Manitou Incline February 10, 2013
I made my first legal trek up the Manitou Incline late this afternoon. It snowed off and on as I hiked. Although it didn’t snow much Wednesday night, there was ice from that storm under the small amount of new snow on the upper section of the Incline.
Going down the social trail to Barr Trail there was a section where it looked like people had sat down and slid. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not. It definitely is good idea to have traction devices in these conditions. If you don’t have any, check out the Kahtoola Microspikes, Yaktrax and Stabilicers Lite.
Here are some photos from today.
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UpaDowna Incline Happy Hour
This is the first Thursday since the Manitou Incline was legalized. It means there will be the first legal UpaDowna Incline Happy hour. However until time change next month, the dawn to dusk rule will be broken.
The Incline Happy Hour was started a few years ago by the great folks at UpaDowna. Their motto is “Up a Mountain, Downa a Beer”. Their goal is to get more people in the outdoors.
Now that the Manitou Incline is legal, UpaDowna is encouraging more people to join them. They start at the bottom tie of the Incline (directions) at 6 PM and hike to the top of the Incline.
The hike takes place year round but know your limitations as the Incline can get icy and treacherous in the winter. It’s a self paced hike and not a race. It doesn’t matter what your fitness level. Generally people hang out at the top for a bit and then most head down Barr Trail.
Until time change you’ll need a headlamp to be able to see in the dark. You can also get by with a flashlight but then your hands aren’t free for balance.
Afterwards head to Kinfolks Mountain Shop in Manitou Springs. Enjoy one of the micro brews they have on tap or us hang out with other outdoor lovers. It’s located just east of Ruxton at 950 Manitou Avenue.
Although it’s free to join the Incline Happy Hour, you need to register and sign the waiver on Eventbrite. Not only is it a fun time, but there may be prizes for signing up and staying motivated throughout the year.
Rules
Manitou Springs police can issue tickets for breaking any of the Incline rules.
WARNING: The Manitou Incline is an EXTREME trail
Use at your own risk
Do not attempt this trail if you are not used to hiking at altitude or have trouble climbing a standard flight of stairs.
Consult with your doctor before adding the Incline to your exercise routine.
If you need medical attention on the Incline, it could take First Responders over an hour to get to you.
Incline Hours Vary Based on Time of Year
Incline hours are 6 AM to 8 PM from April 1st to October 31st and 6 AM to 6 PM from November 1st to March 31st.
Be respectful of the neighbors who live on Ruxton Ave. Would you like to be woken up with beeping and slamming of car doors? If you trip in the dark, a First Responder could as well.
No Pets Allowed
We love hiking with our pets, but dogs off leash or dogs on long leashes become hazards to other hikers and to themselves. The excessive amount of dog waste that has been left behind is becoming a health issue. This rule applies to all pets although dogs are the common pets that are on trails.
Recommended: UPHILL ONLY! Please use Barr Trail for your descent.
Smoking is prohibited.
Please be RESPECTFUL of all hikers.
Stay on the designated trail corridor, don’t blaze your own trail to get down faster.
Slower hikers stay to the right.
Pack out your trash. Utilize the port-a-lets before you start your hike.
These rules and regulations were vetted during the master plan process and are required by the property owners. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in permits and agreements being revoked. If you enjoy using the Incline please respect the rules and regulations, other hikers and the property owners. The Incline is on public and private land.
For more information on how you can get involved with the Incline please visit Incline Friends.
Manitou Incline Officially Legal
From Pikes Peak Sports:
With one quick swing on Friday morning, Colorado Springs city councilman Scott Hente smashed a bottle of sparkling apple cider across the old “No Trespassing” sign and the Manitou Incline became legal for all to enjoy.
Members of the nonprofit Incline Friends group, special guests and early morning Incline hikers joined a media frenzy for the official opening.
Hente ha pushed for years for the Incline to become legal and he was there to “christen” a new era for the old railway bed. “We know that this is an important day for the people of the Pikes Peak Region and I just want to encourage people to enjoy this recreational activity,” Hente saud.
He pointed to the economic impact that the Incline is expected to have, and encouraged Incline hikers to support businesses in Manitou Springs.
“It’s a huge economic engine for the entire Pikes Peak Region,” Hente said. “I encourage everyone when you get done to have breakfast, a beer, both, at a Manitou restaurant. This is a huge economic activity for Pikes Peak and it exemplifies all of the recreational activities we like to do.”
