Route Description

Take Colorado 9 to Alma. In the middle of town and on the west side of the road, look for a small sign for the road to Kite Lake. Turn here and drive a bit through a residential area. Continue 6 miles to Kite Lake. The last mile of this road can be a bit more rough, but a good-clearance 2WD should still be able to make it when the road is dry. There are restrooms and some camping spots at the trailhead. You must pay a small fee to park/camp at Kite Lake. If you park below (no fee), walk up the road to Kite Lake.

Details:

This route is recommended as a snow hike with optional ski descent. So, it's likely that the road will not be open to Kite Lake. The trailhead elevation (above) assumes a start on the Kite Lake road near the Sweet Home Mine near (11,400').

Hike, snowshoe, or skin the road up to Kite Lake. In most years, the road has a lot of snow through mid-May. Near the Kite Lake parking area, angle northeast and continue through the basin toward the Cameron-Bross saddle. Look for a snow-filled gully in the basin - it is the drainage from the gully climbed in this route. Most of the S Gully cannot be seen from Kite Lake. Do not confuse it with the gully directly east of Kite Lake that leads southwest from the summit. The S gully starts below the Cameron-Bross saddle.

Continue northeast through the basin to approximately 12,600' in a large open area. Mt. Cameron is ahead and Mt. Democrat is back to your left. The Bross summit is up to the right and difficult to identify. Photo #1 was taken from a point farther to the northwest to show the location of the S gully. Photo #2 is a closer look at the remaining route. Continue to the base of the gully - Photo #3. The remainder of this hike follows the gully to 14,000'. It is only recommended with stable snow.

Enter the serpentine gully at 12,800' and continue hiking. Photo #4 and Photo #5 show different sections of the ascent. Taken at 13,700', Photo #6 shows the view of Mt. Democrat behind the route. Keep hiking as the gully gets steeper and flattens out. It turns right under some mines and continues southeast - Photo #7. In May or early June, the snow will likely run out somewhere between 13,600' and 14,000'. Continue until the slope eases, turn left, and walk up to the summit.

Skiing?:

The photos on this route were taken during a skin ascent and ski descent of the gully. With continuous snow, this is one of the best ski descents on Bross. It's a long gully ski followed by wide-open basin ski leading down to Kite Lake.