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-

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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).

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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.

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.

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Editor contacts:

MRHI
Cara Doyle, Executive Director
info@mrhi.org 

Town of Alma
Nancy Comer, Town Clerk
almaco@wildblue.net 

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