Press Releases
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Cara Doyle, Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative, (719)
836-0964
Sara Mayben, South Park Ranger District, (719) 553-1400
Greg Seabloom, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, (303) 278-7650
Anya Byers, Colorado Mountain Club, (303)996-2754
PARTNERS ANNOUNCE OPENING OF LINCOLN-DEMOCRAT “14ER” TRAIL
ACCESS IN PARK COUNTY
FAIRPLAY, Colo., May 29, 2009 – After four years of
cooperative efforts, the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative
(MRHI), Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado Fourteeners
Initiative, private land owners, Town of Alma and the U.S.
Forest Service-South Park District announce a conditional
June 1 opening of the “14er” trail from Kite Lake to Mounts
Lincoln and Democrat.
Based on trail work completed to-date, private land owners
have agreed to a conditional summer 2009 access to Mounts
Lincoln and Democrat. Only the approved access route from
the Kite Lake trailhead is open. The agreement includes
continued efforts to educate hikers about potential mountain
dangers and the need to respect private property.
“This is a trial opening,” emphasizes Cara Doyle, MRHI
Executive Director. “Continued future legal access to these
two popular Park County peaks will hinge on hikers’ respect
for private property and willingness to stay on the
designated and signed trail. If people do not stay on this
designated trail, we could lose this privilege.” The lease
between the Town of Alma and the private land owners can be
retracted if hikers stray off the approved route or if
private property is vandalized. It is important that hikers
stay on the signed trail and keep away from all
mining-related structures. The process has been long and
complicated to obtain safe, legal hiking access through the
maze of private mining claims on these extremely popular
peaks. Located in the Mosquito Range, these three peaks are
“Fourteeners,” mountains over 14,000 feet. Trail design,
environmental assessments, and signage were completed in
2007, followed by 2008 trail construction by several of the
access partnership groups. About 3,900 acres of the trail
are leased from two private mining claim owners by the Town
of Alma. Work will continue in 2009 to further sign and
delineate the hiking route.
Although hiking routes on the slopes of Mt. Bross could be
opened under the same signage and route conditions, access
to the true summit may never be possible. Many of the
landowners on Mt. Bross cannot be contacted or are unwilling
to allow public access. All of the property owners must be
in agreement, or legal public access is not possible.
Private landowners caution that with hundreds of mining
claims on the mountains there is no way to know where all
the tunnels and prospect holes might be. This creates
dangerous conditions for hikers who stray from approved
trails. Tunnels or "stopes" are so near the surface that
plant roots growing on the surface can be seen on the
ceiling of the passageway. The potential for a cave-in is
very high.
Mounts Lincoln, Democrat, and Bross were closed by private
land owners in 2005, citing liability concerns about
potentially collapsing open mine shafts and vandalism.
Colorado House Bill 1049 extended liability protections of
Colorado’s Recreational Use Statute to owners of private
land where “attractive nuisances” such as abandoned mines
exist.
There are many on-going trail projects, hiking
opportunities, social events and education programs. For
more information on how you can be involved go to:
www.mrhi.org, www.cmc.org, www.14ers.org.
-end-

MRHI CELEBRATES AUTUMN WITH MOUNTAIN
BIKE POKER RIDE
Fairplay residents Kelly Gannon (left) and Jeff
Holeman (right) savor the fall colors during Mosquito Range Heritage
Initiative's "Tour de Fairplay," a mountain bike poker ride through
Beaver Meadows last Saturday. The event was held to broaden
awareness and raise funds for the nonprofit's efforts to preserve,
protect and enhance this area of the Mosquito Range. photo by Tim
Balough).
MOSQUITO RANGE HERITAGE INITIATIVE, TOWN OF ALMA AND
PARTNERS MAKE PROGRESS TOWARD “14ER” HIKING ACCESS IN PARK
COUNTY
FAIRPLAY, Colo., June 27, 2008 –
The Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative, Colorado Fourteeners,
private land owners, the Town of Alma, and the Forest Service have
joined forces with other Colorado and national non-profits groups to
provide legal access to three popular Park County peaks.
According to Ranger Sara Mayben, “The trails have been closed to the
public since 2005 but folks are working to get them open in the next
few months. Respect for private property is key to obtaining
and keeping legal access.”
For nearly three years various groups have worked together to obtain
safe, legal hiking access through a maze of private mining claims on
the extremely popular Mounts Lincoln, Democrat and Bross.
Located in the Mosquito Range, these three peaks are “Fourteeners,”
mountains over 14,000 feet.
