Access to Colorado’s Mount Democrat will continue to stay unblocked after around 300 acres near the top of the mountain were sold to The Conservation Fund.
John Reiber, an owner of land across multiple fourteeners, previously considered blocking off access to the high peak for of fear of lawsuits by hikers, trail runners, and others. According to The Colorado Sun, Reiber began requiring all who entered his property to scan QR codes and sign liability waivers rather than closing the mountain all together.
The code system was used both on Mount Democrat and Mount Lincoln (both owned by John Reiber), though the entire Decalibron Loop (which includes four total fourteeners, Democrat, Lincoln, Bross, and Cameron) is still illegal to complete due to private property on Mount Bross. The sale does not include Mount Lincoln, and Reiber will continue to require signed waivers for access.
The push to reform the Colorado Recreational Use Statute to protect landowners will continue despite this win, with John Reiber initially promising to close the entire Decalibron Loop if it’s not taken care of within the next year.
According to Fox 31, The Conservation Fund intends to pass the land off to the U.S. Forest Service after a purchase with the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund is complete. The Conservation Fund does hope to purchase further 14er access from private landowners over the next several years, assuming landowners are willing.
“We stand ready to purchase other lands where landowners are interested.” – Project Manager Kelly Ingebritson
Related: Liability Concerns Lead Colorado Landowner To Close Access To Two 14ers
Featured Image Credit: Sublimegroove, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
