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’