Mt. Democrat

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 1/30/2017, By: Eagle Eye
Info: Mt Democrat Jan 29th, 2017 Route: East Ridge Starting Point: Paris Mill site (winter closure) Start Time: 8:12 am Summit: 1:04 pm Return to TH: 3:58 pm Participant: Mike Via I wore snow shoes from winter closure (Paris Mill) to the Democrat-Cameron saddle. I anchored them behind & wore micro spikes from there to the summit. There was a FIERCE north wind from the D - C saddle to the summit. 2 skiers set out before me and I saw them as they headed up the ramp to Mt Bross, but didn’t see them again. Several snowmobilers reached the Democrat-Cameron saddle. Two glissades sped up the descent! I found a nice hiking boot and near Kite Lake brought it down. See Lost & Found. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 1/22/2017, By: sdkeil
Info: We started at the normal winter trailhead near the old Paris Mill. The road was completely snow covered and we used snowshoes all the way up to he Cameron / Democrat saddle. Stashed our shoes there and booted the ridge to the summit. We didn't use any traction, but some might like it on some of the wind hammered sections. Lots of snow up there, but conditions were good. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 1/24/2017, By: Eli Boardman
Info: The Kite Lake road was mostly packed and/or wind crusted, and I did not use snowshoes below the lake. The slopes to the saddle between Democrat and Cameron were relatively loaded. I managed to stay out of the snowiest areas by traversing on loose scree high on the Cameron side of the bowl just below the saddle. From the saddle, Democrat's ridge is an easy climb. I used microspikes above 13k, but they were not entirely necessary. The weather cleared off and the winds calmed to allow an enjoyable summit. The ridges to Cameron, Lincoln, and Bross looked very dry. The S Gully on Bross had lots of rocks showing through starting about half way up. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 12/29/2016, By: bmcqueen
Info: I did the loop this morning from the winter closure 2.6 miles below Kite Lake. I did it in reverse, finishing on Democrat. The road is a mixture of dry gravel and drifted snow. I used my snowshoes until about 13k on Bross, then strapped them to my pack and went without traction until the descent from Democrat. Spikes were nice for the descent from Democrat. There was some nice plunge-stepping to get down a couple of stable snow slopes pretty quickly. I almost broke down and put the snowshoes back on for the little bit of willows above Kite Lake to the summer TH, but just suffered through it with a rare post-hole. Most of the snow was windblown and firm and didn't have any issues holding my weight. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 11/19/2016, By: kayleenann8
Info: Some snow is starting to build up on the trail below the saddle. Above the saddle the snow is hard packed. Before sunrise it was quite easy to hike -- on the way down after sunrise it got a little slick -- microspikes would have been helpful but not necessary. Pretty windy! We continued on to Cameron, Lincoln and Bross. Each peak was increasingly windy. One gust knocked me and my two adventure partners over! No significant on any of those peaks. The trail off bross has accumulated a little snow and is a little hard to follow if you don't know what you are looking for. 

Route: Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron, Bross
Posted On: 11/13/2016, By: drewblyjones
Info: Started the hike just after 0700 and finished at 1330. Light winds making our way up to the saddle, from there started getting gusty wind and clouds rolling through. Was expecting a mostly sunny day but had fairly high winds and blowing snow (nothing sticking to the ground). Sun finally peeked out and wind died down during the bit after getting back lower in elevation. Wind up on the peaks was definitely higher than expected. Not a lot of snow on the peaks, and most could be avoided. There was a stretch a little after the saddle heading up to Democrat that spikes were helpful for, aside from that, no traction devices necessary. There's a couple spots though that were helpful to have them. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 10/31/2016, By: jimmyjazz
Info: Relatively warm start at sunrise, with moderate wind. Trail fine until the steep section leading to the false summit. Some packed snow which could create some issues for some. Poles or traction are good idea in the section, however, you can avoid the snow on less stable rock/scree. Wind gusts were strong on the summit, but beautiful. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 10/27/2016, By: phlakin
Info: Did Decalibron today. Snow is scarce, except from the Cameron/Democrat saddle up to near the Democrat summit. Hard pack and ice on the trail. I used Yaktrax and was golden. Others walked on the talus on the downhill side of the trail and seemed to do ok as well. All the other snow along the standard routes is avoidable. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 10/16/2016, By: Allagash
Info: Echo 10/14/16 report. Hit the snow on ascent around 8:30 a.m. but from 9:30 on (above Cameron/Demo' saddle and up last pitch to summit), sloshy and slippery. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 10/14/2016, By: crester
Info: Snow on the trail from about 12,500' to summit. Usually not deep but would recommend traction devices and or poles especially for the descent. Very windy today. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 10/1/2016, By: JSwantek
Info: All trails on the Mosquito group are clear as of 10/01/2016. Depending on the weather conditions, early mornings can hold frozen dew which makes the ascent/descent of Democrat more slippy if you're going before the sun comes up. 

