Manitou Springs
Incline to Remain Closed
Manitou Springs city council voted on March 17th, 2020 to close the Manitou Incline due to health concerns with covid-19. It has remained closed since then.
With the state going from Stay at Home orders to Safer at Home on April 27th, many Incline users were hoping to be able to climb again. During a Manitou Springs council work session on the evening of April 28th, Deputy City Manager, Roy Chaney, presented 2 options for re-opening the Incline.
The options Chaney presented were to open the Incline with a phased approach or keep the Incline close until an active management plan is in place. The phased approach would be based on the state’s Stay at Home Order, Safer at Home and Protect Our Neighbors guidelines.
The suggestions for the Safer at Home phase included 6 foot markings at the base to demonstrate the required 6 feet of social distance, having social distancing ambassadors and allowing uphill traffic only. They also included the idea of asking people to only use the Incline on certain days or hours based on last name.
After the presentation there was also a discussion of having the port-a-potty company also provide hand washing stations due to concerns about people not being able to wash their hands. These would be placed both at the free shuttle drop off and at the Incline base.
The council decided with little discussion that their were many issues to be considered. They will spend the next month working with the city administration to work through questions. The will discuss the Incline again at the May 26th city council meeting.
You can email the Manitou Springs city council your thoughts. Please keep your comments respectful and constructive. Let them know what the Incline means to you and how you support Manitou Springs businesses. You can find e-mail addresses for Manitou Springs officials here.
Emma Crawford Coffin Races 2019
The Emma Crawford coffin races are Saturday October 26th, 2019 in Manitou Springs. Manitou Avenue will be closed from 9 AM to 4 PM and the Incline shuttle won’t run while Manitou Avenue is closed. The Iron Springs Chateau parking lot will only be open from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM.
In addition to all the congestion from the coffin races, you can expect the top part of the Incline to be icy from the snow Wednesday night. Using traction devices such as Kahtoola Microspikes is highly recommended if you do hike.
Free Manitou Incline Shuttle Starts for 2015
Today, May 17th, the free Manitou Incline shuttle starts running again for the summer. It will run through September 12, 2015.
The Incline bus (Route 33) will operate from 6 AM – 8:15 PM every day on 20 minute intervals. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays there will be a 2nd bus from 10 AM until 8:15 PM. The 2nd bus will be timed so there will be about 10 minutes between buses. There’s also another bus route that will service downtown Manitou. See the map of the routes here.
The Incline bus runs from the free parking lot behind the Tajine Alami Restaurant at 10 Old Mans Trail in Manitou. Park around the side and back of the restaurant and not out in front. The shuttle stop is across the street from the restaurant.
There is a 2nd bus route that services the shops along Manitou Avenue. That bus doesn’t go up to the Incline. If you’re going to the Incline you have to get on the bus across from the Tajine Alami Restaurant.
Manitou Incline Photos
I’ve had some requests for some of the photos I’ve shared on the Manitou Incline Hike Facebook page recently. Manitou Incline photos are now available for purchase on my UltraRob photo site.
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Red Mountain Incline Exhibit
The Manitou Incline isn’t the only incline that was built in Manitou Springs. An incline railway on Red Mountain operated intermittently from 1912 to 1922 and is associated with the famed story of Emma Crawford. There was a bar and dance floor at the top.
Manitou Springs Heritage Center volunteer David Walker has assembled information, photos and artifacts from the Heritage Center’s archives and other collections. “It was a challenge tracking down information on the Red Mountain Incline. Compared to the more famous Manitou Incline, it was almost like this second funicular railway didn’t want to be found.” stated Walker. “A last minute find of images in the Old Colorado City History Center and Tom Daniels collections was like striking gold!”
As part of Manitou’s Third Friday ArtWalk, tonight the Manitou Springs Heritage Center is opening its newest exhibit titled “Red Mountain – Manitou’s Other Incline”. The exhibit opening will be from 5-8 PM, Friday, August 15th. The Manitou Springs Heritage Center is located at 517 Manitou Avenue.
The same evening anyone looking for something to do after the Third Friday ArtWalk can find out “What Goes Bump in the Night” during a Paranormal Investigation hosted by the Heritage Center. Participants will go ghost hunting with the experienced, Manitou-based Haunted Dimensions team of investigators using their equipment. Tickets are $10 and participants meet at the Center at 10 pm. No reservations are necessary.
For more information and contact info, check out the Manitou Springs Heritage Center website.
Free Manitou Shuttle Resumes Incline Service
Tomorrow, May 18th, the free Manitou Incline shuttle starts running again for the summer. It will run through September 13, 2014.
The Incline bus (Route 33) will operate from 6 AM until 8 PM every day on 20 minute intervals. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays there will be a 2nd bus from 10 AM until 8 PM. The 2nd bus will be timed so there will be about 10 minutes between buses. There’s also another bus route that will service downtown Manitou. See the map of the routes here.
The Incline bus runs from the free parking lot behind the Tajine Alami Restaurant at 10 Old Mans Trail in Manitou. Park around the side and park of the restaurant and not out in front. The shuttle stop is across the street from the restaurant.
Incline Friends Membership Party 2014
The Incline Friends are having their 2014 membership drive on Wednesday April 30th from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at the Manitou Brewing Company. Go support the Manitou Incline and learn what the Incline Friends have planned for this year.
Incline Friends membership supports the maintenance of the Incline. Annual memberships are $35 and include a pair of Incline Friends shorts. They are nice and light-weight shorts, perfect for trimming time off your Incline ascent. In addition you’ll receive a merchants card good at many locations around Manitou. The merchants are offering great discounts for patronizing their establishments.
Manitou Brewing Company is at 725 Manitou Avenue. It’s up an alley, just off Manitou Avenue, on your left as you’re entering the Manitou business district.
Winter Morning on the Incline
I hiked up the Incline yesterday morning, December 22, 2013, early to catch sunrise from the top. About an inch of snow had fallen overnight and there were still clouds off to the east. It was a beautiful morning to be on the Incline! Below are photos from the hike.
I could tell there was ice under the fresh snow in the shaded area a little above the old no trespassing sign and also above the false summit. I had heard it was mostly melted off on Saturday but I always recommend taking traction devices this time of year. If you don’t have any, check out Yaktrax, Kahtoola Microspikes or DIY screw shoes.
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Emma Crawford Races October 26, 2013
The Emma Crawford Coffin races are tomorrow October 26, 2013. The races are noon until 3 PM. I don’t know when Manitou Avenue will be closed but I’d expect by mid morning it’ll be tough to find parking in Manitou.
If you plan on hiking the Incline tomorrow, go early or late or plan on some craziness. Of course if you’re spectating or participating in the coffin races, you’ll already be in Manitou so you should make a trip up the Incline.
Incline Hike February 24, 2013
I hiked up the Incline late Sunday afternoon. There was a small amount of fresh snow from in the morning but it was no longer snowing.
On the lower part, I could see ice under the snow from where the sun had melted the snow on Saturday. The upper part was just snow packed. Even though there wasn’t much new snow, there was still the most snow I’ve seen on the Incline this winter as there is still snow from the last couple storms.
The social trail to Barr Trail and Barr Trail were pretty much like the Incline. Where the sun hit it on Saturday, there was ice under the fresh snow and where it had been shaded it was just snow packed.
It’s definitely not safe to be doing the Incline in these conditions without traction devices. If you don’t have any, check out Yaktrax, Kahtoola Microspikes or Stabilicers Lite.
Below are photos from the hike.
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