55 riddles about Mount Princeton, Colorado with answers

Mount Princeton is a high and prominent mountain summit in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. It is located in San Isabel National Forest, northwest by west of the community of Nathrop in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The summit lies on the Continental Divide and is also on the border between Chaffee and Gunnison counties. The elevation is officially listed as 14,197 feet (4,327 m) by the National Geodetic Survey and the United States Geological Survey. Princeton is the fourth highest fourteener in Colorado.

Riddles

Riddle 1

I am a body of water found near Mount Princeton. Anglers come to fish for trout in my cold waters. What am I?

Answer: The Arkansas River

Riddle 2

I am a town located at the base of Mount Princeton. I am known for my hot springs, resorts, and proximity to mountain recreation. What town am I?

Answer: Nathrop

Riddle 3

I am a mountain pass that runs between Mount Princeton and Mount Antero. U.S. Highway 285 travels over my high point at 9,539 feet. What am I?

Answer: Trout Creek Pass

Riddle 4

I am a glacier-carved valley running east of Mount Princeton. The Chalk Creek runs through me, draining into the Arkansas River. What valley am I?

Answer: Chalk Creek Valley

Riddle 5

I am a lake located southeast of Mount Princeton, nestled at 10,600 feet elevation. Anglers come to fish for rainbow and brook trout in my waters. What lake am I?

Answer: Twin Lakes Reservoir

Riddle 6

We are a range of mountains that Mount Princeton resides within. Many other prominent 14,000-foot peaks are also found in our high country, including Mount Yale, Mount Belford, and Mount Harvard. What range are we?

Answer: The Sawatch Range

Riddle 7

I am Mount Princeton’s nearest “fourteener” neighbor to the north. At 14,420 feet I am the third highest peak in the Sawatch Range. Who am I?

Answer: Mount Yale

Riddle 8

I am the mountain pass you would take to travel from Nathrop over to the town of Buena Vista on the eastern side of the Sawatch Range. What pass am I?

Answer: Cottonwood Pass

Riddle 9

We are the segment of the Continental Divide that runs along Mount Princeton’s summit, separating Pacific and Atlantic drainage basins. What are we called?

Answer: The Great Divide

Riddle 10

I am the swiftly flowing creek that drains the northern slopes of Mount Princeton. I am a tributary of the Arkansas River, favored by anglers for my trout fishing. What creek am I?

Answer: Chalk Creek

Riddle 11

I am the glacier that sits on Mount Princeton’s eastern flank, one of the largest in Colorado’s Sawatch Range. What am I called?

Answer: Mount Princeton Glacier

Riddle 12

I am the county that contains the summit and majority of Mount Princeton. Nathrop lies within my boundaries. What county am I?

Answer: Chaffee County

Riddle 13

I am Mount Princeton’s smaller neighbor peak to the southwest. At 14,197 feet, I share the same elevation but am considered a subsidiary summit. What peak am I?

Answer: “Mount Princeton South”

Riddle 14

We are the Mexican sheepherders who gave Mount Princeton its name in the 1800s, being reminded of Princeton University and the New Jersey town. Who are we?

Answer: Early Spanish settlers/Mexican sheepherders

Riddle 15

I am the national forest that manages and contains Mount Princeton within my boundaries. What national forest am I?

Answer: San Isabel National Forest

Riddle 16

I am Mount Princeton’s next-door neighbor to the south. My summit lies along the Continental Divide at 14,269 feet elevation. Mount Princeton towers above my summit by only 72 feet. What peak am I?

Answer: Mount Antero

Riddle 17

I am the month when weather conditions are best for climbing Mount Princeton’s steep, exposed slopes without snow or ice. When am I?

Answer: August

Riddle 18

I am the 2-mile long ridge trail that traverses Mount Princeton’s summit, offering spectacular views. What am I called?

Answer: Mount Princeton Summit Ridge Trail

Riddle 19

I am the Colorado specialty burger served in Nathrop and named after nearby Mount Princeton. I am topped with green chilies, guacamole, pepperjack cheese and pico de gallo. What am I called?

Answer: The Mount Princeton Burger

Riddle 20

I am the creek flowing north of Mount Princeton, sourced from high mountain lakes below Mount Antero. Trout Creek Pass carries U.S. 285 over my waters. What creek am I?

