Four days is a very difficult itinerary – don’t take it lightly!
Day 1: Shavano, Tabeguache, Antero, Princeton
Starting from Blanks Trailhead, take the good trail up to Shavano, tag the close Tabeguache, then go cross valley to summit Antero. Descend down Baldwin Gulch. Cross the road, and head over to the townsite of Alpine. Hike up the trail, and summit Mt. Princeton via its south ridge. Princeton will be a test of endurance.
Descend down onto the Colorado Trail, and take it as far as you can towards Yale’s east ridge.
Day 2: Mt. Yale, Mt Columbia, Mt. Harvard
Take the east ridge of Mt. Yale, and descend down towards Horn Fork Creek. Take the standard route up Mt. Columbia, and do the traverse to Mt. Harvard. Descend into the Pine Creek drainage for the night.
- Mt. Princeton to Mt. Yale
- Mt. Yale to Mt. Columbia and Mt. Harvard
- Mt. Harvard to Mt. Oxford/Belford and Missouri Mountain
Day 3: Oxford, Belford, Missouri, Huron
Although the hike up Oxford is steep, the bop over to Belford is easy, and going towards the summit of Missouri is doable as a third peak for the day. Descend down the west ridge of Missouri to Clohesy Lake, and then back up Huron Peak. Descend Huron’s standard route and make camp before La Plata’s south trailhead.
Day 4: La Plata, Elbert, Massive
- Huron Peak to La Plata Peak
- La Plata Peak to Mt. Elbert
- Mt. Elbert to Mount Massive and finishing at the Fish Hatchery
Take the good trail to summit La Plata, then down the standard route to State Highway CO 82 for some road miles towards Echo Canyon. Back up to summit Mt. Elbert, then down the west ridge, and over to Massive for your last peak!