Hente was joined by Steve Bremner, Incline Friends president, who worked for years to help complete the Manitou Incline Management Plan.
“It has been four years since we started the management plan and two years since we finished the plan,” Bremner said. “But we’re finally legal, Feb. 1, 2013.”
Photos
Here are some Manitou Incline photos taken both in the summer and winter. There are also a few taken at night. The Incline hours are 6 AM until 6 PM November 1st to March 31st. The rest of the year the hours are 6 AM until 8 PM.
If you’d like to purchase Manitou Incline photos, some very nice ones are available on the UltraRob photo site.
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Unfamiliar Incline View
Fortunately the rumors that the Manitou Incline No Trespassing sign had been stolen turned out to be false. Before someone actually did steal it for a souvenir of the illegal Incline years, the sign was removed yesterday. The sign will be donated to the Pioneers Museum or some other local museum.
Tomorrow, February 1st, the Incline will be legal to hike starting at dawn. The Incline Friends are doing a celebratory hike. To join them be at the bottom of the Incline at 7 AM. Directions to the Manitou Incline trailhead are here.
Legalized After Long Climb!
Last night the Manitou Springs city council voted 6-0 for the resolution allowing recreational use of the Manitou Incline. Now there’s only a couple days left for normally law abiding citizens to break the law by trespassing on the Incline. The Manitou Incline will be legal for hiking starting Friday, February 1st at dawn.
The Incline Friends are planing a celebratory hike of the Incline Friday morning at 7 AM. Meet at the bottom of the Incline to join them. An official celebration is being planned in March.
Many thousands of hikers and fitness enthusiasts have passed by the no trespassing sign on the Manitou Incline. This first no trespassing sign was put on the Incline in the summer of 1999. The first sign was right in the middle of the tracks and kept being pulled out.
The following summer the metal sign that is familiar to so many people was installed and was more to the side instead of right in the middle. Whether it was because the sign was to the side or it was installed better, that sign has withstood over a decade of trespassers.
There were a few years when the metal sign had a red and white sign bolted over it. It eventually disappeared and it was back to the bare metal no trespassing sign.
The sign belongs to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway and is to be donated to The Pioneer Museum. There was a rumor that the no trespassing sign that has stood for so many years didn’t quite survive to the opening of the Incline and disappeared over the weekend. Fortunately the rumor seems to be false and there are plans to remove it before it does disappear.
Cardiac Arrest at Top of Manitou Incline
Yesterday, January 26, 2013, El Paso County Search and Rescue tweeted: Epcsar completed a successful cardiac save at the top of the Manitou Incline. We were able to defibrulate with good response.
I don’t have many details but got this second hand info from someone who was at the top of the Incline around 10:30 yesterday. A man and his wife were at the top and the man had a heart attack. EMS came up Longs Ranch Road and used the paddles on him.
Here’s hoping he has a full recovery. A big thanks to El Paso County Search and Rescue for what they do.
Incline Friends Karma Hour Photos
Bristol Brewing held the Incline Friends Karma Hour fund raiser Tuesday evening. They donated $1 of every pint to the Incline Friends. Lots of Manitou Incline lovers came out to support the Incline Friends.
Other ways to help the Incline Friends is to join them, donate using the donate link on their website or putting money into the tube at the bottom of the Incline.
Here are some photos from the Incline Friends Karma Hour.
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Incline Friends Karma Hour
Last week President Obama signed the law clearing up the railway right-of-way issue with the Manitou Incline. The Colorado Springs council also passed the needed resolution for legalizing the Incline for hiking. The only step remaining to legalizing the Incline is a resolution by the Manitou Springs city council. Manitou Springs council is expected to vote on January 29th.
There are now many loose ties on the Incline. Stabilizing some sections need to be done soon or more work will be needed. The Incline Friends are tasked with raising money to repair and maintain the Incline.
Total cost to implement the Incline Management Plan will run about $1 million, and the Incline Friends need $200,000 of that by the first week of March to meet a critical grant deadline. They expect much of it to come from private donors, but not all of it.
There are a few ways to help the Incline Friends raise money. Tomorrow night there’s a fun one. The Incline Friends Karma Hour will be at Bristol Brewery (1647 S. Tejon) from 5 to 9 PM Tuesday, Jan. 15. Bristol will donate $1 to the Incline Friends for every pint sold. Click here for more on the Incline Friends Karma Hour.
Other ways to help the Incline Friends is to join them, donate using the donate link on their website or putting money into the tube at the bottom of the Incline.
