Mounts Lincoln, Democrat and Bross were pronounced closed and off limits to climbing as of July 1, 2005, by owners of mining claims that blanket all three mountains. Until this matter is resolved, this route should not be attempted. To do so may result in an assessed fine or tresspassing charges.

April 2006 UPDATE: It is possible this route may be closed permanently. Current deliberations suggest only one route for the 14ers in the area. The route has not been mentioned in any discussions, but the route also does not infringe on any claims until the summit plateau is reached. Staying to the east side of the plateau should steer you clear of any claims conflicts. The point seems moot since the summit is part of a claim anyway.

For more discussion, see this thread on access issues.

Approach

Use the standard approach to Kite Lake on the main page. Be sure to arrive early because this place is popular and parking spots are limited. At the north end of the parking lot, the standard route takes off through a mud bog. Do NOT go this way. At the parking lot, there is a restroom facility and a sign-in registery. From there you will spot a trail taking off toward the west. Proceed up this trail, but you won't be on it for long.

Route Description

About 200 paces from the parking lot, turn northward toward Democrat and leave the trail behind. Enjoy a pleasant walk up through the tundra, making a fairly direct line toward the base of the sweeping southeast ridge. Be sure to climb the tundra steadily to stay above some steep terrain on your right the closer you get to the mountain itself. You eventually come to some fun Class 2 rock obstacles that can be easily climbed, or you can avoid the difficulties (and the fun!) by going over to the right and circumventing the rocky areas. These scrambles are the steepest climbing section on the route. Once past these interesting scrambles, you'll be on the ridge proper.

Angle left (northwest) and follow the ridge. Other climbing problems present themselves as you climb the ridge. All are fun, short and relatively safe, and good practice if you are a beginner interested in stretching your climbing skills. You can go around the obstacles as well. The ridge gradually angles northward the higher you go. The climbing opportunities stop and the climb becomes a walk up large talus. As the steepness relents, the summit will come into view beyond Democrat's broad southeast sloping shoulder. Follow the ridge to intersect the standard route, staying to your right to avoid possible claim areas.

Return the same route, or return the standard route for a short day. You can also descend the standard route to continue on over to Lincoln and the rest of the 14er group, weather permitting. Doing the complete circuit via this route makes for a solitary start and no backtracking the standard route. You'll not encounter the crowds until you reach Democrat's summit.

Essential Gear

In summer and fall, standard hiking gear and apparrel will do. In winter and spring, some great glissade opportunites are available on this mountain. The SE face is very steep, so winter skills and glissade experience is recommended.