Route: Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, Bross
Posted On: 9/22/2016, By: Danger_D
Info: There were some patches of snow on the ridge between Lincoln and Democrat, but the trail was clear. There was also some frost on the ridge making the rocks a little slippery, but once the sun came out it cleared up fast. For what its worth, I got an early start and did the combo loop in reverse to catch sunrise at Lincoln and I think I avoided most of the crowds that way. The road to Kite Lake had 2 pretty rough sections (Directly before the lake, and about 1 mile from the lake). I was able to make it using my small SUV, but I saw many SUVs parked at that section because they didn't want to try. Finally I was shocked at how many people were hiking on a thursday in late September. Get there early to avoid the crowds. 

Route: Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron, Bross
Posted On: 9/21/2016, By: Sirboofsalot
Info: All of the trails and peaks were dry and snow free. Started up toward Mt. Democrat from Kite Lake, it was around 30*F at 8 when I got to the Trailhead. I got to the Summit at 10 and took a break, I was pretty cold after eating lunch, I would guess it was around 30*F at the Summit (with 20 mph winds). I warmed right back up on the saddle between Democrat and Lincoln, probably about 40*F. This was enough to keep me changing between my down jacket, fleece and wool shirt every twenty mins. The wind was ripping around Bross, this was the most exposed area, besides the Peak of Democrat. I was able to run most of the way, made it back to the car by 1pm 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 8/31/2016, By: Timothy
Info: A year ago this past July, my 12 and 14 year old son and daughter and I hiked Cameron and Lincoln, but due to time constraints, we did not make it up Democrat. So this past weekend we decided to try for one more summit before starting school, and Democrat seemed a good choice as we could leave the house at 4:30 AM and be back home in the afternoon. Monday’s forecast called for a 40% chance of rain in the afternoon and temps from the 30s to 50s, so we decided to give it a try. Light rain was falling in Colorado Springs when we left home, and it rained intermittently until we got to Hartsel, when the clouds seemed to be clearing a bit. We departed the trailhead at Kite Lake about 7:00 AM, and although the sky was cloudy, I thought we could get up to the summit and back down again in time to avoid getting wet. Things did not work out that way. About halfway between the trailhead and the Democrat-Cameron saddle, light snow started falling. As we continued toward the saddle, the snow flakes became larger and more numerous, but visibility was still pretty good and the wind was light. After a snack at the saddle, we continued up. Well, we were nearing the top of the steep section just before the summit ridge/pitch, and by then snow was falling in earnest, as was the temperature, and the wind was gusting up to about 30 mph. We had all our layers on by then, but I could tell my son was starting to get cold. I was leading and, even with my trusty Zamberlan Vioz hikers, several times I had a little difficulty keeping my footing. Although my kids are real troopers and never voiced a word of doubt or complaint, I surmised that if the snow and temperature continued falling, our descent down the steeper portions could be treacherous, and so I decided it was time to turn around and head down. Based on some of the posts I have seen on 14ers.com, there are probably folks who would think less of me for throwing in the towel so close to the summit on such an 'easy’ mountain. Not to mention that this was the first time we ever turned back once we started an ascent on any 14, 13, 12, or 11 teener, so there is a bit of lingering disappointment. But that morning on Democrat, as on any other mountain, our guiding principle is that getting home safely is paramount. It just didn’t make sense to push the envelope any harder when we can easily try again another day. We made it back to the trailhead without incident, broke out the stove, and as is our family tradition after a 14er, brewed up some celebratory tea even though we didn’t summit. At the trailhead, we met Libby and Chloe, who had just made it down from Lincoln and Cameron, and we shared a cup of tea with them. The atmosphere in the truck was a tad subdued on the ride home, but overall we had a great time together, had some adventure, and enjoyed watching the pikas prepare for winter. Looks like Democrat will have to wait, but Lord willing, it and we will be there next time. 

Route: East Slope
Posted On: 8/20/2016, By: jmjr2k
Info: Mount Democrat and the trail were in great shape for our trip on Wednesday. The stream/creek was within its normal banks and with a small amount of rock-hopping, easily crossed. Mt. Democrat does not offer a big summit, but still it is a beautiful place to snap a few pictures while at the top and greet some new friends. I did not find any evidence of the official USGS dated elevation marker, and there is no register either on the summit. Someone was good enough to carry a very weathered 1x6 that was about 5' long which indicates the Democrat summit and elevation that you can use to prove you were there.