The Manitou Incline
Written by Michael on November 16th, 2007
In March of 1906, the city of Colorado Springs completed construction of a one mile cog railway to whisk tourists up to the top of Rocky Mountain (many people mistake Rocky for Mount Manitou which is the next peak to the northwest of Rocky) and it continued to operate until September of 1990. After the last car descended from 8,600 feet, the owner of the land, Pike’s Peak Cog Railway, elected to keep the land and allow the scar to heal. That didn’t happen.
The trail can easily be seen when traveling westbound on route 24 and it is unbelievable to think that people or even a machine could scale such a grade. In numbers, it doesn’t sound so bad; the climb starts at a little over 6,500 feet elevation and ends at 8,644. According to the US Geological Survey, the average gradient is 41% with the maximum being 68% and is 1.02 miles long.
Despite the land being privately owned with warning signs 
all over the place, people climb it everyday and today was my turn. Since I spotted it the very first day I arrived here, the thing has been taunting me every time I pass it, begging me to climb. No more procrastination.
Midway through an incredibly lame conference call, I decided on a whim that the time was now. I left the phone on the hook so they couldn’t hear me drop and busted out to the car where I changed out of my jeans into my running shorts. 30 minutes later (it took me 20 just to find a damn parking spot), I was ready to go. Whatever you do, DO NOT park in the lots owned by the Cog Railway, these people take parking very seriously and have several guards with binoculars watching the precious few spaces. Park at the Barr trail or drive back down to Downtown Manitou Springs and park on the street. It’s not that bad of a walk.
Once in the lot, you’ll see the famous Barr Trail sign 
but you don’t want the Barr Trail (which will take you all the way to the top of Pike’s Peak), you want pain and suffering. Go to to your right and the back of the lot and you should spot a faint trail. Take the obvious path until you come to the railroad ties. This is it. Before you start, look up, take a deep breath and notice that you’re breathing is fairly relaxed. Say goodbye to that.
Immediately upon hitting the ties, it kicks up quickly, but not too bad. Unless you’re a freak, resist the urge to jog this part, I wish I had. It doesn’t really look that bad from here. About 5 minutes of climbing later, you’ll come across the last warning sign (see above) and though it looks like it’s all fun and games, you are trespassing on private property and breaking the law of you continue. Whatever…
From here on out, it’s just one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. I had my Garmin 305 GPS/HRM with me and almost immediately, my heart rate was in the mid 170’s. My goal was to make it to the top in under 30 minutes.
Every now and then, the path levels out to 40-50% grade and you can stop, turn around and enjoy the scenery. 
Here is a shot of downtown Colorado Springs from the midway point.
Right after this point, the climb gets seriously steep and you must lean forward (sometimes on all fours) to keep from falling back. There were two instances where I actually had to crawl. Not for people afraid of heights. Each of the 2,809 ties is an extreme effort at this altitude and grade. It seemed like every time I looked at my heart rate monitor, I was at 180+ beats per minute. I stopped twice, once to tie my right shoe, the other to keep from going totally anaerobic.
Cruelly, there are two “false” summits along the climb and it is humbling even though I knew they were coming. This post is already far too long but I completed the climb in 36 minutes and 14 seconds which isn’t bad considering my 218 pound frame. I was passed by three people, one a young girl who was jogging up. Yes, jogging. But I easily weighed twice as much as she did and I’m a cyclist dammit, not a runner. Getting to the summit was a little anticlimactic honestly but I was glad to see it. The cement car holder can still be seen but I was sucking too much wind to snap a picture. After the climb, I ran the 3.5 miles down the Barr Trail back to the trailhead which topped me off by killing my legs. Don’t even think about walking back down the climb, you WILL get hurt. Here are some images from the top:
And the obligatory Google Earth Images:
You can see more in the Manitou Incline set on Flickr.
16
PM
Mikey, I went up to Pike’s Peak on that train. Once, when I was 16, and then again when I was 18. I actually thought it was still running. I can remember seeing mountain goats grazing on the way up.
