Manitou Incline
I’m writing this from the day after the hike. This is what happened and how I feel about it.
We started early, and headed to the Manitou Incline at 7:30am. On the drive to the shuttle, we could see the incline and it was hella intimidating. Not gonna lie, we were all shaking in our boots as we peered up at the mountain. Myself, LeAnna, and I think 23 other Valkyries and friends gathered for the shuttle up to the trail, applied sunscreen and double checked our gear.
The incline from the parking lot: that straight line up the mountain…
Bestie being cute af before we Climb
We all applied our sunscreen in the parking lot, took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and make any last minute adjustments to our gear before boarding the shuttle to the mountain. Sam took a moment to give us an emotional speech, still amazed and flabbergasted that any of us would do this: come to a mountain and climb it together, be Valkyries together. We all teared up a bit, and I didn’t get any pictures because it was a moment and I couldn’t destroy it like that. Our Mother of Valkyries was so proud and in awe of all of us.
Manitou Incline Valkyries
Some Valkyries on a bus to Climb a Mountain
We were all crammed into the shuttle like sardines, or maybe more like bees in a nest, just buzzing with energy and anticipation of what was to come. We all knew it would be hard, but I don’t know that any of us were really “ready,” but we were willing to try.
Check in at the base of the incline
Valkyrie Morgyn and the trail base, and an incline runner.
We began to break off into groups. Sam, Morgan, and a few others taking the lead and other little groups of us forming behind. LeAnna and I, as well as 3 others made up the back of the group. We wanted to ensure there were no stragglers, No Valks Left Behind was the rule. Bex, Alista, Cassie, and Bailee, plus LeAnna and Myself were the last Valkyries up the mountain.
We set a slow, manageable pace. A couple of Valkyries confirming a huge fear of heights as we ascended the steps to the incline. One Valkyrie had two hiking poles with her, to assist with her foot stability issues. Another brought her inhaler, as an asthmatic. We all worked together to make sure that we all were moving at a pace we could sustain and not burn ourselves out on.
After the first real increase in height, two of our Valkyries expressed major concern over the incline. They were trembling, so afraid of the heights they would reach if they kept climbing. The Manitou Incline has several bail out points, but we hadn’t even reached those yet. Bestie and I took it upon ourselves to go into full Silly Goblin Mode and were cracking jokes, singing songs, we began twerking at every 100 step placard we stepped on. I sang, obnoxiously and repeatedly, “Bish, you’re doing a good job!” To our Valkyries and to any others who passed us or stopped when we stopped on the hike.
We slowly worked our way up the incline, stopping every 25-50 steps to break, drink water, console each other, and make jokes. We kept a close on eye on each other and made sure that we reapplied sunscreen when needed (not that it helped, we all ended up burnt anyway) and drank tons of water. We paused for snacks and LeAnna and I were so happy that we packed lunches like the Moms we are because we devoured 90% of what we brought with us.
When we reached the first set of bail out points, we all had earnest conversations about how we felt, and if we would be able to finish or if anybody needed to head back down. Nobody would succumb to the Mountain though, as badly as some of the Valkyries were afraid of the height of the incline as we went up, nobody wanted to give in. So we cheered each other on, and continued.
Eventually we got so high up that LeAnna and I were hiking with our hands on the backs of two of our group, to reassure them that they were safe, they weren’t alone, and we were going to get through this together, period. And so we spent the remainder of the hike like that, alternating between each other, checking in and making sure that everyone felt like they could reach the top.
We were the cheerleaders of the Mountain and we took our jobs very seriously, singing, chanting, and shouting our positive and confident phrases and songs to anyone who would listen. More than a few hikers smiled and laughed and encouraged right along with us. There was a group of women ahead of us who we took pictures for, and who took pics of us too. It was such a powerful comraderie on the mountain, everyone was rooting for everyone around them to finish the climb.
I truly felt in my element. Outside, on the side of a crazy mountain, cheering on my friends and fellow Valkyries. Watching the view reveal itself with every 100 steps we climbed.
When we got to the top, my breaths became uncontrolled and near hysterics. I didn’t know I was holding onto any of that on my way up the mountain. I was so excited and happy to be there, and to be helping my fellow Valks, I didn’t realize I had held any emotions about it. Didn’t recognize that I was letting go of something big when I reached the top. But as I reached my phone camera down to the final step I became overwhelmed with this sense of accomplishment, with pride, disbelief, and joy, that I had done it. That all six specialists were wrong about my injuries all those years ago. That I am worthy of the Mountain and I f*cking did it!
