Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

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Do you hike the Manitou Incline? What's your time (from bottom to top step)?

5+ a week
2
2%
1-2 a week
6
7%
1-2 a month
3
3%
Handful times a year
29
32%
sub-30 minutes
9
10%
30-35 minutes
10
11%
36-40 minutes
13
14%
41-45 minutes
5
5%
46-50 minutes
4
4%
51-59 minutes
6
7%
1hr +
4
4%
 
Total votes: 91
brerrabbit
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by brerrabbit »

I generally do a double, occasionally a triple incline in the dark either after work or in the early morning approximately one to two times per week. I find the descent down the incline is a great eccentric quad workout which helps for downhills a lot. I also do it more during winter when I want to get a decent bit of elevation gain without having to trail break up something like Mt. Rosa or Almagre. I just run the mile from memorial park so parking isn't a big issue, especially if you're doing it an on off-peak time when memorial park isn't crowded.
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by OldTrad »

I always felt S. Boulder Peak via Shadow Canyon was a better workout and more convenient (I live in South Denver).
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jrs1965
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by jrs1965 »

OldTrad wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:47 pm I always felt S. Boulder Peak via Shadow Canyon was a better workout and more convenient (I live in South Denver).
The one time I had done Shadow Canyon, it took like three hours to round trip. I’ve done bottom step of Incline to top and back one hour. Plus, you can do as many laps as you feel that you might be capable of doing. It’s a 1,900 foot straight line up a slope that tops out at 68%...
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by jerseybrian »

jrs1965 wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:27 pm
OldTrad wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:47 pm I always felt S. Boulder Peak via Shadow Canyon was a better workout and more convenient (I live in South Denver).
The one time I had done Shadow Canyon, it took like three hours to round trip. I’ve done bottom step of Incline to top and back one hour. Plus, you can do as many laps as you feel that you might be capable of doing. It’s a 1,900 foot straight line up a slope that tops out at 68%...
Bear peak via fern canyon is a little more comparable to the incline in steepness. It climbs 2100' in 1.2 miles. What's nice about it is that you can link up 6 or more peaks and get more vert than Pikes. Still crowded but not like Pikes.
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by OldTrad »

jrs1965 wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:27 pm
OldTrad wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:47 pm I always felt S. Boulder Peak via Shadow Canyon was a better workout and more convenient (I live in South Denver).
The one time I had done Shadow Canyon, it took like three hours to round trip. I’ve done bottom step of Incline to top and back one hour. Plus, you can do as many laps as you feel that you might be capable of doing. It’s a 1,900 foot straight line up a slope that tops out at 68%...
Sure, I get it. There are pros and cons for each. If I just want a leg workout by doing laps there’s a dam just a 10 minute walk from my house that serves that purpose nicely. I have done tons of training there. If the incline were in my back yard I would do it more for sure, but for me personally if I’m going to drive for a workout I’ll usually pick Boulder over CO springs. Shadow canyon tends to have less traffic than most front range trails too.
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by OldTrad »

jerseybrian wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:14 pm
jrs1965 wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:27 pm
OldTrad wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:47 pm I always felt S. Boulder Peak via Shadow Canyon was a better workout and more convenient (I live in South Denver).
The one time I had done Shadow Canyon, it took like three hours to round trip. I’ve done bottom step of Incline to top and back one hour. Plus, you can do as many laps as you feel that you might be capable of doing. It’s a 1,900 foot straight line up a slope that tops out at 68%...
Bear peak via fern canyon is a little more comparable to the incline in steepness. It climbs 2100' in 1.2 miles. What's nice about it is that you can link up 6 or more peaks and get more vert than Pikes. Still crowded but not like Pikes.
... Shadow Canyon itself compares nicely to this too. The grind up that sucker is real, though as folks have pointed out it is a longer time commitment overall.
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by jerseybrian »

OldTrad wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:25 pm
jerseybrian wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:14 pm
jrs1965 wrote: Tue Jan 26, 2021 4:27 pm

The one time I had done Shadow Canyon, it took like three hours to round trip. I’ve done bottom step of Incline to top and back one hour. Plus, you can do as many laps as you feel that you might be capable of doing. It’s a 1,900 foot straight line up a slope that tops out at 68%...
Bear peak via fern canyon is a little more comparable to the incline in steepness. It climbs 2100' in 1.2 miles. What's nice about it is that you can link up 6 or more peaks and get more vert than Pikes. Still crowded but not like Pikes.
... Shadow Canyon itself compares nicely to this too. The grind up that sucker is real, though as folks have pointed out it is a longer time commitment overall.
Yeah I actually haven't checked the stats on Shadow until now. 1967' in 1.25 miles. Just under fern but not by much. I think my fastest time for Bear and S Boulder that way was 2:30. My favorite is Green via the ampitheater trail to EM greenman trail. I use that to measure speed each year. PR last year was 1:25 RT.
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justiner
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by justiner »

Start scrambling some flatirons! Makes all the trails seem quaintly mellow in gradient.
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by headsizeburrito »

That's definitely on my list ( would be a much shorter drive than the Incline too!) but I'm a noob and have been told to stay away without decent climbing experience: https://old.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/c ... get_great/

What's your opinion on Freeway (are there other "easy" routes?) for beginners? Although I've seen your 20 laps video so maybe your perception is different...
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by jimmtman »

I've been doing the Incline recently (live in Highlands Ranch) more as a heavy pack workout for Muscular Endurance. Right now at 26% of bodyweight and takes about 49 min. I haven't done a min time attempt with no pack.
The continual steep grade is ideal for this type of workout.

I also have been going to Boulder often to do Fern and Shadow Canyons. They are also almost as steep as the Incline and are excellent trails. Doing laps on Fern and Shadow is an efficient way to get maximum vertical with minimum mileage. If you went up and down the Incline this would get the more vert/mile but I usually walk down the Barr trail.

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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by two lunches »

madbuck wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 4:55 pm
I didn't like it 'on paper' either because of the gaperdom as well: 2-3 people across, Texas tourists, self-absorbed crossfitters, and headphones, so many headphones.
who dropped their airpods in your wheaties..? "people wearing headphones" is a really bizarre complaint.
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Re: Poll: Do you hike the Incline?

Post by madbuck »

stephakett wrote: Thu Jan 28, 2021 9:55 am
madbuck wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 4:55 pm
I didn't like it 'on paper' either because of the gaperdom as well: 2-3 people across, Texas tourists, self-absorbed crossfitters, and headphones, so many headphones.
who dropped their airpods in your wheaties..? "people wearing headphones" is a really bizarre complaint.
It is. Grumpy old man!
I mean, like, a few steps up, then gasping, right in the middle of the trail, oblivious to anyone else. Or maybe even more, coming down Barr. When you look up and see a stream of hundreds of people, to me it seems like you want to stay to the edge and aware of other people around you.

But maybe we could add "Grumpy, Entitled Old Men" to the list, and you wouldn't be wrong!
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