snowcline – Wild Wanderer

RT: 8.81 miles

Elevation Gain: 3476’

I was still sore from the fall a few days ago, but needed to get out, so I made a reservation to hike the Manitou Springs Incline first thing in the morning. I’ve done this route several times, so I’m just going to show you how beautiful it was that day.

At the top I got some lensball photos of the incline and hikers. There seemed to be a lot of regulars here today.

Then I continued on to Rocky Mountain. I broke trail here, and got another lensball photo of Pikes Peak from the summit

I once again broke trail to Mt Manitou, and then took the Barr Trail down. It was icy everywhere!

Here’s a look at the Incline from later in the day

Our sticker is still looking good!

BTW, the sticker can be bought here

I wasn’t yet done with my day. I decided to head over to Garden of the Gods to see what it looked like with a fresh dusting of snow.

Here’s a look at the accident site from the other day

And the Bighorn Sheep were still there, but only showing their butts today. There was a ranger in the area and no place to park, so no great shots.

All in all, a great day to get out!

RT Length: 5.14 miles

Elevation Gain: 3002’

I’ve done this hike several times, so today I’m just going to post some pictures. I started at 6am, and while the sun hadn’t yet risen the moon was full and bright. The moon was so full I didn’t need to use a flashlight as I hiked up the steps. I was able to make it to the top f the incline in 36 minutes, 19 seconds. That’s my second fastest time, and I’m proud to say I did it with full gear, snowshoes and all attached to my pack.

I tried out my photography sphere again, but it was really, really cold (12 degrees when I made it back to my truck) so I couldn’t position the camera right. I’ll keep practicing!