Mt. Cameron or in some circles, Cameron Point, though rising well above the covetous 14,000ft level in Colorado is not considered a ranked or even true mountain. It is a perverbial black sheep that takes its place among a small herd of Colorado 14ers that also includes: Conundrum Peak, North Maroon Peak, North Eolus and El Diente Peak.
However, Mt. Cameron has a facet that the others cannot claim, accessibility. Mt. Cameron resides in the center of a topographic triangle which is anchored by Mt. Democrat, Mt. Bross and Mt. Lincoln. Collectively, they are known as The Decalibron.
People typically do not venture into the 10 mile-Mosquito Range, just west of Alma and Fairplay to only hike Mt. Cameron. It is only a momentary stopping place en route to one of the other three. However, due to its proximity to the Front Range, accessibility and relative ease of hiking, it is almost always included in any trip to these mountains.

The predominant factor in keeping Mt. Cameron from being officially recognized is the fact that its' saddle with Mt. Lincoln does not drop the required 300'. Fact, one wouldn't be wrong in thinking that Mt. Lincoln is actually a gemini summit though it is not considered as such.
Also, Mt. Cameron's summit plateau lies entirely on a private mining claim and only .2 mile from the Baltic & Crescent Help Mine (towards Mt. Lincoln).
A logical question one could ask would be, why then, include a summit/high point that is not officially ranked nor meets certain criteria on Summitpost? The same question could also be asked of N. Maroon, Conundrum and El Diente Peaks. Othen than the normal and accepted criteria peaks and mountains must satisfy for recognition, there are also subjective facets, sometimes made for personal reasons, sometimes made out of sheer convenience that must be considered as well. For instance, of the four mountains/peaks that do have pages here on SP, all are above 14,000ft. That attribute alone will put the peak or mountain on many people's lists, purist or not. Mt. Cameron's proximity to three other officially ranked 14ers also will increase its' significance a little. Plus, being North Maroon Peak's complete polar opposite, it can be hiked by virtually anyone and is truly, in some people's words, a "mountain for all seasons".
So, based on the aforementioned, Mt. Cameron, even if a little sympathetically, deseres a home here on Summitpost. The 'summit' register on this page actually kinda reflects that as well.

Closures and access...

Closures and access...In the summer of 2005 (June to be exact), the Forest Service started handing out fliers and notices to hikers and campers in the extremely popular Kite Lake area just west of Alma. This small area, which is spider-webed with private mining claims including the Moose Mine, Dolly Varden, Sweet Home Mine and the Russia Mine was going to become off-limits to all public access. As usual, "liability" was the smoking gun as to why. Keeping Mt. Cameron company is its' close neighbors, Mt. Democrat, Mt. Bross and Mt. Lincoln.
To those who are somewhat naive on this touchy matter, this news came as a big shock to the hiking/climbing community because these four peaks, collectively known as The Decalibron are among the easiest to access and easiest to climb of Colorado's 14ers.
Of the 57-60 seperate land owners, roughly three acually voiced concern to the Forest Service thus getting the ball rolling.
Then something extremely positive happened. The mining owners, who quite unlike Rusty Nichols (of the Wilson debacle) are and have been talking to the town of Alma to allow public access and lift the veil of uncertainty that liability usually carries (for the land owners).

On March 8th, 2006, Gov. Bill Owens passed into law (from the Colorado State Legislature) House Bill 1049. This bill was designed to require the current land and mine owners to clearly identify, sign and maintian trails.
In August of 2006, the Town of Alma "leased" roughly 4,000 acres from a small collective of the involved land owners thus accepting the liability. There is some confusing stipulations and addendums attached to the agreements that basically absolves the Town of Alma from most lawsuits and govermental litigations. So until various specifics can be worked out: formal access, trail projection, erosion concerns, lease duration etc, the Decalibron is still legally closed.
However, having said that, the Colorado Mountain Club will be helping in this ardorous project. It has received funding from Colorado State Parks via the State Trails Program to install trail signs, restoration signs and abandoned mine signs along the 'to be determined' portions of the trail. The Colorado Fourteeners Initiave I believe is also assisting in this.