If my memory serves me right, you, Kelly, your dad, and I made the journey up by car when we went out to Colorado on a family vacation. Doesn’t matter which way I go, I still get dizzy at the top because of the altitude. I could never make it up the way you did today! Love, Ma
16
PM
Ma, I think you’re thinking of the larger Pike’s Peak Cog Railway (http://www.cograilway.com) which takes you from the same starting point but goes all the way to the top of the mountain. That one is still alive and well today. This old railway just took you to the top of a mountain far below the top of Pike’s Peak. I do remember taking the Cog Railway back in ‘86 but this one was different.
17
AM
You’re right on both counts. We did go to the top of Pike’s Peak when I was young so I must have taken the other cog railway, and you’re also right about the whole family taking that cog railway up in ‘86. I remember sitting in the little giftshop/diner barely able to hold my head up while you, dad, and Kelly enjoyed the view.
- gosh, ‘86 - that’s over 20 years ago!
We then went to an old mining town and took a tour of the old gold mine. Remember that?
25
PM
I was born in the Springs and lived there till age 11, when we moved to Pheasant Country of South Dakota, near Sioux Falls. The incline was a favorite ride. I recall that the cars were like shallow, banana split dishes, with low sides and the seats tipped back at a crazy angle. Of course, once the car began its ascent, your seat levelled out perfectly. There were transparent rain shades on tracks.
It was cheaper than the nearby Diesel trains up Pike’s Peak, so our family has only summitted Pike’s Peak by car. Still have not ridden the cog train to the Peak. Many resources say the incline railway closed in 1990.
I came to town in April 1992, on vacation, coming in the off-season deliberately, to find cheaper motel rooms, etc. Stayed at the Silver Saddle or Silver Spur or something like that, on Colorado Avenue. Was told the Incline Railway was closed, by a staffer at the Cog Railway office. Lamented about the off-season. She said, “No, son, it’s closed forever.” And she explained the damage, the rising costs to maintain and insure the attraction.
Being in Kansas City for 11 years at the time, (27 years now) I was not acclamated to the altitude. Yet I proceded to climb the Barr trail at 4pm in April with only a light jacket. I was 29 and not in bad shape, but not ready for such a hike.
Took two and a half hours to get to the summit of the incline, and it was nearly dark, being 6:30. Had a huge, old Magnavox video cam, and the battery died before I could get the city lights by night. I had recorded too much commentary, going up.
Looked at the wheelhouse, where my dad had held two little boys up to the half-door, to see the pulleys, etc. Recalled seeing a big belt, about 8 inches wide, just flapping as it made its way around the wheels. 20+ years melted away.
Decided not to go back down the Barr trail, but just went down the incline itself, climbing, walking, crawling, rapelling, stumbling. Sometimes I grabbed the cable itself, wishing I’d brought gloves. (The tracks were still there in Apr 1992, but of course only RR Ties remain now.)
Took only an hour to get down. Dark, of course, but a decent moon. Every time I looked back up the rails, in the moonlight, and marvelled how far I’d come, I looked back down the rails and marvelled how far I had still to go! At bottom, my legs and knees quivered like jello, and I could barely drive to the motel.
Called the authorities and told them I was well, just in case my perception was accurate that people were looking for me, based on my car being in the parking lot so long after dark. Didn’t want to cost manpower, but also did not want to get in trouble, so stayed anonymous.
Of course, now, thousands have “trespassed” there, and hiked the incline. I was ahead of my time!!
Late in the night, I felt chest pain, radiating into left arm. Fearing a heart attack, I drove to Penrose Hospital where it was determined I just had angina pain. Still, they kept me 2 days, for monitoring, and I was a day late getting back to my job, from vacation.
19
PM
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and the accompanying pictures. You’re correct about pictures never doing the Incline justice. It’s one of those things that you can’t understand until you actually go up it. By the way, the route you took to get to the ties (via the Barr Trail parking lot) doesn’t put you at the official bottom of the Incline (which is off of the Cog Railway parking lot). Starting where you did, you saved yourself about 4 minutes of climbing.