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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.
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Mount Democrat
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.
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!
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!
