If you’ve been up the Manitou Incline this week, you’ve seen something new at the summit. A GORUCK Challenge hauled a lovely bench up the Incline last Saturday.

The bench weighs over a 1000 pounds. It was carried up in pieces but the heaviest piece still was around 500 pounds. The bench is a memorial to David and Whitney Dunlap who were murdered during a burglary in January.

Now Colorado Springs and the Forest Service have decided it needs to be removed. GORUCK thought they had permission for the bench but didn’t get the required permit from the Forest Service.

Since it was announced that the bench must be removed, Congressman Lamborn and Senator Bennet have offered to help find a solution. As of Friday evening, 1,353 people have signed an online petition supporting the bench.

Eric Gove photographed the GORUCK Challenge and wrote more details about getting the bench to the top of the Incline. The story and photos are definitively worth checking out.