Manitou Incline
Incline Friends General Membership Meeting
The Incline Friends is having their annual General Membership Meeting on Wednesday February 17th, 2016. Incline Friends is the official friends group for the Manitou Incline. Colorado Springs Park and Rec uses friends groups to help manage many of the large parks and open spaces throughout the city.
You don’t need to be an Incline Friends member in order to attend. This is a great opportunity to meet with the Incline Friends Board of Directors, voice your thoughts, concerns and opinions. You can learn how you can help out with the Incline.
The meeting is from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services offices at 1421 Recreation Way.
United In Orange
With the Broncos headed to Super Bowl 50, Sam Chambers came up with a plan to turn the Manitou Incline orange to cheer the team on. He encouraged people to hike the Incline on Wednesday evening, February 3rd with orange lights. About 50 people accepted the challenge in spite of over a foot of new snow the beginning of the week.
It was quite impressive seeing the orange along with a few blue lights moving up the mountain. The inspiration for the lights on the Incline was a photo with red, white and blue lights that Sam helped Dan O’Sullivan Photography create after the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks.
A time lapse video of the event is posted on Facebook. Click here to see it.
Note that the official rules for the Incline prohibit hiking the Incline from dusk until dawn.
2016 Manitou Incline Calendars
2016 Manitou Incline calendars are now available for ordering. $3 from each calendar will be donated to the Incline Friends.
To order now, go to the 2016 Manitou Incline calendar order page.
Incline Work Day October 25, 2015
The City of Colorado Springs and the Incline Friends are organizing an Incline work day for October 25th, 2015. Work during the volunteer project will include closing existing social trails and fixing portions of the Incline/Barr connector trail.
Participants must be 16 years or older, anyone under 18 must have a guardian accompany them during the workday. Check-in/late registration the morning of will begin at 8:00 AM in the Barr Parking Lot. The project will begin at 8:00 AM and end at 3:30 PM. Please come prepared to work the entire day and hike 3 miles up Barr Trail to the project work site. Tools will be provided; however, bring your own gloves, water, hat, sunscreen and lunch.
Register online for the Incline work day to help them with planning.
Can’t make the work day? You can always help by picking up trash as you hike the Incline. Also always stay on the trail. It’s sad how much destruction is being caused by people cutting the switchbacks on the Incline/Barr connector trail.
Incline Closures August 15th and 16th Weekend
The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon are this weekend, August 15th and 16th (2015). The Ascent is on Saturday and the Marathon is on Sunday. About 1800 runners will head up Barr Trail Saturday morning and Sunday around 800 runners will go up Barr Trail to the summit and back down.
This year the city of Colorado Springs has decided that Incline users and that many runners on Barr Trail would be a bad mix. The Manitou Incline will be closed Saturday morning until 11 AM and it’ll be closed until 2 PM on Sunday.
Runners will still be coming down Barr Trail after 2 PM on Sunday but should be fairly spread out. While you’re returning on Barr Trail, please pay attention to runners coming up behind you and let them pass you. That’s actually what you should do on any day.
The Colorado Springs City Parks Department highly recommends Incline users to refrain from using the Incline during this weekend due to congestion and road closures. The Incline will resume normal hours of operation (dawn to dusk) on Monday, August 17. See complete Manitou Incline rules here.
“100: Head/Heart/Feet ” Movie Fundraiser for Incline Friends
100: Head/Heart/Feet – Trailer from Hammer & Saw Films on Vimeo.
The Incline Friends are showing the “100: Head/Heart/Feet” movie as a fundraiser that will help with additional repairs on the Manitou Incline. The showing is Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015 at Stargazers Theatre & Event Center. Doors open at 6 PM and the movie starts at 7 PM.
Tickets can be purchased online for $10 or if seats are still available tickets will be $13 at the door.
About 100: Head/Heart/Feet Movie
If you thought 26.2 miles was tough, lace up your running shoes for a journey into the world of ultrarunning.
From Hammer and Saw Films, “100: Head/Heart/Feet” follows Ultrarunner Zak Wieluns as he attempts to run The Vermont 100 Endurance Race. The film focuses on Zak’s intensive training regiment and its impact on his relationships while exploring the reasons he was singularly dedicated to completing the Vermont 100 Endurance Race, one of the original 100 mile runs in the USA.
Filmed on the race’s 25th anniversary, “100: Head/Heart/Feet” records the stories of handlers, pacers and crew members while exploring the friendships that motivate their preparation for this grueling race over Vermont’s paved streets, gravel back roads and wooded trails…in daylight and darkness… all within a 30 hour time limit. A well-trained few complete the race; many will never cross the finish line.
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.
Manitou Incline Before and After Repairs
I was at the bottom of the Manitou Incline for the reopening on Friday. There were hundreds of people lined up to take their first trip up the Incline after the repairs. Only about 20% of the Incline that was in the worst condition was worked on so more work will be needed in the future.
I’ll share more photos and my thoughts on the changes in another post. For now here’s a before and after photo. Those that had the 2014 Manitou Incline calendar will probably recognize the before photo as the June photo. 2015 Manitou Incline calendars are now available for order here.
Manitou Incline Repair
Timberline Landscaping has been working since August 18th to make the Manitou Incline safer and more sustainable. Tomorrow, Friday December 5th, the Incline will reopen to the public after a ceremony at the base of the Incline at 10 AM.
According to an Out There Colorado article, the helicopter made 90 trips with materials. 900 tons of gravel and 1,800 ties were used. The ties were used for steps, retaining walls and timber chases to divert water
KOAA has a nice preview of the work that was done. The workers were carrying packs with up to 100 pounds. Worker Antonio Benitez said, “At the end of the day you’re legs are just crumbling. You’re ready to get to couch and get a nap right away.” The Out There Colorado article says Benitez lost 25 pounds while working on the Incline.
Some businesses are offering specials for the Incline reopening. SALUS Natural Body Care (906 Manitou Avenue) is offering a free bath bomb Friday and Saturday to those that go in and show a photo of them on the Incline. Through December 31st, Amanda’s Fonda (3625 W. Colorado location) is offering an All Day Happy Hour for anyone that shows either a picture from the top of the incline or a parking stub.
Below is an interview at the top of the Incline on Thursday morning with Incline Friends president Sandi Yukman.
