I returned to Kite Lake for my sixth time on July 24, 2025. My trips there include two in 2017 for the loop. The first time I went solo clockwise, and skipped Bross. The second time that year I went counterclockwise with a friend and we got Bross but skipped Democrat. I once went to Kite Lake to hike Lake Emma with my dog. I once went to hike Mt. Buckskin with my dog. My fifth time to Kite Lake was with a friend in 2023, and we only summited Mt. Democrat. So with that, I had all four peaks two times (counting the bypass the first time).

This was my sixth time to Kite Lake. I went with four friends. The weather forecast for July 24th was a little worrisome, but we took a positive attitude and agreed that we would go as far as we could and hope it would never amount to more than light rain at any point during our hike. We were all ready to make a retreat if necessary, to avoid the worst-case scenario of a lightning storm. We took a couple of group pictures at the trailhead sign around 6:20 AM. Katherine offered up a quick prayer for our safety and the weather, and we were on the trail toward Mt. Bross a few minutes before 6:30.

Two of us summited three 14ers, and two summited all four. We went counterclockwise. I knew I would be spent enough by the time we were to reach the saddle and planned to skip Democrat. It was good to leave that peak for last for the two who expected to have the energy to finish the loop. Carla and I did only the first three. By the time we started to head down the saddle, we expected the other two to descend Democrat and catch up with us on the final stretch. Sure enough, they not only caught up but passed us on the trail down to our vehicles.

I am now almost 70. This hike was a LOT harder than it was my first time, eight years ago. I knew I could do it, but that it would hurt, and that I would be VERRRRY slow. The hardest stretch going counterclockwise is the 1.60 or so miles up to Mt. Bross. You gain 2,250 feet, or over 1,400 feet per mile. That is about as steep as any of the eighteen 14ers that I have done. That's horrible, but thank goodness it's short.

The day before the hike I gave everyone in my group my time estimates for each peak, excluding Mt. Democrat. The two faster hikers, Katherine and Laura, moved ahead and made a lot better time on each peak, and naturally beat all my estimates.

• Summit Bross estimate: 9:15 AM. The actual time for me was 9:10 AM
• Summit Mt. Lincoln estimate: 10:45 AM. My actual time was 10:08 AM
• Summit Mt. Cameron estimate 11:15. I did not make a note of arrival time there.
• Reach the saddle estimate 12:00 PM. My actual time there was 12:07 PM.
• Reach the trailhead estimate 1:00 PM. I think I finished at 1:10 PM.

Katherine and Laura got all four peaks in slightly less than the time it took Carla and me to get three of them. Carla paced with me, for the most part. We separated a little here and there. Carla had some cramping calf issues on the Mt. Cameron descent. We took a few breaks to massage that problem and continued without much delay.

I hoped to take group pictures on each summit, but that didn't happen. None of us bothered to get summit pictures on 14,248' Mt. Cameron. That one counts, in my book, even though it does not have the requisite elevation gain above the saddles between neighboring peaks to be considered official to 14er sticklers.

I met a young runner heading down Mt. Bross as I was heading up, so he was almost done for the day at about 7:30 AM, or whenever it was, I did not check the time. He started at 3:00 AM and took the loop clockwise, so he was on Mt. Democrat for the sunrise. He said he was a believer and had prayed for everyone on the mountain. I said I am also a believer, as are all those in my party of four, and thanked him for the prayer.

For me, the hike up Mt. Bross was predictably painful, well, not as painful as it was exhausting. Breathing is the hardest part. I took a couple of dozen steps, stopped to catch my breath, and repeated this for over a mile and a half. This pace tested Carla's patience, I'm sure. She told me that she would be slow. But I knew that I would be much slower. I told her, "The tortoise does eventually make it." I got a little second wind on the ridge between Mt. Bross and Mt. Lincoln. There were ascents, still, but I did not struggle as much. Quitting because it was hard was not an option. I expected that. I knew I was capable of completing my three peaks, but I also knew that I was no spring chicken, and made that clear to my friends in advance. On my descents, I could almost jog, as long as the terrain was favorable enough for that. I did jog partway down Mt. Lincoln.

The weather forecast said we could expect light rain in the early afternoon. Some forecasts predicted it to begin in the late morning. It was chilly. I had five layers, counting my sports bra. I initially wished I had another jacket as we began the hike, but I knew that I would warm up from the activity soon enough. Later in the hike, I took out my bright yellow poncho and wore that from Mt. Lincoln to partway down the stretch below the saddle. We got some sleet, or graupel, as Carla and I were hiking from Mt. Bross to Mt. Lincoln. It did not last more than ten minutes, and did not stick to the ground. Laura and Katherine, by that time, I think, were probably almost down Mt. Cameron and about to head up Mt. Democrat. The sky was overcast all day, but we were not socked in with fog or wildfire smoke, so we had some good views of the surrounding peaks and valleys.

I do not know the total number of 14ers Katherine and Laura have each done, but I know they are not beginners. Congratulations to both of them for adding four unique peaks to their record! Congratulations to Carla, who completed Mt. Sherman last year, and just added her 14ers number two, three, and four!

I attached 19 photographs and captioned each of them.