Trail design, environmental assessments, and signage were completed
in 2007. In 2008, trail construction will be undertaken by
several of the access partnership groups. Pending completion of a
clearly signed and delineated hiking route and approval by private
land owners, access to Mounts Lincoln and Democrat could be opened
by fall.
Although hiking routes on the slopes of Mt. Bross could be
opened under the same signage and route conditions, access to the
true summit may never be possible. Many of the land owners on
Mt. Bross cannot be contacted or are unwilling to allow public
access. All of the property owners must be in agreement, or legal
public access is not possible.
Mounts Lincoln, Democrat, and Bross were closed by private land
owners in 2005, citing liability concerns about potentially
collapsing open mine shafts and vandalism. Colorado House Bill
1049 extended liability protections of Colorado’s Recreational Use
Statute to owners of private land where “attractive nuisances” such
as abandoned mines exist.
Landowners could allow access to Mounts Lincoln and Democrat if
information regarding signed routes, mine hazards and respecting
private property is provided. The two families that own mining
claims on the summits of Mounts Lincoln and Democrat have agreed to
let trail design and construction proceed and have leased about
3,900 acres to the Town of Alma for the trail.
The success of the potential late summer 2008 opening comes after
great effort by the access partnership, which includes the Mosquito
Range Heritage Initiative, U.S. Forest Service, CFI, Colorado
Mountain Club and the Trust for Public Land. Also involved are
the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and Wildlands Restoration
Volunteers, who will be participating with CFI to perform
on-the-ground work this summer.
Many acres of public land in the Pike National Forest are available
for hiking in the Mosquito Range. They offer great beauty and
exciting recreational opportunities, but the private land on these
three peaks remains closed until trail work is completed and
permission from the private landowners is granted.
Gold, silver and other minerals have been mined in the Mosquito
Range since the 1800s. Private landowners caution that with the
hundreds of mining claims on the mountains there is no way to know
where all the tunnels and prospect holes might be. This creates
dangerous conditions for hikers who stray from approved trails.
Tunnels or "stopes" are so near the surface that roots of the grass
growing on the surface can be seen on the ceiling of the passageway.
The potential for a cave-in is very high.
Even when some of these areas on Mounts Lincoln, Democrat and Bross
are opened, the public must be aware that the mountains will never
be "wide open." The lease between the Town of Alma and the private
land owners can be retracted if hikers stray off the approved routes
or if private property is vandalized. It is important that hikers
stay on the signed trail and keep away from all mining-related
structures.
Colorado has 54 “Fourteeners” state-wide, visited annually by over
500,000 people.
Community Assistance from the
National Park Service
Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Program
Current Projects
1. Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative Trails Network
PARK COUNTY DEMOCRATS ADOPT MT.
DEMOCRAT; SEEK VOLUNTEERS

The Park County Democratic Party “adopted” a
Colorado landmark this month - 14,148-foot Mt. Democrat in the
northwest corner of the county.
Under the “Adopt-A-Peak” program managed through the Colorado
Fourteeners Initiative (CFI), ParkCoDems are signing on to
provide funds and/or host work projects to help preserve and
maintain recreational uses of the 29 highest peak in Colorado.
Greg Seabloom, representing CFI, signed the adoption papers with
County Democratic Party 1 Vice-Chairman Soren Frederiksen during
its August Central Committee Meeting.
The preservation and restoration of trails is part of a series
of projects managed through CFI and in cooperation with other
groups in different areas of the state. In Park County,
the group is also working with the Mosquito Range Heritage
Initiative to provide a balance between private landowner
liability concerns and recreational uses. Colorado HB
1049, passed in 2006, helps in that area.
Park County Democrats are planning to be a focal point for trail
restoration and are seeking to help coordinate volunteer groups
during the late spring through early fall months.
Additionally, the Dems see an excellent opportunity for local,
state and national Democratic candidates to travel to easily
accessible Kite Lake as a beautiful backdrop for environmental
and business compatibility statements.
Kite Lake is used as the base for Mt. Democrat restoration
projects and is located just a 15-minute, 6 mile drive from
Alma. The lake is located 96 miles by car from the State
Capitol, an estimated 2-hour drive.
Climbing the 54 Colorado “Fourteeners” is a hundred million
dollar a year business for the state. A recent study
through Colorado State University estimates that guests hiking
the 54 peaks spend $200 on average in contributing to local
economies, while CFI estimates a half-million hikers make an
attempt to climb one in a given year.
The summit of Mt. Democrat lies just on the Park County side of
its border with Lake County, and is less than three miles
south of Summit County.

Two events are upcoming:
On August 30,
CFI is arranging a Mt. Democrat, Lincoln and Bross site visit at
to the public to see what goes into projects they undertake.
