I Climbed the Manitou Incline - Ask Me Anything!

[Chisquirrel]

Don’t actually ask me anything, but I do feel a little proud of this one. I just moved to town a few weeks ago, and all of the hiking around Colorado Springs has been taunting me. I stopped working out about five years ago, and it shows - I’m just on the edge of overweight, and I don’t like it, but I’ve always found excuses not to get back in shape. Maybe not back to 16 minute 5K’s, but at least something better than “ROUND”. After a couple weeks wandering around through Red Rock, Palmer Park, Garden of the Gods, and others, I had the brilliant idea to do exactly what I’ve been told to wait on - the Manitou Incline.

It’s a trail, less than a mile long, but trail doesn’t seem appropriate - it’s more like a Stairway to Hell. 2768 steps, and 2000 feet of elevation gain. I’ve always prided myself on my cardio (even if 25 minutes seems way too long for my 5K times anymore), but this was insanity. Sheer torture. Whoever first decided to climb this and tell others about it should be tried under the Geneva Conventions. It doesn’t help that the first few hundred stairs are fairly calm and shallow. You just get your confidence up and BOOM! - a set of twelve inch steps to really kick your quads into gear. I was only about a third of the way up, fairly certain I was about to die on the mountain, before a friendly fellow psycho gave me some advice. And it helped, oh so much. I slowed down, but I wasn’t stopping every hundred stairs and wondering where I went wrong in my life.

Eventually, I made some friends - a weightlifter that hated every step he took, and his scrawny friend who somehow managed to always stay just out of reach. When they stopped at the bailout (a connection to a trail about 2/3 up, where climbers can realize pride doesn’t matter more than knees), and I kept going, I realized my mistake. That’s where the hike gets HARD. From a 41° climb to 68°. For roughly 300 steps. Easily the worst decision I’ve ever made sober. But eventually the endorphins kicked in, and the knee stopped twanging on every step, and the summit was RIGHT THERE.

Lies. Lies and deceit. Just a false summit, and 600 steps left to go. Just when hope was finally rearing it’s precious little head, the jackboot of reality crushes it against the hard, dusty ground. If I wasn’t too stubborn or stupid to realize how bad that felt, I might have sat down and cried. But we don’t cry, we finish strong. And finish I did. I finally reached the top, looked around, and couldn’t find the slide back down. There should be a slide back down, to make the entire ordeal worth it. But there’s no slide, just a trail back DOWN the mountain. That’s the real LEGO in the dark. “You made it all the way up here? Sweet, here’s another four mile hike to really help you out.” Real bastards, the lot of them.

So down I trudge, slowly but surely, taking the time to enjoy the views. And the views were enjoyable. From the Garden in the north, past Red Rock, to all of the Springs laid out before you, the mental images are priceless. But still not worth it. Not at all.

I have another climb planned Thursday. Mama sure didn’t raise no quitter, but she sure didn’t raise a smart one, either.

[kambuckta]

I am in awe. Go you!!

Oh, and a fun read from the comfort of my lounge.

[GaryM]

It’s been many years, maybe 45, since I’ve been out that way.

I’m quite impressed with your accomplishment. I assume you need to walk back down as well? Or are there Ubers stationed at the top? Perhaps a zip line?

There used to be an incline railway there in the past and I guess this is the old roadbed.

[octopus]

@Chisquirrel

Don’t actually ask me anything, but I do feel a little proud of this one. I just moved to town a few weeks ago, and all of the hiking around Colorado Springs has been taunting me. I stopped working out about five years ago, and it shows - I’m just on the edge of overweight, and I don’t like it, but I’ve always found excuses not to get back in shape. Maybe not back to 16 minute 5K’s, but at least something better than “ROUND”. After a couple weeks wandering around through Red Rock, Palmer Park, Garden of the Gods, and others, I had the brilliant idea to do exactly what I’ve been told to wait on - the Manitou Incline.

It’s a trail, less than a mile long, but trail doesn’t seem appropriate - it’s more like a Stairway to Hell. 2768 steps, and 2000 feet of elevation gain. I’ve always prided myself on my cardio (even if 25 minutes seems way too long for my 5K times anymore), but this was insanity. Sheer torture. Whoever first decided to climb this and tell others about it should be tried under the Geneva Conventions. It doesn’t help that the first few hundred stairs are fairly calm and shallow. You just get your confidence up and BOOM! - a set of twelve inch steps to really kick your quads into gear. I was only about a third of the way up, fairly certain I was about to die on the mountain, before a friendly fellow psycho gave me some advice. And it helped, oh so much. I slowed down, but I wasn’t stopping every hundred stairs and wondering where I went wrong in my life.

