeking to challenge them in the mountains both in effort and in climbing difficulty and this seemed a good next step up for them and so we sought to make it happen.

Mt. Sherman 2026

This was my fourth trip to Mt. Sherman. This was one of my early 14ers back in 1992 when I hiked it with my immediate family. It remains to this day my mother's only 14er. I returned in 2011 for a winter ascent with my father and good friend Matt. I was back a year later in 2012 for an ascent with my aunt, uncle and cousins. That was a first and only 14er for two of my cousins. And now this ascent which was a first 14er for 3 of my nephews. Sherman holds lots of firsts for our family!

Trip Info:
Mt. Sherman Trail from the Fourmile Creek TH

Trailhead Elevation: 11,895 ft.
Distance: 7.81 mi. 
Elevation Gain: 3,049 ft.
Start Time: 7:18am
End Time: 12:53pm

Trip Report:
My family met up with my brother's family to accomplish the ascent this day. My brother's family was on the tail end of a long national parks road trip that took them to the likes of Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Teton. They were in Colorado for two days and we timed our trip to meet them and accomplish this first 14er for my brother's boys. We were also able to get my father up with us at age 74. This would end up being 14er ascent #92 for him