→ → → UPDATE! ← ← ←

During the summer of 2008, the CFI will be researching trail design and restoration on approximately 6.72 miles and 4.8 miles repectively. An orchestration of CFI, the Forest service and the Town of Alma will be continuing and finishing the following:
• Delineate a trail corridor
• Design specific trail routes with station markers
• Establish signage locations
• Design ecological restoration plans and construction of

During the summer of 2008 and 2009, various field sessions will be held in conjecture with CFI trail crews, Colorado Youth Corps trail crews and volunteers to close, stabilize and restore the numerous user-created trails that exist on these mountains.
New signage will include:
• A trailhead kiosk- this will be installed in 2008
• Trail directional signs (approx. 12)
• Closed for restoration signs (approx. 15)
• Abandoned mine signs (approx. 5)

(MHRI) Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative

(further info. 11/2007) Mountain Gazette Achives

The Decalibron-Spring 2008

If you're interested in the progress for this ongoing project to get these mountains opened up, it's possible
to sign up to become a member in a trail crew with the CFI, on August 16/17.

Getting There

There are multiple routes and trailheads that can be utilized to access Mt. Cameron. Fremont Pass trailhead at 11,032ft can be used to access Mt Democrat's West Face, then all one would need to do is continue on to the east and gain Cameron's West Shoulder to the "summit".
The Dolly Varden trailhead at 11,340ft is normally used to reach Mt. Bross. However, similar to Mt. Democrat, all one would need to do is continue on past Bross and reach Mt. Cameron's SE Shoulder to reach it's gentle summit plateau. There are also two other trailheads that enable one to contour up into The Cameron Amphitheater, east of Mt. Cameron and seperating Mt. Lincoln and Mt. Bross.

However, due to the current nature of the access and property issues and fickle state of the progress being made, the Kite Lake trailhead (12,020ft) will be the only trailhead described at length.

KITE LAKE

If approaching from the north, that is from the town of Breckenridge, drive south on Co.9 cresting Hoosier Pass
to the small South Park town of Alma. This is roughly 17 miles.
If approaching from the town of Fairplay in the south off of US.285, proceed out of Fairplay north on CO.9 to Alma some 7.8 miles away.
Once in the town of Alma, turn west onto Park County 8. This is a dirt road also known as Kite Lake Road. This turn is located directly across from an old country store. Continue west passing some residential houses and 6 miles later, the Kite Lake trailhead will end your travels in the heart of Buckskin Gulch. Kite Lake Road is and can be rough, especially in the last mile. Some careful driving will enable passenger cars to reach this trailhead. If uncomfortable with the road conditions, there are areas about .7 miles before the lake where one can pull off and park.
This is also a popular trailhead in winter due to its ease of access. Snowmobilers and cross country skiers are a common sight. Road closures are typically around 11,000ft or 3.5 to 4 miles out of Alma.

USGS Quads: Alma, Climax, Pike National Forest

Red Tape/Camping

For those with moderate clearence or 4wd capabilities who drive to the proper trailhead, there is a $3 daily use fee payable in self-service envelopes. For those who park farther down the road, there is no fee (of course) but free space is limited.
There are campsites available at Kite Lake at a $7/night rate. They are a bit on the 'primitive' side and are available on a 'first-come, first-serve' basis. There is also an outhouse located near the lake. Camping at Kite Lake can be very enjoyable espacially considering the elevation of the immediate area and the proximity of ones vehicle. The Kent-Belle Mine is only a few paces into the basin past Kite Lake.

Kite Lake

When To Climb

As has already been stated in the aforementioned sections, Mt. Cameron can be hiked in basically any season of the year. Due to it's phenominally easy access, close proximity and class-1 hiking, Mt. Cameron is a mountain for everybody.
In the summertime, crowds will descend upon these mountains with an almost ridiculous zeal. It is a rare thing to have any one mountain in the Decalibron to oneself. So take that as it is and plan your departure early. Plus, one also has the constant threat of thunderstorms to deal with. Other than Mt. Democrat's summit and to a lesser degree, Mt. Lincoln, YOU are going to be the highest thing running around on essentially flat terrain. Plan on leaving the car early and returning early. In Colorado, lightning is a very serious matter.
In the winter, of course, the threat of thunderstorms is gone. Blizzards and cold temperatures, high winds and dangerous wind chills replace lightning and rain. These mountains are still very much accessable per winter however, if you're no stranger to cold temperatures and snow, it's doubtful you will see many people, few at most.
Weekends of course are the busiest time. Plan your trip mid-week and enjoy a greater sense of solitude that otherwise is difficult to find in this historically significant area.

Mountain Conditions

External Links

Mounts Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, Bross
Decalibron (08/06/2003)
14ers.com - The Home of Colorado's Highest Peaks
Fourteener Photos, Route Descriptions, Forum, and more...
The Decalibron
Hiking in Colorado

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