When is 151 guests intimate?

Sunday, 7:00 am., Buckskin Gulch- -Saturday I visited with over 200 trail users in my 6-1/2-hours at the trail-head of LCD (Lincoln, Cameron, Democrat- -I’ve purposely omitted Bross). That number of guests has become the norm at Kite Lake on weekends.

It had snowed on Friday night. Yesterday 5 people turned back because of the hazardous conditions. This morning it was clear and all but the most tenacious of the previous days snow clung to the peak of Mt. Democrat as it came into view. What a perfect day to summit.

As I rounded the now familiar lower switchback, before the trail-head at Kite Lake, I was awe struck. I was doing my beginning car count of the overflow parking when I saw something I hadn’t seen since I began stewarding here. There were no vehicles parked there!!!

As I neared the Fee Zone I could see that there were open parking spaces, another first! Typically when I arrive at 7:00 am I have to unload my stuff and then find a place to park. Several times I’ve had to double-park. Then when the driver of the other vehicle shows up I trade places with them. I won’t be having to do that today.

Yesterday the atmosphere at the trail-head was almost frantic; work crews gearing up for the trail restoration project, dogs off leash, hikers looking at the snow covered peaks wondering if today was the right day, well prepared hard-core hikers pushing past those that were hesitant to get to the goods. Today the air was calm- -almost mellow.

Everyone that stopped by the information table today didn’t seem to be in a hurry like yesterday. Not everyone ascending stopped, but those that did stop seemed to have a little more time today than the folks yesterday. There didn’t seem to be one great wave of hikers all leaving at once. Folks leaving this morning seemed to space themselves out more evenly.

As I did my end of day car count the number of cars had increased from when I arrived this morning. That too was odd, typically when I leave there are fewer cars than when I arrive. When recording the number I had to remember there weren’t any vehicles this morning at the lower switchbacks.

When I got home I added up the number of hikers I had recorded. I knew there weren’t as many as yesterday. Yesterday I had used three log sheets and today I hadn’t even completed two. I figured that there were probably 75 to 100 folks that I had recorded today. When I did the math I got 151 guests!

Who knew that 151 trail users over 5-hours would feel like a mellow pace, allowing people to have a more intimate experience with nature. The difference between yesterday and today was less than 50 users over almost the same amount of time. Imagine how much better the experience would be with even fewer users.

Realistically the numbers aren’t going to decrease. But after yesterday 151 almost seemed intimate.

Jim “J.J.” Jimenez
Alma, CO
10,400’

SNOW!!! or Sorry, Summer was last weekend

August 1, 2009...
SNOW! As a ski instructor it’s what I live for. As a hiker it has meant unfulfilled attempts at a summits for me personally.

When driving up Buckskin Gulch there is a point in the road where Mt. Democrat comes into view. When I reached that point this morning I looked up and saw the peak blanketed in the white fluffy stuff I crave. The whole range had been hit last night and covered in snow.

I set up my information table and began to count the folks braving the conditions. As folks stopped by I told them to be careful. With the snow covering the scree there was a serious danger of slipping and falling.

Most people were prepared for the arctic conditions that awaited them at the summits. Some were not. The folks that I visited with and advised them of the frigid conditions for the most part heeded my advice. But like everything else in life some just thanked me for my concern and naively trundled off.

After about an hour the first of the people that I talked to about being unprepared began to file back to the trail-head. The first folks back I had not talked to as they went up but they decided that today was not the day to bag these peaks.

As I was talking with the folks that turned back on their own another group of unprepared folks came up to the table. I asked the folks that had returned to explain to the folks that were about to ascent what the conditions were like when they turned around.

“Slippery, cold and dangerous” was their reply. The folks that were about to ascend took stock of what they had, listened to the folks that came back and decided that maybe today was not the day to summit these peaks.

At that same time another couple came by and told the same story of harsh conditions on the ascent to the saddle. The guy, of the two that just returned said that the rocks were glazed and that he fell four times before deciding to turnaround.

The peer to peer encounter was more effective than my explanation of the conditions they were about to encounter.

Luckily, just behind the pit toilets is the trail to Emma Lake. I pointed out this option and many of the people that weren’t willing to brave the conditions to summit took this option and still enjoyed their outdoor experience.

