Michael Berry hugs a tree for energy after making it up the Manitou Incline Monday morning before the popular trek closed at 6 a.m. for repairs. It will reopen in December. Carol Lawrence/The Gazette. (CAROL LAWRENCE)
By: Ernestas Tyminas, The GazetteThe Manitou Incline is the region’s steepest and most popular trail, 2,700 steps and 2,000 feet elevation gain in a mile.It is always easier to find excuses why not to do the incline, but this time you should really do it. The incline is open from dawn to dusk daily, and we are here to help you get to the top and back alive. Free lemonade, doughnuts, and a zip-line are waiting for you at the top!For more Gazette lists, check out our lists page
HYDRATE Water, water, and more water. It is very important to not only drink water while you hike, but also being well-hydrated the day before you attempt the Manitou Incline. (The Gazette)Incline enthusiasts race up the trail after the ribbon cutting and re-opening on Friday, December 2, 2016. The Manitou Incline re-opened to the public after being closed for repairs for roughly three months. Improved safety, enhanced user experience, long-term sustainability and increased accessibility were the four major goals of the Incline project. Work included repair and replacement of damaged retaining walls, cleanup of rebar, construction of drainage structures, stabilization of existing ties and surrounding slopes. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette (The Gazette)Tip 6 – Strength Beef up your quads and calves by doing 20-second intervals up the Incline, taking two stairs in each stride. Repeat five to 10 times. You can add this short workout to the end of any Incline visit. If your back hurts on the Incline, it likely means weak abdominal muscles. Regular sit-ups and crunches should ease the pain. (The Gazette)A hikers climb the Manitou Springs Incline Tuesday, May 24, 2016. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock) (The Gazette)YOU MADE IT First off, we want to inform you that the free lemonade, doughnuts and a zip-line were fake news. But what is really important here is that you made it to the top! Perhaps the city should invest in that free lemonade and zip-line, though? (The Gazette)Brian Wilfong makes his way down the Manitou Incline, as John Stumbo makes his way up. (Carol Lawrence/The Gazette) (The Gazette)Images from the 12.6-mile Barr Trail Mountain Race held annually on Sunday, July 19, 2015 in Manitou Springs. The competitive running event begins in Manitou Springs and ascends to Pikes Peak’s Barr Camp before descending back down into town. Photo Logan Riely, The Gazette (The Gazette)Ella Nagaraj, 10, right, hands Local ultrarunner Brandon Stapanowich a popsicle after he may have broken the record for most elevation climbed in a day after he ran the Incline 22 times in 24 hours starting at noon on Friday, July 4 and finishing Saturday, July 5, 2014. Michael Ciaglo, The Gazette (The Gazette)RELAX Take some time to relax, do some yoga, meditate, or encourage others as they make it to the top. (A Gazette reader)
