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Mount Democrat

At a glance:
Distance: 4.0 miles round trip
Difficulty: Class 2
Ascent: 2,150 ft
Map Link: Mount Democrat
Website
: 14ers.com Mount Democrat
Google Maps Link: Mount Democrat
Dogs: On a leash
Mount Democrat
A lot of people come here to knock out four fourteeners in one day, and certainly, that's reasonable. However, sometimes, it's nice just to do a quick 14er and still have a lot of day ahead of you. One time, I hiked upon here with Peter, then ran back down and caught a flight out of Denver at 2:00 PM to Dallas. 14er in the morning, steak in Dallas at night. It's totally doable. Plus, the other three up here are pretty forgettable (except for maybe Lincoln) so its a great way to revisit this area without having to do the Decalibron.

Mount Democrat

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getting there:

Address: 
 1) From Colorado Springs, head to Woodland Park, pass through Divide, then Florescent, Lake George, and Hartsel.

 2) Take a right on Route 9 toward Fairplay
 3) At 285, take a right toward FairPlay, then take a left onto Route 9 again toward Alma and Breckenridge.
 4) Once you get to Alma, slow down because there are cops just waiting to nab you.  If you are going a bit fast, then turn into one of the neighborhoods and pretend to be a local, it works, really.
 5) When you see Al-mart, turn left onto Buckskin Road (County Road 8) and head up the gravel road until you get to the Kite Lake Campground. Make sure you either come the night before, or very early as this place gets nutty crowded on a summer weekend. Camping is my preferred method because on a clear night, the stars here are ridiculous. The Big Dipper sits right over Mount Democrat in July. It's a sight to behold.

The hike:

There are two ways to do this loop.  The first, is head up Democrat first, then to Cameron, Lincoln, and finally Bross. However, if you like to suffer and go up really steep loose gravel, then head up Cross first, then Lincoln, Cameron, and finish off with Democrat. Personally, I like the Democrat way first, it just leaves you with the misery of coming down the Bross trail at the end.
From Kite Lake: Head past the lake and begin your ascent out of the basin up a moderately steep rocky slope. You'll quickly gain elevation as you switchback up toward the Democrat-Cameron saddle. The views from the saddle in the early morning light are wonderful and the view back toward Kite Lake is excellent as the sun rises. From the saddle, head left (west) and up a little slope to a small ridge. From here you will attack the steepest part of the ascent to Democrat.  Once you gain this ridge, you will be at 13,900 feet and have great views of the mountains as well as the summit which is just an easy stroll across relatively flat terrain and then a quick little ascent.  Head back down the way you came and drive home. If you started at 5:30 AM, It's probably only 7:30 AM, so you can go somewhere else and do something else, the day has just begun!

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  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Bread & Breakfast >
      • Pancakes
      • Applesauce Waffles
      • Banana Bread
      • Bran Muffins (Anne Style)
      • Cinnamon Rolls
      • Dinner Rolls
      • Focaccia Bread
      • French Bread
      • Granola
      • Poppy Seed Bread
      • Scrambled Eggs
      • Waffles (Floyd Style)
      • Wheat Bread
    • Lunch
    • Dinner >
      • Butter Chicken
      • Brussel Sprout Salad
      • Chicken in a Roll
      • Chicken Nachos
      • Crustless Quiche
      • Deep Dish Chicago Pizza
      • Flank Steak Tacos
      • Hamburgers
      • Japanese Curry Chicken
      • Mashed Potatoes
      • Ministrone Soup
      • Penang Curry
      • Pommes Anna
      • Ratatouille
      • Salmon
      • Stuffed Shells
      • Sweet Potato Casserole
      • Taco Soup
      • Tonkatsu
    • Snacks and Desserts >
      • Apple Pie
      • Chocolate Chip Cookies
      • Chocolate Pie
      • Cinnamon Rolls
      • Pie Crust
      • Pumpkin Doughnuts
      • Pumpkin Pie
      • S'mores
    • Thanksgiving >
      • Apple Pie
      • Deviled Eggs
      • Mashed Potatoes
      • Pumpkin Pie
      • Pie Crust
      • Rolls
      • Sweet Potato Casserole
      • Stuffing
    • Christmas >
      • Apple Pie
      • Chocolate Pie
      • Cinnamon Rolls
      • Mashed Potatoes
      • Poppy Seed Bread
      • Sweet Potato Casserole
      • Rolls
  • Travel
  • Hiking
    • Colorado >
      • Colorado Springs >
        • Garden of the Gods
        • Pulpit Rock
        • The Incline
        • Spruce Mountain
        • Upper Palmer Lake
        • Mount Herman Trail
        • Section 16 (Black Forest)
        • The Pineries
        • Fox Run Park
        • Austin Bluffs Open Space
        • Ute Valley Park
        • Red Rocks Open Space
        • Cheyenne Mountain State Park
        • Barr Trail to Barr Camp
        • Stanley Canyon
      • Colorado Springs Area >
        • Paint Mines
        • The Crags
        • Mueller State Park
        • Devil's Head Lookout
        • Bison Peak
        • Pancake Rocks
        • Kenosha Pass
      • 14ers >
        • Huron Peak
        • Quandary Peak
        • Pikes Peak
        • Grays and Torreys Peak
        • Mount Lindsey
        • Mount Democrat
        • DeCaLiBron
    • Utah
    • Hawaii >
      • Oahu >
        • Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail
        • Koko Head
        • Diamond Head
        • Ehukai Pillbox
      • Maui >
        • Pipiwai Trail
        • Waihe'e Ridge Trail
        • Iao Valley State Park
    • Mikey's Hiking Wisdoms >
      • Packing Lists >
        • Day Hike or Run
        • All Day or 14er
        • Overnight or Camping
        • Car Camping
      • Hiking Safety
  • Biking
  • Stuff
    • Quotes
    • Poetry
  • Blog
  • About
    • Disclaimer