The Decalibron: Climbing 4 Colorado 14ers

This loop is an extremely popular day hike for those looking for something a bit more fun and exciting than just walking up, touching the top of a summit, and coming right back down.

What the heck is The Decalibron? The Decalibron is a 7 mile loop in the Mosquito Range that takes you up and over four different Colorado 14ers! Mt. Democrat, Mt. Cameron, Lincoln and Bross. It’s an extremely popular route that is a must do for Colorado peak baggers!

Just a few miles outside the town of Alma, you will make your way up to the Kite Lake area. There are a few things to be mindful of and prepared for before parking/camping here.

The road can be quite rough in certain sections, so having at the very least a vehicle with some clearance is suggested. I don’t think 4wd is really a requirement, but just be mindful as you drive up the road.

The parking and camping at Kite Lake is a fee area.

Parking cost:

Camping cost:

There are a few other things to be prepared for when planning your Decalibron. Much of this area is on private property, so the land owners require a waiver to be in the area. Please respect the land and the owners wishes and have your waiver filled out through the website before arriving.

There will be a barcode on a signboard as you enter the Kite Lake area you can scan to sign your waiver or you can find the waiver Here

The other thing is that you cannot actually climb to the true summit of Mt. Bross. These particular land owners have asked that folks bypass the summit by using a trail that cuts about 300ft below the summit. I won’t get into the details of this, but see the map below for the bypass trail.

You can begin your loop by either going Clockwise and heading up Mt. Democrat, or going Counterclockwise and making your way towards Mt. Bross. We opted to head up Mt. Democrat first as this would knock out the largest climb for the day.

We started at right about 3am on a Sunday morning. The parking lot was already almost full by the time we arrived.

With a pretty large water crossing right off the bat, we began to slowly make our ascent.

The climb up the the saddle between Mt. Democrat and Mt. Cameron was pretty straightforward with minimal route. finding (We had a few snow crossings.)

Once you gain the saddle you can make a left and begin making your way up Mt. Democrat with beautiful views of the ridge heading towards Cameron directly behind you.

The climb up Democrat is quite the talus field. We didn’t follow the usual trail because there was a pretty big snow patch directly where it lead, so we basically just headed straight up from the saddle. The rock are pretty large and not really loose, so it was actually pretty fast going up this way.

We arrived at the summit just time for the sun to rise!

We began making our way back the way we came down to the saddle heading towards Cameron. This was part was absolutely beautiful! With the sun rising just on the opposite side of Cameron, we had stunning views of the valleys below

Once you arrive back down at the saddle, you’re faced with your last substantial climb of the day. The trail was very easy to follow and gained about 1000ft in elevation before cresting the ridge heading up towards Cameron. Don’t forget to turn around and enjoy the view of Democrat every so often!

I’ll be honest, the summit of Cameron was a bit underwhelming. The summit wasn’t really another special or exciting, but it did have nice views of the entire loop. Being able to see all the other peaks that you would climb today.

Leaving Cameron behind, you drop down into a rocky valley that will make it feel like you’re walking across Mars

You’ll have a steady climb making your up to the summit of Mt. Lincoln. This was a much more enjoyable summit in our opinion that Cameron. Enjoy the views of the Decalibron and of Mt. Quandary across from you.

Pat yourselves on the back, because that wraps up pretty much all the climbing you will have for the day! From the summit of Lincoln It’s a steady and easy descent to the bypass trail of Mt. Bross.

This part is a nice ridge walk right after you pass Mt. Cameron. You’ll head directly towards Mt. Bross unto you come across a sign and a trail heading off to the right. This is the bypass trail

Looking back towars Bross heading counter-clockwise on the Decalibron loop. Please stay left at the section and avoid the summit.

Coming down the trail from Mt. Bross is probably the most technically difficult part of the trail. It is quite steep and loose in some sections, so be mindful of those below you so you don’t knock rocks down on people.

Eventually you’ll make it to the valley below and back to the parking lot.

All in all, this is such an enjoyable loop to attempt. It’s absolutely stunning! Head back down to Alma and enjoy a burger at the South Park Saloon!