Eventually, I made some friends - a weightlifter that hated every step he took, and his scrawny friend who somehow managed to always stay just out of reach. When they stopped at the bailout (a connection to a trail about 2/3 up, where climbers can realize pride doesn’t matter more than knees), and I kept going, I realized my mistake. That’s where the hike gets HARD. From a 41° climb to 68°. For roughly 300 steps. Easily the worst decision I’ve ever made sober. But eventually the endorphins kicked in, and the knee stopped twanging on every step, and the summit was RIGHT THERE.

Lies. Lies and deceit. Just a false summit, and 600 steps left to go. Just when hope was finally rearing it’s precious little head, the jackboot of reality crushes it against the hard, dusty ground. If I wasn’t too stubborn or stupid to realize how bad that felt, I might have sat down and cried. But we don’t cry, we finish strong. And finish I did. I finally reached the top, looked around, and couldn’t find the slide back down. There should be a slide back down, to make the entire ordeal worth it. But there’s no slide, just a trail back DOWN the mountain. That’s the real LEGO in the dark. “You made it all the way up here? Sweet, here’s another four mile hike to really help you out.” Real bastards, the lot of them.

So down I trudge, slowly but surely, taking the time to enjoy the views. And the views were enjoyable. From the Garden in the north, past Red Rock, to all of the Springs laid out before you, the mental images are priceless. But still not worth it. Not at all.

I have another climb planned Thursday. Mama sure didn’t raise no quitter, but she sure didn’t raise a smart one, either.

You could train for an Inclinathon. Which sounds sort of rough.

[Robot_Arm]

Rock on, Chisquirrel!

I know the feeling. I can be a bit lazy until I get the bit between my teeth and tackle something rather over-ambitious. I hiked across the Grand Canyon about ten years ago. As the signs say, down is optional, up is mandatory. Could barely walk for two weeks.

And as luck would have it, I’m in Acadia this week. I don’t think there’s anything quite as punishing as the Manitou Incline, but we’ll see how it goes.

[Spiderman]

Sounds fun! How long did it take you? 16min 5k’s will win the race usually. Even 25 mins can sometimes net you an AG win/place so that’s still not too shabby.

@octopus

You could train for an Inclinathon. Which sounds sort of rough.

Outdoor there are RedBull 400’s where you run up an olympic ski jump hill. Indoor there are stair climbs, running up skyscrapers.

[The_Stainless_Steel_Rat]

@GaryM

I’m quite impressed with your accomplishment. I assume you need to walk back down as well? Or are there Ubers stationed at the top? Perhaps a zip line?

There used to be an incline railway there in the past and I guess this is the old roadbed.

You know, somebody could get rich making a zip line from the top to the bottom.

And GaryM, I was out there this summer, the Manitou incline starts near the incline railway, which is still in existence (but is not running while undergoing extensive maintenance through 2020).

Chisquirrel, once you’ve gotten back into shape, you can alway try to bicycle up Pike’s Peak (those folks are really crazy)

[Ludovic]

Oh man, nice job. Twice I’ve tried to climb Grandeur Peak in Salt Lake City, 3200 feet in 2.2 miles with no stairs. Last time, this summer, I turned around a couple hundred feet from the summit when I reached the top of a ridge and, facing east, the morning sun shone right into my eyes and it promised to do so for the next 10 minutes. The only time hiking or running I’ve ever wished I had a brimmed hat on me.

[DCnDC]

Nobody ever finds the escalator.

[Hermitian]

@Chisquirrel

I was only about a third of the way up, fairly certain I was about to die on the mountain, before a friendly fellow psycho gave me some advice. And it helped, oh so much.

So you learned that one weird trick (that doctors hate), but declined to tell us what it was?

[RTFirefly]

See, this is why I like cycling. If you pedal your way up a steep rail-trail (e.g. my old favorite, the Virginia Creeper from Damascus, Va. to Whitetop), you can turn your bike around at the top, and coast right down that motherfucker.

[kayaker]

Whoa, 2,000 feet elevation change is intense. Most years when we are in St Martin we climb Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island, which is 1,391 ft and just almost enough to kill me. My gf, who is in excellent shape, actually perspires a bit (meanwhile my shirt is soaked through). In fact, there are some memorials along the way to people who died.

OP: any memorials along the trail?

[SmellMyWort]

Congrats Chisquirrel! I did the Manitou Incline this summer and agree; there should really be a slide. The hike down is not much of a reward for such a tough climb.

The Stainless Steel Rat: The Manitou Incline is what remains of a narrow gauge funicular that washed out in 1990. Pikes Peak Cog Railway is a different line.