Along with the usual crush of hikers and dogs the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) was continuing the trail restoration project on the skirt of Mt. Bross. It was great to be able to show the trail users how much time and effort is going into the maintenance of the trails.

More than a few folks wanted to know how to volunteer not only at LCD (Lincoln, Cameron, Democrat) but other trail projects around the state. I gave them LNT cards with CFI info and told them about the links to other sites.

Again, the overall response from the hikers, both ascending and descending was of surprise over the private ownership of these peaks. Today I encountered more people than usual that when informed that the summit of Mt. Bross was officially closed responded by saying, “Well I summited Bross anyway, what are you going to do about it?”

My response was of congratulations on completing the loop and letting them know that more than anywhere else in Colorado their actions are being scrutinized and have a direct effect on the access of these peaks.

I used the analogy of when you get your drivers license you are told to come to a complete stop at all stop signs but that people blow through them all the time. What is being asked of the users is to do the right thing and stop at all the stop signs or please respect the land owners wishes and not summit Mt. Bross this season and if all goes right with the land owners Mt. Bross will be officially open next season.

When presented with this line of reasoning almost all people understood and were left to decide for themselves. Hopefully when presented with the stop sign they would do the right thing. There were a few that tried to justify their "running the stop sign” by saying that no one was going to keep them from summiting. Giving the impression that it was their right to trespass.

When confronted with the “it’s my right” argument I turned the discussion to the fact that there is still gold and sliver ore located in these mining claims. I explained that if the price of those commodities rises to the point of being profitable the mine owners can begin extraction and then these peaks might be fenced off and patrolled.

When presented with a realistic mining scenario of closure those that previously asserted their right to summit had a better understanding of the fragility not only of the ecological climate but of the political climate.

Jim “J.J.” Jimenez
Alma, CO
10,400’

Lots ‘O cars, people and dogs

Went up to Kite Lake on both Saturday and Sunday, July 25 & 26.

I set up an information table at the north-west corner of the parking lot where the trail exits toward Democrat. Had LNT cards, info signs (thanks Byron and Saya), and maps that did and didn’t show the mining claims.

Lots ‘O cars, people and dogs; both on and off leash. I visited with the owners of the off leash dogs and let them know that the reason the CFI supports the USFS regulation that dogs be on a leash is because there are several open mine shafts less than 50’ off the trail. It would be terrible to go up with your dog and come back with an empty leash. That’s why the CFI also asks folks to not wander off the trail. The dogs were leashed and some folks asked more questions.

The biggest surprise to folks was to find out that these peaks: Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron and Bross are all privately held mining claims and that they’ll be hiking on private property.

The most FAQ was: “How do you own a fourteener?”

I answered that back in the 1860’s - 1870’s these were mining claims to be exploited for profit. The concept of recreational use was not considered. These were mining claims that happened to be at 14,000-feet. Because they are Patented mining claims, if the price of gold or silver goes up enough, these claims could be reactivate and mining resume. The CFI is currently working with the other mine owners to officially allow people to summit Cameron and Bross. Leting them know that their actions today have a direct impact on the future access to these peaks.

I found out that there is a lot of conflicting informat out there regarding the access of Cameron and Bross. Many people came up to the table with guide books, maps and descriptions from the internet. Few, if any, of these sources mentioned the current closure of the summits of Cameron and Bross, or showed the boundaries of the mining claims. All of the people that stopped by the table walked away with a greater understanding of the current situation.

On Saturday I recorded 102 vehicles both in and outside of the fee zone when I arrived at 7:00 am.On Sunday there were 71. There were at least a dozen tents set up on the tundra adjacent to the trail-head on both mornings with more tents set up below the fee zone.

Several people commented on the volume of users. I responded by saying that the perception of the ascent of Democrat is it’s the easy fourteener. One of the guide books shown to me characterized the ascent of Democrat as a “training fourteener.” One web page said it was a “...‘beginner’ fourteener. In addition to the perception of being an easy fourteener all of the sources sited the fact that you can bag four in one day, further complicating the land access issue.