Unhinged Joy and Achievement Face
The final step, before I dissolved into tears
Bex and I threw our arms around each other and Alista as all 3 of us were overcome with emotion. There was a group of hikers at the top who were cheering as each hiker cleared the top step. Shortly after I made it, so did Bailee, LeAnna, and Cassie. All of us wild eyed, and red faced, sweaty and emotional as we reached the top of the incline. We were also starving, and after we caught our breaths, we each sat down and chowed down on our remaining snacks.
At the tippy top. We made it!
The way back down is called the Barr Trail, and the views were breathtaking. I thought the views on the climb up were incredible, but the views on the way back down were pure magic.
My favorite from the hike. I felt so Unstoppable.
Once we started boogying down the mountain, we realized the time and that we had a tattoo appointment in a couple short hours. We had to hustle down the switchbacks and gravel, which really took a toll on my ankles and feet. I hiked in barefoot sneakers, which were great, but the lack of ankle support was treacherous and the tendons in my ankles were barking. I asked everyone if it was ok if I went ahead, because my feet were at a level of pain that told me my time was running out. I could hurry up, or get hauled out. So I shuffle-jogged the switchbacks down the mountain, stopping periodically to holler back at my crew and see where they were at. We were all hurrying as best as we could to get down the mountain to get our Ramiel Tattoos.
We reached the bottom at 10 minutes to 4pm, and our appointment for the group was at 5pm. Between the rush of adrenaline from the incline and the exhaustion of being on that mountain for eight solid hours, and the anticipation of the tattoo, we were all a little high strung.
We got to the shuttle back to the entry parking lot, and ended up telling our Valkyrie Squad Story to some other hikers that we had passed now and again on the way up or back down. So many of them were in awe of our group, impressed by Valkyrie Squad, and our determination and intrigued by the program that brought us all together. I loved seeing the wow on everyone’s faces as we talked about it.
Once we got to our vehicles we had to figure out how the heck to get out of there. The little village on the mountain is tightly packed in and the roads were really tricky to navigate. We ended up getting turned around in a neighborhood up there that had us all wide eyed and feeling lost, but we found an Amazon Prime truck and half followed it out of the maze we were stuck in. We got back to the hotel about 20 minutes later and took the fastest Mom Shower I could, I think 3 minutes is a record for me. I didn’t realize it at the time either, but I really goofed up- I got terribly sunburnt, and I set it by taking a hot shower right off the mountain.
A really painful oops.
Got dressed and crammed food in our faces, LeAnna and I were starving, crispy, exhausted, but so ready to get these tattoos. Almost all of us who were going up the mountain were getting tattoos together. We selected out of a few star pattern options, the Ramiel Stars we wanted on us and where. Many Valkyries chose their ankles or at the collarbone, or wrist. I chose to put mine just under my left ear, on my pulse point. Because this trip meant so so much, I wanted my pulse to be part of it for as long as my heart beats.
Fresh Ink
I felt so much peace getting tattooed. I laid down and closed my eyes and relaxed; I made it to the top of the mountain, I helped others along the way, always reaching out my hand. The best people I’ve ever met were with me, my body did something I was told we could never. I climbed that mountain on my period. I climbed that mountain as a Personal Trainer. I climbed that Mountain as a Valkyrie.
I climbed that Mountain as Me. Unfiltered Me.
Tattooed Valkyries
And then all of us on the Podcast Team took pictures too, because all of us were there, on the mountain together, and all of us are tattooed together too.
“Come here, tit to tit, for the photo” Sam’s humor is my fav
I will probably have more to say later, expect my posting to be all over the place as I recalibrate my body to the timezone, and recover from the climb. My feet feel bruised, my calves are full of knots and will require extensive foam rolling and torture peanut time, and my sunburn is the worst I’ve had in a really long time. I still have so many feelings and thoughts about this trip, and other parts to share that I haven’t even posted about yet, because this weekend was a whirlwind of fun and adventure and friends and hilarious loud joy, and I didn’t have the time or energy to really write about it a lot. I’m glad it happened that way, that I was too busy to sit down and write, because I was out there living it up with the best group of people I’ve ever known.
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