The Incline

34:20 from the first tie 6/25/10

i am against timing myself. my life is too full of goals already. but i did notice both rose hips and wild strawberries beside the trail. it was a beautiful climb after the storm yesterday.

Teri Pitman new PR 30:34 from first tie, new strategy run the first part, steady through the middle hammer after false summit, seemed to work!

Good job, Teri!

Most of you probably already know this, but for those who don't...
From Mountain Chalet on FB: "This week, there are 3 more community meetings about the future of the Manitou Incline. Tomorrow night, give your input about Traffic and Parking, 6-9pm, Manitou Springs City Hall."

Josh Wright PR 25:01 on 7/06 from the Cog Parking lot. 3 consecutive tries in total time of 2:33:11 on 7/29

GOOD WORK JOSH KEEP IT GOING??

37:45 last month from the begining of the railroad ties

Good Job, Carley! That is a solid climb from the very bottom!

First time up, 42 minutes

Great job Nora, 42 min. is great!

29 and some change...but from the cheater's start above the Barr Trail parking lot. ;) I was surprised at how little I had to "run" to get that time. Seemed the key was just don't stop at all and run when you can.

That's a good time, Dan. I've timed that short trail from the parking lot to the ties about 10 times. At a steady, but not fast walk, it's 3:00 to 3:05. I used to time myself from the "cheater's start"...my best was 29:24. So I figure I'm 32:24 from the parking lot.

26:48 from the first tie. 9/15/2010

That's a quick time, Brad. Nice work!

I'll be at the Manitou Incline meeting tonight. They've put together a good draft but there are a few things I don't agree with. My thoughts are here

Thanks for the info Rob! I can't be there due to class commitments, but I wish I could be. Another reason for requiring leashes, besides the unfriendly dog encounters you mention, would be that leashed owners can't claim to "not know" that their dog pooped on the trail. Maybe more of it will be cleaned up that way? I'm fine with dogs being allowed there, I just wish bad owners could be disallowed and only the good owners allowed!! :)

I do the incline 3 times a week and love it. I know I must have a good time cause Ive never been passed although Ive never officially timed it. I will this Sunday though =)

I came away from the Incline Management Plan meeting last night with the feeling that the plan failed to address the needs of the user group who uses the incline the most, i.e. those that do it multiple times per week/year round. This is the group that has popularized the experience and members of this group are the ones that have put effort and dollars into maintaining it.

The proposal that it should only be open dawn-to-dusk was a brain-dead idea and shows the complete lack of understanding of the user experience of that core user group. The failure to grasp the significance of limiting usage cast doubt about the rest of the plan. It was roundly condemned in the feedback session.

While I understand and completely agree with the need to provide parking for residents in the Ruxton corridor, the proposal to remove up to 100 parking spaces from public use, with only vague solutions, also showed a lack of understanding of the situation.

This is what I think. What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Dave

I will be there Sunday morning to go up!!

Dawn to dusk?? Why???????

No one really knew why the dawn to dusk limitation was thrown in. Possibly because other city parks have that restriction.

Will the dawn to dusk rule apply to the long-distance hikers parking at the Barr Trail parking lot too? They NEED to get an early start in the dark in order to make it to their destination safely before nightfall. They're carrying heavy packs which might include overnight or snow/ice gear, they aren't runners, they don't get there quickly, and they have between 13-26 miles to cover. Early starts are how hikers usually beat the thunderstorms. This could have a huge impact on Neal & Teresa at Barr Camp... an unfortunate byproduct of harsh sanctions/controls placed due to the Incline... if long-distance hikers are unable to get a safe early start. I'm guessing that rule will only be for the Incline parking & use by short-distance runners, not for the more expensive Barr Trail parking & long-distance hikers?

That's a really good question Debbie. A couple of things that I took away from the meeting. Dawn to dusk would not apply to Barr Trail, though the planners didn't say as much. It probably won't make the final draft. Everyone was opposed to it.