The volume of users is bordering on the ridiculous. On Saturday there was a group of 18. They split up into three groups. On Sunday there was an organization called The Band Of Brothers with 80 members on the trail. They did follow LNT principles and break up into groups of 6 or less. But that was in addition to the other more than 110 users I had documented.

These peaks are now seeing more use than ever. It feels great to get out and spread the word through direct contact and education to let folks know how fragile the access and the environment are at 14,000-feet.

Jim “J.J.” Jimenez
Alma, CO
10,400’

Windy Day on LDB

Murray and I were up on LDB Saturday July 18, 2009. Very windy which made contacts difficult. Arrived at the TH at 5:20am. There were 55 cars and 14 tents!! I personally counted 169 people between the TH and after I descended Democrat to the saddle. At that point I stopped counting because I couldn't tell who I had already counted after heading towards Lincoln.

I met a father and son on Unicycles! on the summit of Democrat. Talked with the father about staying on the trail to avoid damage. However, I don't think they were actually able to use them much. Too rocky and windy. Also saw but did not contact two guys with Mountain bikes. Similar story, too rocky and windy to use them much from what I could see.

I counted 18 dogs and was pleasantly surprised that the majority were leashed. Murray had some great contacts on Bross and many diverted from the summit in response to the information he provided about the current circumstances with the summit being closed. CFI was doing trailwork on the Bross trail. There were approximately 60 volunteers doing the trail work. Murray and I left at 12:15pm. There were over 150 cars parked from the TH down the road. With the trail maintenance going on Bross it made for an exceptional number of cars.

Randy Martin

Picture from Summit of Lincoln


Picture of Unicyclist on Democrat Summit

Summer is in Full Swing!

Guenella Pass, 6/27/09

Summer is in full swing and Peak Stewards are active! So far this summer, Peak Stewards have logged over 30 days advocating for LNT and ethical travel on 17 of the high-use fourteen thousand foot mountains in Colorado. Last year Peak Stewards logged around 45 days. This year we are attempting to triple that number and are off to a good start!!

So far for this weekend, Peak Stewards will be at Mt. of the Holy Cross and Mt. Massive. There is also a mini-Peak Steward Training scheduled for next weekend (Saturday July 18th and Sunday July 19th). These are separate, one-day trainings and will take place on a Front Range peak.

CFI is also in the process of expanding on facebook. We are currently listed as a "cause" but are in the process of revitalizing our social networking which includes both this blog as well as the many options facebook seems to offer.

Don't forget to check out our website at www.14ers.org

More to come soon...

Cheers,

Brian Wallace

Colorado Fourteeners Initiative

Education and Outreach Coordinator

Build It and They Will Come By

Happy Independence Day! Saya and I went and worked the Kite Lake TH for LDBc on the 3rd and 4th. There were 55 cars on Friday and 71 cars on Sat. Rainy and cold on Fri and sunny, windy, and colder on Sat.
On Friday, there were 4 tents camped directly behind the no camping sign (east side of lot) and 2 cars parked in front of the "do not park in front of the fee station" sign. Several people on Friday were not really interested in paying the $3. We were wearing rain gear and covering our CFI patches. Sat, however, we must have looked more official, because everyone who had not already paid, saw us, turned around and went to pay. Some people asked if they could pay us and we showed them where to go instead.
I created an information booth, by using a card table, some printouts with "Did You Know" facts, and the LNT cards. My DYK facts included LDB facts, who we were with and LNT, CFI, and dog info. I put them in clear plastic sheet protectors (Target sells them cheap). Day 1 they got soaked from the rain and some were ruined and would not stick to the table. A solution to this problem that we are considering is using velcro squares to adhere the paper to the table. Day 2 was much better. We placed the table at the start of the trail, which basically forced every person to walk past. Some tried to pretend we were not there, but the majority stopped, looked, and it was so easy to engage from there.
One two-some helped us out while they were hiking. They saw a larger group going off trail and they yelled to them that the trail was over there. The group went back on the trail.

