Hikers may once again be able to scale three Park County fourteeners that were closed last summer because of private landowners’ fear of lawsuits.
On Monday, a bill reducing the legal liability of property owners unanimously passed the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee. Two Park County landowners on hand said they were optimistic that House Bill 1049 eventually could reopen access to the popular summits of Mount Lincoln, Mount Bross and Mount Democrat.
Access to the peaks now is granted only in rare cases, with proof of liability insurance, the landowners said.
With the remains of long-closed mines scattered across the mountains, they otherwise could be held responsible if someone gets hurt, landowners said.
Rep. Rob Witwer, R-Jefferson County, said he crafted the proposal after learning last summer that he couldn’t climb the mountains legally.
“This bill is an expression of the people of Colorado that we’re grateful to those private landowners that provide access across their property,” Witwer said. “We’d like to respond in kind by providing them protection from lawsuits.”
But even if Witwer’s bill passes, trails must be established and signs erected to keep hikers safe, said landowner Maury Reiber of Littleton and Fairplay. His holdings include the 14,286-foot summit of Mount Lincoln, he said.
“Our main concern is, ‘OK, here’s a trail,”‘ Reiber said. “How are you going to keep people on the trail?”
Hiking advocates and community groups have said they will work with landowners to come up with a solution to that problem.
If so, Mount Lincoln would almost surely become fair game for peak-baggers, because a trail to its summit could be built entirely on Reiber’s land, he said.
“To me, it’s a fantastic view, which I really don’t want to deny to anybody,” he said.
Though not considered an official peak, Mount Cameron, the bump on the ridge between Lincoln and Democrat, also is currently closed.
There are 54 fourteeners – mountains taller than 14,000 feet – in Colorado. As many as 500,000 people attempt to climb a Colorado fourteener every year, according to the Colorado Mountain Club, which supports the bill.
“We’re very concerned that we not lose access to some of these special places,” said Steve Bonowski, the club’s senior policy adviser.
Staff writer Jim Hughes can be reached at 303-820-1244 or jhughes@denverpost.com.
