The Incline

Pikes Peak 14000 ft on left. Incline 8500 ft (the brown line) on right.

So ever since I have been in CO springs everyone has been talking about hiking the incline, even more than Pikes Peak. I am not interested in hiking any 14ers at this point.. So I asked about this incline everyone has been talking about. Apparently it is right near Pikes Peak Cog Railway! It used to be a cable rail going a mile up Rocky Mountain. It practically starts from the same parking lot as the current cog railway. So in 1990 the cable car closed and has been private property ever since.

So Jess and I got up really early Sunday morning and drove over. We hiked up the mile of rail road ties..around 2500 steps at least in about an hour and a half!! Took the Barr trail back down another 4 miles. We went into Manitou springs for lunch and crashed at my pool for the afternoon!

Here is a link for the incline..(thanks Jess!) http://www.manitouincline.net/main.htm

and a few pictures from the hike are below!


These are from the picnic I had Saturday night. Jess came down from Denver and a few coworkers and their friends came over!

MMM Smores!!

Making smores after a great steak! Gus was helping too!

I wonder why they call it the incline?

Only a few steps left!!

OR NOT False summit!! Thankfully we were warned about this!!



A different view of the hot air balloon festival!!!

Yeah we made it!! Poor Gus had to stay at home!! Next time he will join us!! We wouldn't have kept up with his four little legs!!

The view from the top!! Well worth the climb!

Pikes Peak from the top of the Incline!

Hot air Balloon festival Labor day weekend

Hi Guys!!
I figure this way you don't have to get emails from me constantly!! Just check in on the website once in a while and I can leave pictures and descriptions of my adventures!!!

Wow!! I need a thesaurus to find some new adjectives!! Everything out here is gorgeous! I went for a bike ride Sat AM and took about 350 pictures! (in 2 hrs) Ok, Andy and Janine! Beat that one!! I think I just made president of photographers anonymous!! Just try to argue that one!! : )

I thought the pictures of the mountains with the clouds and the lake were gorgeous...then I took a few more of the balloon festival with the mountains in the background...oh and the reflections in the lake.... I got up early for this one!! and it was sooo worth it!




Amazing!! and only 2 miles from my house!!



I had planned to go to the festival by bike but didn't think I would take that many pictures!! How could I not when everyone was this good?!! email me if you want the snapfish site with more pics!!! They are all amazing!!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!

Memorial Park Balloon Festival Co Springs CO. Pikes Peak in background

Someone please turn off the power plant cooling tower!! It was 7 am on a Saturday. People were either at the balloon festival or in bed!! Who really needed power? I mean come on?? : )








Can anyone tell which way is up?






Touchdown on the lake.


What are you doing Labor day next year?!! I will be coming out here!! Come join me!!
http://www.balloonclassic.com/


There is also a HUGE balloon festival the second weekend in October Albuquerque NM!! I may just be there instead of an antique car show!! Just a different form of transportation that's all!! Anyone else interested? It's an hour from Santa Fe!!

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/