One of the greatest summer pleasures for Colorado residents and visitors is to make it to the top of one of Colorado's "Fourteeners" - mountains whose summits rise more than 14,000 feet above sea level. For some enthusiasts, the goal is to climb all of them.

Most of these peaks lie in public lands, but on Mts. Bross, Cameron, Democrat and Lincoln, located in the Mosquito Range of Park County, much of the access crosses private property. An attempt to scale these peaks would leave climbers in violation of trespass laws.

In recent years, more and more people aspire to "bag" all 54 of Colorado's Fourteeners, and thinking the Mosquito Range peaks are on public lands, climb into dangerous mining areas. This creates a problem for peak owners of Park County mountains who fear lawsuits from anyone injured on their property.

Gold, silver and other minerals have been discovered and mined in the Mosquito Range since the 1800s. Maury Reiber, owner of many of the mining claims on Park County peaks, says there is no way to know where all the tunnels and prospect holes might be among the hundreds of claims on the mountains. He says he can't emphasize enough the danger of wandering off approved trails, since he has found some of the tunnels or "stopes" to be so near the surface that he can see the roots of the tundra grasses on the ceiling of the passageway.

The Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative (MRHI), an area organization interested in the welfare of this important mountain range, has helped pull together widely diverse groups to try to overcome the legal and physical barriers to make the mountains accessible while protecting the rare plant life, pristine mountain terrain and the interests of property owners.

The tedious work of sign preparation, trail identification, mapping and evaluation has begun through the efforts of MRHI, US Forest Service, Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, Colorado Mountain Club, and other interested groups. The Town of Alma has leased about 3,900 acres from the mine owners to help accessibility become a reality.

The group forecasts that fall of 2007 would be the earliest opening date for the tops of Democrat, Lincoln and Cameron. That would only happen if signage is completed and permission granted by private property owners. Permission from Mt. Bross summit owners has not been secured.

Pike National Forest lands on the Mosquito Range mountains are currently open and offer great beauty and exciting recreational opportunities, but private land remains closed until trails are ready for visitors and permission is granted. Even when some of these areas are opened, the public must be aware that the mountains will never be "wide open," and accessing them must be considered a privilege not a right.

More information and opportunities to volunteer are available at www.mrhi.org.