trail conditions
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.
First Snow of Fall 2019
The first snow of the season fell today, October 10th. The temperature dropped 58 degrees from yesterday’s high to the temperature this afternoon. The strong winds made it seem even colder.
The ties will be slippery for at least a while on Friday. The snow won’t last long though with the high expected to hit 50 on Friday and then back into the 60s and 70s for the next week. Of course this is Colorado and the forecast could change.
Manitou Incline Erosion from Summer Rains
Heavy rains in the Pikes Peak region the last few weeks have created rumors that the Manitou Incline is closed because of the rain. The rains haven’t closed the Incline but a plan to close the Incline for repairs was announced earlier this year. The current unofficial plan is for it to close on August 18th, 2014 for about 4 months. More details on the Incline closure and repairs is here.
Although the plan is for the Incline to be open until August 18th, it would be best not to wait until the final weekend to hike it. The Pikes Peak Ascent is on August 16th and the Pikes Peak marathon is on the 17th so Manitou and Barr Trail will be crowded that weekend.
I hiked the Incline on July 23, 2014. I’ve been focused on training for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race so haven’t been hiking the Incline much this summer. There has been considerable erosion since I last hiked it the beginning of the summer.
Most of the damage has been in the gullies along the sides of the Incline and not to the ties themselves. There were a few more ties missing and the gullies are cutting under the end of several of the ties. This was the first time I’ve seen the pipeline for the hydro plant exposed above the Barr bail trail.
We all love the rugged, jumbled character of the Incline and don’t want to see it changed. However, it won’t stay the same as it’s constantly eroding. Take a look at the old photos on the Incline closure page. It’s clear that repairs need to be made so we can continue challenging ourselves on the Incline for years to come.
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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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Cold, Snowy and Beautiful on the Incline
With the sub-zero temperatures the last few days, few people have been hiking the Incline. No weather though stops everyone. Guys like Roger Austin who made his 637th trip of the year up and Joe Monger who hit #500 for the year the day after Thanksgiving don’t let much stop them from being on the Incline.
The adverse winter conditions can create some of the most beautiful scenes of the year. Thanks to Reece Hein for permission to share the photo above. Thanks also to Roger Austin for the photos below including the tree at the top that is looking great with all the Christmas ornaments.
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, Stabilicers Lite or DIY screw shoes.
Thanksgiving 2013 Conditions
Thinking of burning of some calories on the Incline before stuffing yourself for Thanksgiving? You aren’t the only one and people have been asking about the current condition on the Incline.
I haven’t made it up the Incline in the last couple of days but have heard some reports of the trail conditions. Conditions sound typical for this time of year after it snows and we get a couple warm days.
The bottom of the Incline melts off and is mostly bare. The center and top have packed snow and ice. As often happens, it is slicker now that some of the snow has turned to ice. I heard of an experienced Incline user falling on the ice this morning even with screws in his shoes.
Conditions on Barr Trail are likely similar to what’s on the Incline. Some sections may be melted off but others will be packed snow or ice.
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.
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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Snowy Incline 2013
After a dry winter, the snows the last couple weeks have finally made the Incline snowy and icy. The rules for the Manitou Incline don’t address conditions on the Incline. They do however say the Incline is an extreme trail and you use it at your own risk.
The awesome photo above was taken this morning, February 22nd, 2013, by Incline regular Roger Austin. It shows just how snowy the Incline is now. It will only get icier and more slippery as the snow melts and refreezes. With the current forecast, it looks like parts of the Incline and Barr Trail will be icy for at least the next week and probably longer.
To be safe hiking in these conditions you’ll need traction devices such as Stabilicers Lite, Yaktrax or Kahtoola Microspikes. If you want something cheaper but more work, you can use Matt Carpenter’s instruction for creating screw shoes. Whatever you choose to give you traction, first try them out on a less extreme trail than the Incline.
You can see more of Roger’s photos from this morning on PikesPeakSports. You can also check out some snowy Incline photos from December 2011.
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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Incline Conditions Mid February 2012
The trail conditions on the Manitou Incline haven’t changed much in the last few weeks since there hasn’t been much new snow. There has been a bit more snow for a day or 2 after newsnow and then it melts.
There still is ice left from older snows just below the track split about half way and then above the false summit. There isn’t much ice on the lower section but above the false summit is quite icy in spots.
The photos on this page were taken in the afternoon on Sunday, February 12th. There wasn’t quite as much snow on the upper section on Thursday but it was still quite icy and required caution to keep from slipping without traction devices. Carrying Kahtoola MicroSpikes, YakTrax, or Stabilicers Lite would still be a good idea if you aren’t comfortable on ice.
The social short cut down to Barr Trail is mostly clear. Barr trail has a few short, icy sections but it is also mostly clear.
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