Today I went with my friend Kelly to hike the Manitou Incline. The defining feature of the Incline is its 2,768 stairs and I'm inclined to say that's a few too many stairs. In fact, as a hike, this one rates poorly compared to almost any other hike I've done in Colorado. I knew this going in, and having lived nine years in this state, I consider myself as having held out as long as possible before joining in this much-hyped form of group fitness. It was time.
As a matter of fact, it is a local custom to hike the Incline, and like many local customs can seem barbaric to an outsider. To Coloradans, it is a rite of passage. At the top we met a group of women whose very purpose was to help other women train for and complete the Incline. Judging by the Saturday turnout, even with limited capacity, it seemed a lot of people are inclined to do this hike.
Naturally, I wanted to get to the top, and with my friend Kelly's expert guidance (she has hiked the Incline multiple times) I achieved the goal. It didn't matter that you couldn't see snow-capped mountains from the top, or that because of the limited shade, the sun shone on me continuously as I climbed, drying my sweat and masking how dehydrated I gradually became: I made it. By climbing all these stairs, it can't be doubted that I got more fit. In Colorado, we relish climbing sunny sets of stairs for fitness purposes.
In closing, the hike down on the Barr Trail was rather nice and included more of the views to which I have grown accustomed and rather inclined. I was grateful for the extra insulated water bottle I had stashed in the car as I finished both of my 1L Nalgenes (one filled with Nuun-infested water) on the hike. I'd recommend the Incline to anyone, five out five stars.
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