Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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39.33970°N / 106.1394°W |
Route Type:
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Hike |
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Time Required:
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Most of a day |
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Difficulty:
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Class 2 |
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Approach
Start from the Kite Lake trailhead. To get there take the road signed for Kite Lake starting from the middle of town in Alma. In winter this road may not be plowed.
Route Description
Follow the trail as it goes around the east side of Kite Lake and slowly climbs into the basin under Cameron's south face. After approximately .7 miles of gentle climbing on grassy slopes, the trail banks west and starts swtichbacking up rocky slopes to the Democrat/Cameron saddle. The trail never gets to steep and 1.25 miles from the car you reach the saddle at 13,400 ft. From this saddle the trail becomes sketchy, and hard to follow as it climbs up through the endless talus of Democrat's east face. On the map it shows it switchbacking up the side of the mountain but we weren't able to find this trail when we did this. After about five hundred of talus hiking the mountain tops off on the plateau just below the final summit pyramid. From here its a short hike to the summit.
To continue to Cameron hike back down to the saddle and climb up the other side to Cameron. This is the beginning of the loop hike that allows to bag three fourteeners.
Essential Gear
No more equipment than a good pair of boots should be required. Watch out for thunderstorms especially on summer afternoons. An ice ax might be a useful precaution in winter but is not required.
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.