Answer: Trout Creek

Riddle 21

We are the native trout species found in creeks and lakes surrounding Mount Princeton. We include brown, rainbow, brook and cutthroat trout. What are we?

Answer: Trout

Riddle 22

I am the hiking route that ascends Mount Princeton from the north, starting near the town of Buena Vista. My trail intersects the Colorado Trail before the summit push. What am I called?

Answer: Mount Princeton Northern Slopes Route

Riddle 23

We are the vertical rock bands on Mount Princeton’s East Face climbing route, known for loose, precarious rock. What are we called?

Answer: The Tiger Stripes

Riddle 24

I am Mount Princeton’s neighboring fourteener peak to the northwest. My symmetrical pyramid-shaped summit tops out at 14,421 feet elevation. What mountain am I?

Answer: Mount Harvard

Riddle 25

I am the 2.5 mile trail that climbs steeply from the Chalk Creek trailhead to Mount Princeton’s radio towers and summit. What am I named?

Answer: Chalk Creek Trail

Riddle 26

We are the crumbly, loose rock layers that make Mount Princeton’s climbs more dangerous and unpredictable. Geologists call us the “Tertiary intrusive rocks.” What are we more commonly known as?

Answer: Rotten rock

Riddle 27

I am the mountain town located 20 miles east of Mount Princeton, known as a gateway for Sawatch Range adventuring. Mount Princeton towers high above my horizon. What bustling town am I?

Answer: Buena Vista

Riddle 28

I am Mount Princeton’s next closest neighbor to the west, known for my dramatic diamond shape. My summit reaches 14,309 feet along the Continental Divide. What mountain am I?

Answer: Mount Columbia

Riddle 29

I am the hidden alpine lake nestled below Mount Princeton to the southwest, accessible only by rigorous hiking. Brook and rainbow trout swim my chilly waters. What am I called?

Answer: Upper Pine Creek Lakes

Riddle 30

We are the series of high alpine pools at the foot of waterfalls cascading down Mount Princeton’s cliffs. After big winter snows, we swell with runoff and provide a dramatic sight. What are we?

Answer: The Mount Princeton Waterfalls

Riddle 31

I am the winding 4WD road that leads south from Nathrop over Trout Creek Pass, providing access to Mount Princeton’s west side. What am I named?

Answer: Chalk Lake Road

Riddle 32

I am Mount Princeton’s awe-inspiring summit panorama, ranging from neighboring peaks to the buff-hued Great Plains far below. What am I called?

Answer: The view

Riddle 33

I am the steep gully splitting the South Face climbing route, filled with loose rock and requiring technical skills to ascend. What am I named?

Answer: The Bowling Alley

Riddle 34

I am the high alpine valley on Mount Princeton’s southwest side, dotted with beautiful lakes. My namesake creek drains into Chalk Creek. What am I called?

Answer: Pine Creek Basin

Riddle 35

We are the prominent arkosic sandstone rock bands striping Mount Princeton’s upper slopes, telling the geologic story of ancient Lake Princeton. What are we called?

Answer: The Striped Bands

Riddle 36

I am the Colorado wildflower that paints Mount Princeton’s high tundra in fiery autumn hues. With plentiful blooms from July to September, I stand out against the rocky scree. What flower am I?

Answer: Alpine Avens

Riddle 37

I am the moderate hiking trail running along Chalk Creek near Nathrop, offering easy access to wildflowers, cascading waterfalls and gulch overlooks with Mount Princeton views. What am I named?

Answer: Chalk Creek Falls Trail

Riddle 38

I am the windswept, 13,000+ foot saddle gap sitting along the Continental Divide between Mount Princeton and Mount Columbia to the west. What am I called?

Answer: Mount Princeton Saddle

Riddle 39

Riddle 54

Answer: Mica schist

Riddle 55

I am the Colorado wildflower carpeting alpine tundra with vibrant fuchsia petals just below treeline on Mount Princeton in August. What captivating flower am I?

Answer: Sky pilot

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed these 55 riddles about Mount Princeton, Colorado! This prominent 14,000-foot peak in the Sawatch Range offers incredible adventures amid alpine scenery. Let these brainteasers inspire your next Rocky Mountain getaway, whether hiking to lofty summits, fishing for native trout, or soaking in nearby hot springs. The call of the high country awaits!