For more information on this event, contact James at CFI,
303-278-7650 x 121.
On September 8,
Park County Democrats are looking for a small group of trail
volunteers to work with the help of CFI leaders. On that day,
Friends of the Forest Foundation and CFI are organizing a
Restoration Kickoff for projects on the three peaks marking the
beginning of work needed to reopen access to Mts. Democrat, Lincoln
and Bross in areas where trails cross private land.
Nearly two dozen individuals interested in the project have already
signed on at a ParkCoDem information booth during this summer’s
Burro Days in Fairplay. The county party is hopeful of
gathering participation from other state Democrat groups, especially
those in neighboring Lake, Summit and Eagle counties. For more
information or to volunteer, please contact county party officials
Soren Frederiksen, 303-816-5230 or Dennis Obduskey, 303-816-1616.
Other contact information:
Park County Democrats:
www.parkcodems.org
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative:
www.14ers.org
Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative:
www.mrhi.org
PRESS CONTACT: DENNIS OBDUSKEY 303-816-1616
14er Status Update - Mounts Lincoln,
Democrat, and Bross Still Closed
South Park Fourteeners Trail & Sign Project
Thousands of climbers and hikers access Mounts Lincoln,
Democrat, and Bross each year from Kite Lake. This hiking route
provides an extremely popular, beautiful alpine loop for
recreationists seeking to “bag” several Fourteeners in one trip.
In order to help re-open these peaks to public access, the
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) has been working closely
over the past year with the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative,
the Colorado Mountain Club, private landowners, and the Forest
Service to meet the land owners’ stipulations for re-opening
access to these popular Fourteeners.
To address the liability issue, House Bill 1049 was unanimously
passed by Colorado State Legislature and signed into law by
Governor Owens on March 8, 2006. Stipulations of this Bill
require the land owners to clearly identify, sign, and maintain
the trails. The land owners have agreed to grant public access
to the Kite Lake route once these conditions have been met.
Signage will be necessary, both at the Kite Lake trailhead and
along the route, to direct public use to the approved trails.
The Colorado Mountain Club has received funding from Colorado
State Parks, through the State Trails program, to install trail
signs and abandoned mine warning signs. This signage project
will be implemented by CFI this summer.
Signage will include:
A trailhead kiosk, to be installed in
2008
Trail directional signs (approx. 12)
Closed for restoration signs (approx. 15)
Abandoned mine signs (approx. 5)
This summer, CFI will also perform trail
design and restoration planning on the Kite Lake approach to
Mts. Democrat and Bross. This project will require 6.72 miles of
trail design and 4.8 miles of restoration design. Design work is
needed on these peaks in order to provide a sustainable ascent
route and alleviate environmental impacts caused by increasing
use levels on these climbing routes. CFI staff and volunteers
will work in partnership with the Forest Service and the Town of
Alma to complete the following steps for both peaks: delineate a
trail corridor; design a specific trail route with station
markers and flags; design ecological restoration plans for
social trails with station markers; establish signage locations;
and write construction and restoration design plans.
These detailed trail construction and restoration plans will
guide the work of CFI trail crews, Colorado Youth Corps crews,
and volunteers to construct sustainable ascent routes during the
2008-2009 summer field seasons and to close, stabilize, and
restore the numerous user-created social trails on these
mountains. The planning documents will include specifications
and drawings, prioritized work items, and time estimates.
Trail projects for the area were proposed in the Mosquito Range
Heritage Initiative Strategic Plan,
prepared by the Trust for Public Land. The Plan recognized that
high user numbers have resulted in the degradation of the alpine
environment, including braided trails, soil loss, and plant
loss, along some areas of the current route corridors. The plan
prescribed signage and trail improvement projects to ensure
public access to the popular Fourteeners in the area.
CFI will recruit an Adopt-a-Peak group to ensure ongoing
maintenance of the trail. CFI provides the leadership, tools,
and planning for yearly Adopt-a-Peak maintenance projects and we
have a solid track record of maintaining our completed trails;
22 Fourteeners in Colorado have already been Adopted and receive
yearly maintenance.
###
Editor contacts:
MRHI
Cara Doyle, Executive Director
info@mrhi.org
Town of Alma
Nancy Comer, Town Clerk
ncomer@townofalma.com
Colorado Fourteeners Initiative
Sarah Gorecki
sarah@14ers.org
US Forest Service
Chris Prew
chrisprew@fs.fed.us
Mine property owner
John Reiber
johnreiber@msn.com
Colorado Trust for Public Land
Justin Spring
Justin.spring@tpl.org
Park County Office of Historic Preservation
Linda Balough
lbalough@parkco.us
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