This was my second hike in a row. I spent the night before in Colorado Springs, then drove to the trailhead. Parking here is expensive, so I drove back into town for cheaper parking and hoofed it up to the trailhead (about 1/2 mile).

There are two routes up Rocky Mountain, and I wanted to tackle the tough, Manitou Incline. It climbs 2,000 vertical feet in one mile. Most people stop there (if they make it). I rested, took a few photos, then continued on to the summit of Rocky Mountain.

There is a trail, but it doesn't see a lot of use these days. There were a few downed trees, and some places where the trail was faint, but paying careful attention it was pretty easy to follow.

The summit is actually atop a cluster of boulders. There are remains of what used to be an old wood-and-iron ladder that led to the top (it's collapsed with age), but you can scramble up pretty easily.

On the way back down, I took the more gentle (but longer) Barr Trail. It ends at the base of the Pikes Peak Train, but it's really close to the Manitou Incline. As I was walking back into town anyway, it didn't really matter.

Manitou Incline? Done. Better yet… I was probably the only person who continued on up to the summit of Rocky Mountain that day.