Incline Friends
Signed Broncos Football Benefits Incline Friends
Last fall the Incline Friends asked the Denver Broncos for help in raising money to stabilize the Manitou Incline. The Broncos came through in a big way and donated an autographed football. Peyton Manning and 50 other players signed it.
The autographed Denver Broncos football is currently listed on eBay. All the proceeds will go to the Incline Friends for Manitou Incline maintenance. The auction will end Feb 05, 2014 at 9:12 AM PST.
To bid on eBay, click here now.
Manitou Incline Needs You!
Between July 20 and December 28, 2013, hikers have made 114,619 trips up the Manitou Incline according to the Incline Counter. With years of neglect, lot of use and the heavy rains this summer and fall, the Incline needs a lot of work to stabilize it.
The plan for stabilizing the Incline calls for preserving the character of the Incline. That increases the cost of the work. $550,000 is needed to more forwarded with the needed work.
The good news is that Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) which disburses funds from state lottery proceeds awarded a generous grant that will help in restoring and stabilizing the Incline. The grant is in the amount of $350,000. That leaves another $200,000 that needs to be raised.
The next couple days is the best time to make a donation to help with Manitou Incline restoration. At the end of each year Indy Give! helps several local non-profits raise money. This year the Incline Friends was selected as one of the non-profits.
Until the end of the year, your donation through the Give! will unlock matching money. Donations of $100 or more will receive a sweet pair of socks with the Incline Friends logo AND you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a FREE parking spot for an entire year, courtesy of the Iron Springs Chateau. You also can receive cool rewards for donating through Indy Give!
There are also Give! competitions between the non-profits that could earn Incline Friends extra funds. The Give! covers all processing fees so 100% of donations go directly to Incline Friends and the other non-profits.
You love the Manitou Incline so donate now and make your donation go farther.
Christmas Ornaments for Tree at Top
If you haven’t seen it, there’s a tree at the top of the Manitou Incline that people decorate for Christmas. It’s a nice tradition that has grown over the last few years.
This weekend (December 14 and 15), the Incline Friends will help you add to the decorations on the tree. The Incline Friends will be at the bottom in the mornings before noon. If you donate, they will give you an ornament that you can take to the top and put on the tree. You’ll be able to write your name and time on it.
Their email said that they’d be at the bottom of the Incline. A couple weeks ago they had their table over at the Barr Parking lot so if you don’t see them at the actual bottom, check in the Barr Parking lot.
Incline Work Day October 2013
Last Saturday, October 12, 2013, I got up early and headed up the Incline at 6 AM to get some Incline sunrise photos. I ran down the Incline to get back for the Incline Friends work day.
Volunteers filled erosion gullies on the lower part of the Incline. Gravel that has made the Incline narrow through the hill cut was removed and made that area the widest it’s been in several years. Some social trails were also blocked off and seeded. Please stay on the trails!
A big thanks to everyone you came out and to La’au’s Taco Shop for the yummy lunch!
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Incline Work Day
The Manitou Incline is constantly being eroding with it’s steep grade. This summer’s rains have been hard on the Incline. A planned workday in September got canceled since city resources to support the work day were needed elsewhere because of the flooding.
The Incline work day has been rescheduled for October 12th, 2013. Volunteers will meet at 7:30 AM in the Barr Trail parking lot with work commencing at 8 AM. Trail work will end around 1 PM.
The work day will be for trail clean up and some trail restoration. LA’AU’S taco shop will be providing lunch for volunteers.
Details are still being worked out but there may be a shuttle for volunteers from the Tajine Alami restaurant. Registered volunteers will be given details closer to the work day if there will be a shuttle.
To register, please call 385-6532 or e-mail Tilah Larson at tlarson@springsgov.com as they’d like an accurate head count prior to the work day. If you’re able to go last minute and haven’t registered, you can just show up at the Barr parking lot. Really try to register though since it’ll help them plan work and lunch.
Check the Incline Friends site for the latest updates.
Iron Springs Chateau Incline Fundraiser
The Incline Friends are having a fundraiser for the Incline at the Iron Springs Chateau on Friday, October 4. For $30 you get dinner (4 entree choices, including gluten free pasta), coffee, tea and water AND a voucher for one free day of parking at the Iron Springs Chateau parking area (any day, as availability of spaces allow). Dinner is at 6 PM and the show begins at 8 PM.
We’ve shed blood, sweat and tears on the Incline, a mixture that creates some solid friendships. Instead of the usual stitch in your side from the Incline, you’ll be in stitches over the improvisational humor of Stick Horses in Pants as they wing some zingers at the totally insane and rockin’ workout that we all know and love.
Make your reservations now (719-685-5104) for a night of laughs and frivolity along with all of your fellow Incliners at the Iron Springs Chateau. The Chateau is generously donating half of the evening’s proceeds to the Incline Friends.
Incline Champions Breakfast
The Incline Friends are having an Incline Champions Breakfast at 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 17th, at the Double Tree World Arena, 1775 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.
The Incline is a cherished landmark in our community. This will be an “ask” event, as funding is required to make improvements on the Incline while maintaining its unique and rugged character.
Climber and trail runner, Chaz Lalonde, will share stories of summiting Mount Everest in 2012. Several Olympic athletes will also attend. Enjoy a breakfast of champions and help preserve and enrich the Incline experience.
Tickets ($35) can be purchased on the InclineFriends.com home page. Everyone who attends will receive the Incline Friends Tech T-shirt at the event. See you there!
No Trespassing Sign Photo Op
The Incline Friends are giving you an opportunity this weekend to get your photo with the Manitou Incline No Trespassing sign. The sign was removed the end of January with the Incline becoming legal on February 1st.
This Saturday and Sunday, February 23rd and 24th, the Incline Friends will have the old Manitou Incline No Trespassing sign at the bottom of the Incline from 7 AM until 11 AM. For putting $5 into the donation tube, they’ll take your picture alongside the sign.
They’ll e-mail it to you or they can use your camera if you like. No limit to the number of people in the shot so bring your friends. This will be your last opportunity to get a photo with the sign and the Incline before it’s retired to the Pioneers Museum.
The snows the last couple weeks has finally made the Incline truly snowy and icy. If you plan on heading up the Incline after getting a photo, be very careful. Make sure you have traction devices such as Yaktrax, Kahtoola Microspikes or Stabilicers Lite.
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.”
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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