Mt. Democrat Trip Report 07/29/2011

Peak(s):	Mt. Democrat - 14,154 feet Mt. Cameron - 14,248 feet Mt. Lincoln - 14,293 feet Mt. Bross - 14,178 feet
Date Posted:	07/29/2011
Modified:	08/08/2012
Date Climbed:	07/29/2011
Author:	SteveBh2o

Decalibron - Better late than never
On Friday June 29, 2011, Matt and Kris Webster, Nicole Weiss, and Steve Broadwater tackled the Decalibron. Weather was good, trail back to the trailhead was not. Good thing we had a beefy 4x4 to handle the terrain. There were several cars along the way that did not fair so well, or had to stop short. Heed the warnings about road conditions here....it is a rough stretch for a good while to get there. Once at the trailhead parking, we gathered water and supplies around 7 am and headed up the steep climb of the first of four 14ers! It is quite a bit of gain for only travelling less than two miles from the parking lot to the top of Democrat. A shot from later in the trip shows all of the switchbacks required to gain this quick elevation. After a short stop on Democrat to enjoy the views and ample company on top, we decided to beat some traffic and get over to Mt. Cameron. The saddle ridge across provided ample views of Quandry and the lake basin below. You could see significant trail traffic on Quandry, even for a Friday!! Next, onto Mt. Lincoln. We thought we were making pretty good time, that was until a (shirtless) young man (not pictured) came through declaring he'd decided to trail run the whole 4-bagger route in (I think he said) less than 3 hours...not for us, 6 hrs was the right pace. The saddle over to Lincoln was short, so don't blink, you may miss it. Now for the long and flat walk over to Bross. We started to break up as we crossed this large trail span of loose rock, but pace-setter Kris wasn't having it, keeping us on track for the sub 6 hr mark. After getting to Bross, we took a little time to relax until the winds kicked up which told us it was time to make our way down. The downclimb, in many trip reports, read to be a complete horror story. I for one actually enjoyed it! A little scree slip here and there won't hurt you, if you're careful, and actually gets you where you're going a little quicker! We took our time and excercised due care, and everyone seemed to still have enough left to appropriate pose for a downtrail group shot. Once down past the scree and rock field, you hit the meadow running up to Kite Lake. The flowers weren't in full bloom but the scenery was pretty great. Good day on a great route. Each of the Mountains had a unique look and different trail elements. We had great weather, and great company. Just took waaayyy too long to post this report. But better late than never... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Decalibron - Better late than never

On Friday June 29, 2011, Matt and Kris Webster, Nicole Weiss, and Steve Broadwater tackled the Decalibron. Weather was good, trail back to the trailhead was not. Good thing we had a beefy 4x4 to handle the terrain. There were several cars along the way that did not fair so well, or had to stop short. Heed the warnings about road conditions here....it is a rough stretch for a good while to get there.

Once at the trailhead parking, we gathered water and supplies around 7 am and headed up the steep climb of the first of four 14ers!

It is quite a bit of gain for only travelling less than two miles from the parking lot to the top of Democrat. A shot from later in the trip shows all of the switchbacks required to gain this quick elevation.

After a short stop on Democrat to enjoy the views and ample company on top, we decided to beat some traffic and get over to Mt. Cameron.

The saddle ridge across provided ample views of Quandry and the lake basin below. You could see significant trail traffic on Quandry, even for a Friday!!

Next, onto Mt. Lincoln. We thought we were making pretty good time, that was until a (shirtless) young man (not pictured) came through declaring he'd decided to trail run the whole 4-bagger route in (I think he said) less than 3 hours...not for us, 6 hrs was the right pace. The saddle over to Lincoln was short, so don't blink, you may miss it.

Now for the long and flat walk over to Bross. We started to break up as we crossed this large trail span of loose rock, but pace-setter Kris wasn't having it, keeping us on track for the sub 6 hr mark.

After getting to Bross, we took a little time to relax until the winds kicked up which told us it was time to make our way down.

The downclimb, in many trip reports, read to be a complete horror story. I for one actually enjoyed it! A little scree slip here and there won't hurt you, if you're careful, and actually gets you where you're going a little quicker! We took our time and excercised due care, and everyone seemed to still have enough left to appropriate pose for a downtrail group shot.

Once down past the scree and rock field, you hit the meadow running up to Kite Lake. The flowers weren't in full bloom but the scenery was pretty great.

Good day on a great route. Each of the Mountains had a unique look and different trail elements. We had great weather, and great company. Just took waaayyy too long to post this report. But better late than never...

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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