Byron
4th of July

Trailheads By Road Difficulty

Here is a link that rates the difficulty and type of vehicle that should be able to make it up a road to the trail heads. http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/trailheads5.php I went with a friend to climb Grays and found the road to be rather trashed. We made it with a frontwheel drive vehicle with decent clearance, but it was not pleasant. If you are going to Beirstadt, Georgetown to Guanella Pass has construction on it and is closed at various times for up to 2 hrs during the day (9-11AM and 1-3PM)and all night until 6am on weekdays (as best as I can decipher from the random trip reports). From Grant, 285 route, the road is supposed to be open and in better condition. The trip reports on 14ers.com have some good up to date info on road conditions of the trailheads.

Byron
29 June 2009

Summer Reads

Hello All,

I was so intrigued by everyone's book suggestions at the training that I thought it might be fun to create a Peak Steward Summer Reads list for the blog. Especially since I know everyone will be doing some camping in addition to Stewarding this summer. Below is a list of my favorite outdoors books so please feel free to add on and happy reading! :-)

Shannon's Summer Reads

1. "Touching the Void" by Joe Simpson
2. "Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
3. "Explorers of the Infinite" by Maria Coffey
4. "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortensen & David Oliver Relin

Warm Regards,
Shannon Crockett

A Very Successful Peak Steward Training

Let me first note that this post is about a week over due but some free time has finally been found at the office so here goes:

The June 13th and 14th 2009 Peak Steward Training was a great success. 35 individuals attended including 8 returning Peak Stewards. Saturday's training took place at Alma's town hall and included an introduction to the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (Brian Wallace, CFI), a lecture on the history of modern outdoor recreation and a discussion on the condition of Colorado's fourteen thousand foot mountains (Brian Wallace, CFI), a lecture on the history and hazards of Colorado mining (Craig Bissonnette, Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety), and a presentation on Leave-No-Trace principles and practices (Steve Bonowski, LNT).

Sunday's training took place at the base of Mts. Lincoln and Democrat and included a presentation and exercises on alpine ecology and botony (Anya Byers, Colorado Mountain Club), a presentation on the United States Forest Service and their relationship with CFI (Loretta McEllhiney, USFS) and a very intuitive lesson on "Wisdom", using the "Authority of the Resource", and interacting with the general public while on the peaks (Loretta McEllhiney, USFS). Around noon some storms started to move as we were eating lunch. We decided to go back to Alma town hall for the remainder of the training and proceeded to role play and practice interacting with and educating hikers.

Every Peak Steward is asked to volunteer at least 4 days per year, with one (or more) of them being on Mts. Lincoln, Democrat, and Bross (the summit of Bross is still closed however). If every Peak Steward stays committed (and maybe we can recruit some more along the way) we will more then triple the amount of Peak Steward days from any previous year!!!!

We are off to a great start...stay tuned for more updates!!!

-Brian Wallace

Education and Outreach Coordinator

Colorado Fourteeners Initiative

Peak Steward Training

Peak Steward Training is this Saturday and Sunday (June 13th and 14th) in Alma, Colorado and on Mts. Lincoln, Democrat, and Bross. CFI will be training 30+ individuals to become Peak Stewards. Once trained, they will educate and monitor individuals who explore Colorado's 14,000 ft. peaks. An estimated 750,000 individuals will be climbing these 54 popular peaks throughout the next 4 months. Most of the traffic will be isolated to 10 (or so) of the most popular peaks.

Peak Stewards, along with the information provided at each trailhead, are the only means of education that the Forest Service or CFI can provide on specific issues concerning the 14,000 ft peaks of Colorado. Their presence is crucial to the preservation of these peaks. This training is double the size of any other historic Peak Steward Training. If all of this years Peak Stewards stay committed to their requested 4 days of volunteering, we will almost triple the number of Peak Steward days from last year or any previous year.

Greetings!

Greetings and thanks for visiting the Peak Stewards Blog. This is the first blog that the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative has used and will be utilized as an education, outreach, and communication tool between Peak Stewards and the public.

The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and preserve the natural integrity of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks through active stewardship and public education. The Peak Steward Program is CFI's main education and outreach tool. Peak Stewards are individual volunteers who monitor these areas to advocate for Leave No Trace practices and ethical hiking. This blog has been established to provide a space for their experiences and stories.

To learn more about CFI visit our website @ www.14ers.org .