New Fourteener Mountain Trail Near Breckenridge/Alma/Fairplay in Park County Colorado

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-