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I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had heard that Cameron, Lincoln, and Democrat were easy peaks to climb and I wanted to see for myself. Just a short trip up the road from Quandry off of Hwy 9 makes this a nice location, as it isn't too far from Denver. The dirt road leading to Kite Lake and the trailhead for these peaks is easy to miss if you aren't looking for it, but from here it's an easy drive in. A good portion of the road is still covered in snow, and with the temperatures warming up and turning the snow to slush (making it impossible to get any traction under your wheels) it is a good idea to park where the snow starts and walk in, even though you will find pockets of dry, dirt road. We attempted to drive over some of the snow drifts in a Suburu SUV and got stuck a couple of times. Walking the road adds time and a few miles to the trip, but worth it!
My friend, Erik, and I started the day in step with a group of 4 other guys. As they stopped at the lake to chat, we continued on and soon we had the trail all to ourselves. 4 guys behind us, and one lone hiker ahead meant we were in complete silence and peace.
The day could not have been better in terms of weather. Perfectly calm conditions and only a very light breeze a couple of times made for a stunning Memorial Day. The biggest challenge is that the peaks were still very much covered in snow and the sun was beating down on us from above and reflectiving off of the snow, making us feel tired and sunburned.
We took our time, enjoying the summit of each of the peaks. We did not need snowshoes, and although I had microspikes, these only made the snow stick to the bottoms of my feet in large globs making the hiking more difficult, not easier. We both had on sturdy hiking boots and were fine, even on the snow, with almost no post-holing.
Our total time was 8 hours, including a good portion of time to unstick our vehicle, and about 30-45 minutes on top of each summit.
We enjoyed this hike. Watch the weather conditions, but overall these are totally doable right now! Good luck!
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Great trip report! Thank you for discussing the conditions of the trail and road. Do you recall if Kite Lake was frozen? I am looking to hike this one soon.
Thanks!
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