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’
