Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
On July 26, 2009, approximately 90 men started out at the Kite Lake trailhead to hike the four peaks - Democrat/Cameron/Lincon/Bross. These men were all a part of Peak Challenge - an excursion put on each year by Band of Brothers men's ministry. You can check us out at
This year, we had men from the Omaha/Lincoln/Kansas City area as part of the experience. Our base camp was Windy Point Campground on the shores of Lake Dillon and from July 23rd through the 26th, we hiked, biked, ran whitewater, went jeeping, as well as many other activities. The focus however was spending time with God..... and hiking 14ers!
Here are some group shots of just a few of the 90 men.
We had a bit of a detour at the Kite Lake trailhead..... some of our guys took off up the Buckskin trail near the outhouses, thinking that they were on the right trail. It took us 40 minutes to chase down most of guys to let them know that the Kite Lake trailhead was ..... uh.... the other way! A bit of a wild goose chase to start out the morning, but a good warm up nevertheless!
Once we had corralled all of the guys on to the right trail, our goal was to get as many men as possible up and down the four peaks that day. As you can imagine, we had men whose hiking skill levels were all across the spectrum, from the newbie that had never been above 12,000 foot to the experienced hiker that had climbed 15+ 14,000 footers.
Democrat, as we heard, was like I-70 that morning, filled with people moving like ants up the grade towards the Democrat/Cameron saddle. Our guys were taught and reminded over and over again to leave no trace... hard to do with 90 men, but I think we did a good job at that.
For some guys, seeing and being in snow in late July was a new experience.
Here are some obligatory sign shots on the summit of Democrat - complete with our own laminated summit sign. Lots of folks wanted to use the sign, so we happily passed it to our 90 men and whomever else wanted to use it on top.
Not all men made the summits of all four peaks, but we did have a good number do so. Here are some additional shots of some of those peaks and those men. For some men, we had just hiked 6 14,000 foot peaks in two days.
Coming off Bross was a bit of a challenge, as many of us got caught in some sleet and rain showers as we headed down the scree piles to get back to Kite Lake. There at the bottom waiting for us was a crew of our men that had shish-ke-bobs and beer waiting at the campfire and grill area near the outhouses. What a great treat that was as we waited there, ate some food and cheered on our men (and quite frankly any other person) that was coming off the trail from Bross or from Democrat.
Next year will be the 5th annual Peak Challenge... and we are excited to spend another weekend in 2010 in Summit County and beyond hiking 14,000 foot peaks! We are expecting more than 100 men next year...
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.
