14ers.com

Colorado Fourteeners Initiative has received dozens of emails and social media messages regarding the current access issues on Mounts Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron, and Bross. CFI's Executive Director Lloyd Athearn spoke with the private landowner yesterday. As of July 6th, the road to the Kite Lake trailhead is currently open. The area immediately surrounding the lake is on public land managed by the US Forest Service and Town of Alma. However, the vast majority of land on these peaks is privately owned and currently CLOSED to public access. CFI is working with the Town of Alma, USFS, and landowner to solve issues pertaining to liability insurance and signage. Please respect the landowner's closure and refrain from hiking these mountains until further notice.

Hi Brian,
Thanks for the update. I’ll put the notice back out on the route descriptions and follow up with Lloyd soon.

Has anything changed? If not, was any signage put up to let people know about this closure?

Curious if there's any update on this. Four 14ers being closed to the public for an entire season strikes me as rather undemocratic.

astromuni wrote: ↑Sat Jul 31, 2021 4:14 pm Curious if there's any update on this. Four 14ers being closed to the public for an entire season strikes me as rather undemocratic.

14er's that are on private land! No "democratic" process is required. It's private and the owners can do as they wish, with or without your approval.

I am shocked by the belief or feeling that hikers and other outdoor users believe is some "right" they have to areas that do not belong to the public domain.

Go climb somewhere else.

Mike

oldschool wrote: ↑Sat Jul 31, 2021 6:55 pm

astromuni wrote: ↑Sat Jul 31, 2021 4:14 pm Curious if there's any update on this. Four 14ers being closed to the public for an entire season strikes me as rather undemocratic.

14er's that are on private land! No "democratic" process is required. It's private and the owners can do as they wish, with or without your approval.

I am shocked by the belief or feeling that hikers and other outdoor users believe is some "right" they have to areas that do not belong to the public domain.

Go climb somewhere else.

Mike

Concur w/Mike. I hiked all those peaks except Bross a few years ago - I did the hike as an out-and-back after Lincoln. Wasn't interested in descending the scree off of Bross; the alternative of tagging Bross and going back to Lincoln, etc., was not appealing at the time to bag the peak of an unattractive mining claim.

I am not trying to wade into the14ers.com Hit Parade topics of private v. public, "right" to have access, whether we should be outraged that a rich person charges money to hike a ranked 14er and an attractive 13er, etc. But, let's face it, Decalibron is just a hike over a heavily-mined area. It has great views, but it's not wilderness. It's a high-country slag heap. I had a great time, but in my limited experience there are many hikes more worthy. (Although I did find some food in Alma that was amazing. ...). The essential point is that it's not worth it to piss off the owners of the claims. It sounds like the parties are having productive discussions that will probably be resolved to the mutual benefit of the miners and the hikers.

astromuni wrote: ↑Sat Jul 31, 2021 4:14 pm Curious if there's any update on this. Four 14ers being closed to the public for an entire season strikes me as rather undemocratic.

I and and 10 others vote to take your car and house away from you. Sorry we can do it, its democratic!!

Private property is protected in this republic. And is not subject to the democratic process because it is somebody elses. They own the summits, they decide what to do with them.

The people who complain about not being allowed on the land are probably the same people who would trespass on that same land given the opportunity.

Salient wrote: ↑Sat Jul 31, 2021 8:02 pm The people who complain about not being allowed on the land are probably the same people who would trespass on that same land given the opportunity.

+100%!

The decalibron sucks anyways, much better peaks in Colorado! I’ve also never paid the silly parking fee (woopsies)

Private property blah. People inherit worthless 150 year old mining claims or buy them for pennies then immediately try to find someone to extort or even better exchange them for 500 acres next to Breckinridge. It isn’t like you’re cutting through someone’s backyard I say run all over them. Talked to a neighbor yesterday who told me he and his wife did the entire Decalibron a week ago. I asked if he was worried about trespassing. He didn’t even know they were closed!

JChitwood wrote: ↑Sat Jul 31, 2021 10:26 pm ... Talked to a neighbor yesterday who told me he and his wife did the entire Decalibron a week ago. I asked if he was worried about trespassing. He didn’t even know they were closed!

That's why this is such a joke. Apparently there's not one single sign or barricade up there? I'd guess hundreds of people have trespassed up there since this "closure."