Mountaineering · YDS Class 2

West Ridge (via Mount Democrat)

Distance RT
4.7 mi
Gain
2,251 ft
High Point
14,239 ft
Trailhead
Kite Lake Trailhead
12,018 ft elevation
Permit Required

Mount Cameron's summit sits on the same private mining claim as Mount Lincoln's. Legal access currently requires scanning a posted QR code at the Kite Lake trailhead and electronically signing a liability waiver before ascending; hiking without signing it is trespassing. This arrangement has changed more than once over the past two decades and should be reconfirmed before a trip.

Route Description

The standard way to Mount Cameron's flat summit, reached by traversing the ridge from Mount Democrat as part of the Kite Lake basin's four-peak loop.

Approach

The Kite Lake Trailhead sits at roughly 12,000 feet above Alma, reached via a rough but generally 2WD-passable road (Kite Lake Road / County Road 8). From Kite Lake, climb Mount Democrat's east slope to its summit, then descend to the Democrat–Cameron saddle and climb the easy north slope onto Cameron's broad, flat-topped summit plateau. Cameron's true high point is unmarked by any natural feature and is identified only by a small summit cairn; most climbers continue east across the plateau toward Mount Lincoln rather than treating Cameron as a stand-alone destination.

Descent

Either retrace the ridge back over Democrat to Kite Lake, or continue the loop toward Mount Lincoln and Mount Bross before descending.

Weather Forecast
7-Day Forecast
Today
❄️
Snow
34° / 27°
49%
❄ 2.6"
💨21
Tomorrow
☁️
Overcast
38° / 26°
2%
💨17
Sun, Sep 27
🌧️
Drizzle
44° / 27°
12%
💧0.07"
💨10
Mon, Sep 28
❄️
Snow Showers
35° / 26°
79%
💧0.08"
💨5
Tue, Sep 29
🌧️
Drizzle
35° / 23°
64%
💧0.21"
💨7
Wed, Sep 30
☁️
Overcast
42° / 24°
52%
💨14
Thu, Oct 1
☀️
Clear
44° / 21°
22%
💨16
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