[Dinsdale]

Congrats! And as others have asked - how long did/does this take?

We did the Grand Canyon last year. It was no where near as intense as what you describe, tho it was a much longer distance. Somewhat similar to your “false summit”, going down you see a suspension bridge across the river. But the camp is a good mile after that. And when we were there, it was 120F-ish. There was actually a water station between the bridge and the camp, but I felt strong and cocky. Fucking staggered that last half mile or so!

My kid lives in Denver. I think he and his wife are hiking one of the 14ers this weekend. I’ll ask if he has ever heard of this.

[Spiderman]

@RTFirefly

See, this is why I like cycling. If you pedal your way up a steep rail-trail (e.g. my old favorite, the Virginia Creeper from Damascus, Va. to Whitetop), you can turn your bike around at the top, and coast right down that motherfucker.

Mt. Washington (NH) has a triple climb/race in the winter. First the XC skiers go, then 5 minutes later the snowshoers go, then 5 mins after than the fat bikes go. You need to get down on your own. The fat bikes just roll down, the skiers shuss down while we have to work to get down. :mad:

@kayaker

Whoa, 2,000 feet elevation change is intense. Most years when we are in St Martin we climb Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island, which is 1,391 ft and just almost enough to kill me. My gf, who is in excellent shape, actually perspires a bit (meanwhile my shirt is soaked through).

The [del]Willis[/del] Sears Tower is 1353’ to the SkyDeck; there is a stair race up it every year (first Sun in Nov).

[bump]

You could have capped it off by getting to the bottom and having a big swig of some of that nasty Manitou Springs mineral water. Bonus if you got the fizzy kind.

[kayaker]

@Spiderman

The [del]Willis[/del] Sears Tower is 1353’ to the SkyDeck; there is a stair race up it every year (first Sun in Nov).

Add 85 degree temps and 80% humidity and we’re talking!

[The_Stainless_Steel_Rat]

@SmellMyWort

The Stainless Steel Rat: The Manitou Incline is what remains of a narrow gauge funicular that washed out in 1990. Pikes Peak Cog Railway is a different line.

Ah, ignorance fought. Much thanks.

[Chisquirrel]

@GaryM

It’s been many years, maybe 45, since I’ve been out that way.

I’m quite impressed with your accomplishment. I assume you need to walk back down as well? Or are there Ubers stationed at the top? Perhaps a zip line?

There used to be an incline railway there in the past and I guess this is the old roadbed.

Just the four mile Barr Trail. Make sure you go the right way, though - the other way goes up Pikes Peak. The trail down has some great vistas, and a dead tree leaning between two boulders that just begs to be climbed out on.

@octopus

You could train for an Inclinathon. Which sounds sort of rough.

Yeah, I was reading about that, along with the Incline 500 Club (500 trips up the Incline in 365 days). I’ll stick to one ascent every couple weeks, thank you very much.

@Spiderman

Sounds fun! How long did it take you? 16min 5k’s will win the race usually. Even 25 mins can sometimes net you an AG win/place so that’s still not too shabby.

Total time up and back was a bit over three hours. The last 1/3 of the trail down was accomplished at a fairly brisk jog, to avoid being stuck in the wilderness in full dark. The timing was not optimal.

@The_Stainless_Steel_Rat

You know, somebody could get rich making a zip line from the top to the bottom.

Chisquirrel, once you’ve gotten back into shape, you can alway try to bicycle up Pike’s Peak (those folks are really crazy)

That would be both good and bad - easy descents, but I’d definitely try to climb it multiple times. As for biking up Pike’s Peak? I’m stupid, not insane.

@Hermitian

So you learned that one weird trick (that doctors hate), but declined to tell us what it was?

Oops, that got edited out. Fairly simple - lock your knee momentarily after every step. After thinking, it made sense. Locking the knee puts all of your weight on the bones of the leg, with very little being held by the muscles. It gives the legs a slight break, and slows you down, which helps out the cardio system.

@kayaker

Whoa, 2,000 feet elevation change is intense. Most years when we are in St Martin we climb Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island, which is 1,391 ft and just almost enough to kill me. My gf, who is in excellent shape, actually perspires a bit (meanwhile my shirt is soaked through). In fact, there are some memorials along the way to people who died.

OP: any memorials along the trail?

No memorials, but plenty of friendly climbers.

[Philliam]

If you’re ever in the vicinity around 4th of July, you might want to try this one.
Did it (on a dare) back in '79 and it was quite the experience. 73 minutes of exquisite torture. :smack:

http://mmr.seward.com