by Steve Bonowski
For several years CMC members have followed with interest
the ongoing access issues of the more popular 14ers. The CMC Conservation
Department has been working diligently to ensure that these areas remain open
for recreational use while at the same time working to minimize impact on these
important landscapes. As of early November, this is the status of these areas:
Lincoln-Bross-Democrat The major problem preventing a
reopening of these peaks has been our inability to make contact with two of the
property owners in the area. While the main peaks of Lincoln, Cameron, and
Democrat are owned by two families, there are additional claims in the area
that are under different ownership. Finally, a positive contact was made in
October with the owner of a small claim to the north of Kite Lake, who seems to
be willing to allow a trail corridor through the property. We are hopeful that
access to Lincoln and Democrat Peaks will be secured in 2008. Unfortunately,
however, things are not as promising for the top of Bross, where the mining
claims are under fractional ownership, meaning that a claim from several
generations ago was willed to different family members through additional
generations. The CMC along with its partner, the Colorado Fourteeners
Initiative (CFI), continues to work on access issues on these peaks, and
attempts are still being made to contact all of the affected landowners.
The Forest Service and the CFI worked together to design a
trail for the peaks that has been approved by the landowners. The CMC conservation
office obtained a grant from Colorado State Parks in 2007 to pay for signage on
this trail to ensure that people climbing the peak stay in the allotted access
area. Getting routes signed has been a requirement from the property owners in
order to reopen the peaks. Trail repair and maintenance will continue in summer
2008, in hopes of having Democrat and Lincoln officially reopened for legal
climbing during the summer season.
Mt. Wilson
Wilson Peak Major progress was made on the Wilson Peak
access issue during 2007. The Trust for Public Land arranged a buyout with the
property owner of all except three of the claims in Silver Pick Basin, and the
owner agreed to allow a trail corridor easement across two of the claims. The
Forest Service, with assistance from CFI and the CMC, laid out a potential
trail corridor on the west
side of Silver Pick Basin. The old road running into the basin on the east side
will remain closed. Biological and cultural assessments are needed for parts of
the new route to comply with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
requirements. However, the agency hopes to do these assessments right after
snow melt in late spring and to begin trail construction in 2008.
The CMC partnered with the Telluride Mountain Club to raise
funds to assist with this access work because the Forest Service no longer has
the resources to accomplish all of the recreation projects in the area. The two
clubs contributed slightly over half of the cost for surveying two of the
mining claims during 2007. In addition to several individual contributors in
Telluride and metro Denver, major funding for the Wilson Peak Protection Fund
came from the Telluride Foundation, San Miguel County, Osprey Packs, and CMC
Conservation. The two clubs are evaluating further fundraising needs for trail
construction and educational signage. Watch the CMC web site for more updates.
Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle Since early August, 2007,
the Cottonwood Creek trailhead south of the town of Crestone has been closed
for public access. The primitive Cottonwood Creek trail gives access to the
Crestone group of 14ers as well as to several high 13ers south of the 14ers.
The trailhead area is on private property owned by a spiritually oriented
foundation. The foundation had allowed access up the trail upon request and by
permit for several years. However, the volume of requests became too high to
handle. A complicating factor has been the expansion of Great Sand Dunes
National Park and a need for access into the Park from the north. Previously,
the private Baca Ranch was between the local subdivisions and the Park
boundary.
CMC Conservation is working with local spiritual groups, the
Forest Service, and the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council to find an alternate
route around the old trailhead area. More updates will appear on the club’s web
site under the Conservation heading and in T & T when available. In the
upcoming year, the CMC Conservation Department will continue its efforts to
secure access to 14ers around the state, recognizing that continued access to
these peaks is vital to our members.