I have done many pre-dawn inclines in the winter to get to work on time and also many full moon night hikes. The moon lights up the incline with snow like its daytime. I've even slept under the stars at the top - beautiful to see the city lights at night and watch the sunrise in the morning. Definitely not for a dawn to dusk limitation. I promise to park at the bottom and tip-toe up Ruxton :-).

Finally got a time today. 19:41 from the first tie, 18 years old.

Dang Nick, nice job!!!!

Thanks. It was my first sub 20 min.

Good gosh, Nick, that's awesome!

Dan: Thank you sir.

Mike Everson, 46, 28:18 in August 2010 from first tie, wind at my back :)

Hey Mike, that's a hot time! And Nick, you're a superhero! All of us mortals are humbled :)

26 min up 19 down barr trail

Thanks whoever is responsible for the perfect conditions on the manitou incline .. Seems someones been up there sweeping and there's less dog poop too! No loose boulders whatsoever!!!

33:45 from first tie. First time I have timed myself and only 2nd time going up that beast.

Hey Kevin, screaming effort for only your second time up! Stick with it!

Well, hmmmmm, despite everyone's efforts, I see in the list above that I'm STILL in the lead. Reading from the bottom up, of course. Ha! Just curious... how many folks go all the way to the "true" top... the intersection of Incline & Barr Trail with the metal signs? (vs the badly eroded luge run shortcut) I recommend it, good view of Pike's summit, peaceful, slightly better workout all around, and you aren't eroding the hillside. Only adds about 100 ft more gain, 1/2 mile stroll/jog to the signs, 1/2 mile added on Barr Trail.

Hey Deb, I don't think many people are doing the incline with the pack and the boots like you. So I bet your record is safe.

As far as the true top goes. I always take that trail. I've only taken the social trail once. It was very steep and highly eroded. I actually like the true trail much better.

Have you ever taken the trail that goes up to the top of Rocky Mtn.? You can take that up and over and come out on Longs Ranch Rd. Then hook up with Barr from there.

Is that the trail that starts after the Incline road flattens and curves to the left? Or is it the lower trail just above the Incline building foundation, on the right next to the start of the incline road? I've been on the LRR side of it, when we picked up a hiker there in our Razor, but I haven't hiked it myself yet.

Hey Deb,
I've gone up to the top of Rocky Mountain several times (a couple of times with Brian). Once you hit the top of the Incline you take the road, like you're going to Barr Trail. In about 1/4 mile (something like that anyway) you'll see a singletrack trail veer off to the right. It's pretty obvious, but you do have to look for it. This is a great singletrack that switchbacks for about a half mile or so, then straightens out as you top out at a saddle. From there you can go left on another single track for about 1/4 mile to catch the top of Rocky Mountain, or go straight across the saddle, then descend a short way to an old service road. Keep chugging for for 1/2 a mile or so and catch LRR.

Thanks Brian and Tim! I'll have to check it out next time I go up there. Which, if I eat as much as I think I will tomorrow, it will happen very soon. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

My new best time on the incline is 24:36 12/4/10. From first tie.

Hey Brad, great job! That's about two minutes faster than your previous best, right?

Thanks Tim! Yes I have been improving over my last several attempts. Very happy to break sub 25.

Melanie Mitchell   12.11.10: 49 mins and 20 seconds!  Hope to get that down a few minutes in 2011!

 

Hi folks - newbie here...I'd like to mount the incline, but haven't ever tried.  Besides waiting until the weather is at least not snowy, any more advice for a first-timer?  I do know NOT to park in the Cog Railway lot - got chased out last summer...

BTW - I'm fairly fit - run 12-15 miles a week and compete in 5K and 10Ks semi-regularly, so fitness is not too much of an issue.

 

Thanks!

Jeremy

Hey Jeremy! You've done some pretty tough runs this fall, so you'll handle the Incline no problem. You can't really know what it's like until you do it. Take your time and enjoy it the first time. You'll instinctively know how to handle it from there on out.

Melanie! Way to go. Keep at it and your time will come way down!!

Thanks, guys.  I'll post my time when I (finally) get out there....