Hike Three 14ers In One Day

Starting at Kite Lake Trailhead at 12,000 ft you basically have the majority of the elevation gain covered before you even start. However, this does not make this an "easy" hike. The trail curves around Kite Lake before starting the ascent up to the Cameron-Democrat saddle. Right from the get-go this trail is pretty steep, so pace yourself, and use the various flat sections for rest if you need it. Follow a few switchbacks on a very well defined trail to get to the saddle (after climbing 1000+ feet in only a mile or so). Once at the saddle take a left to head up a steep rocky ridge toward the Mt. Democrat summit. This section is steep again, but the trail is still defined and the views from the ridge give you endless things to focus on beside the burning in your legs. After cresting the ridge a few hundred vertical feet later, you will see the summit of Democrat straight ahead of you. Walk across a flat portion, ascend a steep 200-300 feet, and you're there! One down, two to go!

Head back down the same way you came up Democrat until you get back to the saddle. This time, continue walking straight across and make the steep ascent of Cameron (a 14,000 foot summit, but not an actual 14er). This is undoubtedly the hardest section of the hike, as it is the steepest as well as the longest single stretch of ascending, and you will already have the pain of one mountain in your legs. After ascending the ridge for a while and coming across multiple false summits, you will finally reach Mt. Cameron, a fairly flat and wide open summit. Looking straight ahead you will see Lincoln, which at this point seems unreachable. Don't fear however, as the saddle between Cameron and Lincoln is very short and the ascent is simple. Make your way off the west side of Cameron (trail can be hard to find, but it is very obvious where you are going), and cross the wide, flat saddle to Lincoln.

The trail up to Lincoln can get steep, but it is very short, and only involves about 150 ft of vertical gain, so it does not feel like much. From Lincoln you can see the remaining route up to Bross, and compared to what you've already done, this is a cake walk. Drop down off of Lincoln the way you came, but instead of going straight, back up to Cameron, veer left on a very wide defined trail around the side of Cameron. Follow this flat easy trail for around a mile to the summit of Bross. Near summit there will be one last section of ascending, but it is the shortest yet, and not too steep. The summit of Bross is very big and flat, so its a good place to stop and eat or take a break before the descent. Once you are ready, find the obvious trail down the side of Bross (it'll be near where the trail to the summit ended, just walk forward about 50 feet). The descent in my mind was the hardest part. Almost the entire way down it is covered in loose shale and choss, and it must be taken slow. Some parts can get quite steep, and this steepness along with the lose rock and lead to some precarious situations if you aren't careful. After hiking down half a mile or so you will find yourself on a ridge. The trail that you will see of the ridge is very steep and very treacherous to take, so avoid this one. Instead head down the ridge another 100 meters or so to another obvious trial. This one, while still steep and loose, is not nearly as bad as the first one and can be descended easily. After you make this descent, you are past the worst of it! Simply follow the trail down to Kite Lake, thus completing your 8ish mile loop of Democrat, Lincoln, and Bross (DeCaLiBron, as some people call it)!