We spent Saturday evening in Fairplay, at the Western Inn — a fine little establishment — after crossing Hoosier Pass in a fierce thunderstorm, complete with small hail. We rose at 4:00 on Sunday, and left Fairplay around 5:25. The road to the trailhead is not Park County Road 10, as one guidebook claims. Rather, it is the unmarked road a fraction of a mile further to the north, in the heart of Alma. The road heads west directly across from the Placer Trading Company and Texaco station. The road wasn’t too bad — for the first couple of miles. It then began to degenerate into little more than a jeep trail. After negotiating a couple of shallow stream crossings, one of which would have given us pause during daylight hours, we made it to within perhaps one-quarter mile of the Kite Lake campground, before capitulating to the road’s steep grade and rocky surface. We hit the trail at about 6:05, walking up the remainder of the “road” to the campground in the chilly first light of dawn. I was glad to have jeans, and wished for a third layer over my tee-shirt and sweatshirt. While finding a spot in which to park my truck, we had exchanged greetings with a party of three, who were ahead of us now. They had mentioned that another party had already started up, so we counted ourselves the third or fourth group to start up. At 12,000 feet, we were soon having to work to get enough oxygen. With the passage of about 20 minutes or so, however, we both began to feel as though we had achieved some acclimation, and breathing became less strained. We followed the trail up the east side of the Kite Lake drainage, and watched the sun’s first rays illuminate the ridges to the south. Perhaps one-half mile above the lake, we passed the remnants of a miner’s cabin, a curious mixture of sagging beams and newer drywall, with aluminum window frames scattered on the ground nearby. The trail was fairly steep most of the way, and we took frequent rest stops. About a mile above the lake, we crested the saddle which connects the east slope of Democrat with the southwest slope of Cameron. It was turning out to be a delightful day, cool and breezy, but sunny. Many parties had passed us, and had already set out from the saddle to conquer Democrat. After a brief rest, we, too, set out for the summit. First came a moderately steep stretch of rocks, where the trail became patchy, and we had to occasionally look ahead for the next cairn. Then the trail became more reliable, and we followed it through a number of switchbacks. Another rocky stretch brought us to a small, flat area just east of the summit, and the remains of another cabin. We strolled past a couple of small patches of snow, home to red lichens, then up the final, easy slope to the summit. We made the top by 9:30. We signed the Colorado Mountain Club log at the top, took some panoramic photographs, and drank in the blue sky and clean, cool air. Much of South Park lay before us to the southeast, and Lincoln and Bross loomed to the east. To the northwest lay Fremont Pass, and the ugly machinery and polluted tailings ponds of the Climax molybdenum mine. There was a steady breeze, somewhere between 20 and 30 miles per hour, and the temperature felt to be in the upper 40’s. After a sip of water and some trail mix (heavy on the M&M’s) we started back down for the saddle. Our descent was slowed when we found ourselves a short distance south of the trail, and had to scramble back to the north. We arrived back at the Democrat-Cameron saddle at about 11:00, and spent about one-half hour there, watching the clouds, and resting sore muscles. Donna decided she didn’t have the knees for Lincoln and Bross, and the western sky was becoming increasingly cloudy, so we started down, choosing to save those two peaks for another day. By 1:30, we were back at the truck, glad to shed packs and massage weary feet. After a brief rest, we started down the rocky “road” back to Alma and route 9. A resounding thud greeted us as we navigated one of the stream crossings, but an undercarriage examination conducted in Alma revealed no real damage. By 3:30, we were back in the heat and noise of the city. When we return for Lincoln and Bross, we will park below the two, tight, back-to-back hairpins which appear on the very east edge of the Climax 7.5 minute quadrangle, and walk the additional quarter-mile to the campground. Eastern approaches to these peaks via jeep trails might also be tried, but they would be a longer walk.

Warning: Mountain climbing entails certain risks and can be a dangerous activity. Many Colorado peaks have seen climbing fatalities. The most common factors in mountaineering accidents are poor judgement, inadequate physical conditioning and improper equipment. When faced with bad weather, fatigue or terrain that may be beyond your abilities, turn back. The mountain will still be there when you’re stronger, more experienced or better-equipped for another attempt. And remember: the summit is only the halfway point. Many accidents occur while a party is descending from the summit. If you climb, do not rely solely on the information contained herein. Do not assume that the route descriptions are completely accurate. The route descriptions were written after-the-fact from memory, and human memory is fallible. In addition, many factors (especially weather) can cause a route that is normally a “walk-up” to become a serious, hazardous proposition. Thoroughly research your route, have appropriate equipment, anticipate sudden and drastic changes in alpine weather, and know your abilities and limitations. Seek professional instruction before climbing, and build your climbing skills gradually: climb several easier peaks before attempting a more difficult route. Don’t become a statistic!

Text and photo(s) copyright © 2001 Mark R. Vanderbrook.
All rights reserved.