The Manitou Incline, Manitou Springs, Colorado - March 23, 2002
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Here's the best picture I have of the Manitou Incline, a shot of Pikes Peak while standing in Garden of the Gods. See the line going up the mountain? That's the old Manitou Incline Railway line that has been out of service for maybe 10 years, but the tracks are still there. Great for climbing and getting into shape! :) |
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At the very beginning. The Incline travels up the eastern face of Mount Manitou. If you do go up, the key issue is NOT
to park your car in the Cog Railway parking lot. You're best off parking your
car in the Barr Trail parking lot or better yet, park
down on Manitou Avenue or
Ruxton Avenue and walk up. This sign is known as a way
to remove liability if people continue to hike uphill. |
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That's Lisa who went with me ... special thanks goes to her for putting up with my whinning on the way up! :) |
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You can see this vertical line on the mountain from many areas east. I distinctly remember seeing it as far east as Platte & Academy in Colorado Springs. (Mind you, this is nowhere near as bad as The Scar and other environmental eye sores in Colorado Springs!) |
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Great shot of Lisa as we rested on the tracks. By the way, it's was Lisa's burrito that I did that article on awhile back. Remember? |
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That's my water bottle ... undoubtedly MY BEST FRIEND while on the Incline! Believe me, doing the Incline is no walk in the park! |
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Me and my water bottle ... a beautiful thing! |
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Good grief! I think we were maybe two-thirds of the way up by then. |
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There's a whole bunch of really steep parts, but this last stretch was a killer! |
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At the top, Lisa and I were quite happy. |
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The Incline connects with the Barr Trail which leads up to Pikes Peak.
The picture may not show it, but I was impressed with how large and yet close the peak appeared
from our location. |
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Looking to the south and southwest offered grand views! |
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In fact, Lisa went off of her own and relaxed on that rock! |
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Looking to the northeast are the Rampart Range Mountains. Williams Canyon is inside that thick line of rocks. |
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The mountains are spectacular! |
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Okay! One last shot of the Incline from the very top, looking down. :) |
