The Incline Trail

There is a vertical scar on a hill behind Manitou Springs. The trees part in a skinny stripe littered with aged railroad ties that climb steeply to the top of this small mountain. A railroad line was constructed on this slope in 1907 to aid in construction of a hydroelectric plant, and later used to take visitors to an overlook of the town. Today, these are the proving grounds. If your competitive fire burns white hot, the Incline beckons. It will torment and punish you, then stoke that fire to come back for more. This path provides a grueling test of fitness, and unofficial record times to the top are well known and held in high regard. Just for fun, keep the number thirty in the back of your mind. Make the top under that many minutes and you can boldly brag to your buddies. Remember the feisty axiom of the Incline Club: “Go out hard. When it hurts, speed up.”