The Manitou Springs Incline, Manitou Springs, Colorado

The Manitou Springs Incline, also known as the Manitou Incline or simply the Incline, is a popular hiking trail rising above Manitou Springs, Colorado, near Colorado Springs. The Incline ascends on the east slope of Rocky Mountain which is itself on the eastern flank of Pikes Peak. The trail is the remains of a former 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge funicular railway whose tracks washed out during a rock slide in 1990. The Incline is famous for its sweeping views and steep grade, with an average grade of 45% (24°) and as steep as 68% (34°) in places, making it a fitness challenge for locals of the Colorado Springs area. The incline gains 2,011 feet (613 m) of elevation in .88 miles (1.42 km) horizontal. Currently the Incline has approximately 2,744 steps from the bottom to the summit, although the top step is numbered "2768". The number of steps changes occasionally with trail maintenance and deterioration.

The Incline was constructed under the ownership of Dr. Newton N. Brumback (1854-1923) as a funicular in 1907, for the purpose of providing access to water tanks at the top of the mountain that would provide gravity-fed water pressure to the cities of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs.Originally, the railroad was constructed to access a hydroelectric plant and service the water pipes. Shortly after its construction, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway was opened as a tourist attraction.

The Incline's original summit house was a rudimentary building constructed from left-over materials from the Incline's construction. It burned down in 1914. The summit house was quickly rebuilt into a more elaborate, comfortable, and safer structure, offering shelter from storms and the elements. The 1914 structure remained until 1958 when it was replaced by an updated summit house, which remained until it was dismantled after the Incline's closure. The Incline operated under the Pikes Peak Cog Railway until a rock slide in 1990 washed out the rail bed and the Cog Railway decided to not repair the tracks. 

Though the Incline is a popular hike and fitness destination for locals, its existence since its public closing in 1990 has been controversial. Many locals and some National Forest Service officials wanted to keep it closed to allow it to re-vegetate, either by reseeding or allowing nature to reclaim the scar.

Another controversy centered on parking rights at the base of the trail head, which is co-located with the Barr Trail trailhead and the Pikes Peak Cog Railway. All three sit in the narrow Ruxton Canyon, and the popularity of the Incline has caused major parking conflicts with these entities. The land through which the Incline passes on its ascent is owned by three entities: the bottom portion is owned by the City of Colorado Springs, the middle section is owned by the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and the top portion is owned by the US Forest Service. The controversial land swap known as "Strawberry Fields" between Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor traded 14 different sections of land totalling 371 acres for 189.5 acres of Colorado Springs land. The part of the Incline of owned by the Cog Railway was included in this land swap making all of the Incline now publicly owned land. The Strawberry Fields land swap was approved but is being challenged in court by a citizen's group.

The legal battles over the conversion of the Incline to a public hiking trail were finally resolved in January 2013, after the issue was settled by the United States Congress.

Since its closure as a railway in 1990, the trail has steadily grown in popularity as a hiking trail and fitness challenge. The base of the Incline sits at 6,600 feet (2,000 m) and the trail climbs 2,011 feet (613 m) in about 0.88 miles (1.42 km). Hiking the trail should not be undertaken by the physically unfit, as there is no vehicle access to the trail and anyone injured or suffering a medical emergency will have to walk or be carried down by other hikers. At the top of the Incline, there is a tie-in to the Barr Trail that allows for hikers to descend without going back down the Incline. (This descent is approximately 2.79 miles or 4.49 kilometres, with a much gentler slope.) Due to the close proximity to the large and active population center of Colorado Springs, the large military population of nearby Army and Air Force bases, and the US Olympic Training Center, the Incline has become a popular fitness destination for those seeking an intense workout.

About ​²⁄₃ of the way up, a Barr Trail switchback passes just a few yards from the Incline, and there is a pathway that allows those who wish to exit the Incline the opportunity to take the Barr Trail back down. Locals refer to this point as a 'bailout'. In 2020 two new bailouts were added that exit to the right (north) and lead to the Ute Pass trail. The first, the Lower Ute connector, is at step #395 and the second, the Upper Ute connector, is at step #1300 which is about 500 steps below the Barr trail bailout. These two new 'bailouts' give hikers the option to exit a very difficult trail and also serve the purpose of alleviating some of the heavy traffic on the lower Barr Trail. The Incline is at its steepest grade just after the Barr Trail bailout for about another 200 feet (61 m), when it reaches the 'false summit', a semi-crest in the trail that obscures the true summit to hikers due to its extreme grade. Those who reach the false summit are about ​³⁄₄ of the way to the top, but still have several hundred feet to climb. 

Further Details:

• Reservations are available between 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Reservations are available for 35 people every 30 minutes.
• After that, the capacity will be increased to 45 people every 30 minutes.
• All users are asked to also follow current local recommendations for COVID-19, which will be readily available on the Incline website.

How the process will work:

• After making an online reservation at their webite, users will receive a welcome email with directions for parking, rules and regulations.
• Free parking is available at Hiawatha Gardens or users can pay to park at the Iron Springs Chateau.
• Those parking in the Hiawatha lot should plan for a 1.3–mile walk to the base of the Incline or utilize the Ruxton Avenue shuttle service.
• Plan ahead accordingly and arrive as close to your reserved time as possible.
• Upon checking in at the base of the Incline, hikers will be issued a wristband by an Incline attendant that must be worn at all times on the property.
  

 For More Details - Official Website

Harihar fort, Ghoti, Nashik District of Maharashtra, India

Harihar fort is a fort located 40km from Nashik City, 48 km from Igatpuri, 40 km from Ghoti in Nashik district, of Maharashtra. It is an important fort in Nashik district, and was constructed to look upon the trade route through Gonda Ghat. It receives many visitors because of its peculiar rock-cut steps.

Located atop a hill with an elevation of more than 3500 feet, it overlooks the nearby settlement of villages like Harshewadi. The history of the fort stretches back to the period of the Yadava dynasty in between the 9th and 14th centuries. The fort was constructed to guard the trade route. Later on, it was captured by several other invaders and local rulers until it came under the control of the British army. Today, the fort is in ruins and is only used as a trekking site. You need to climb up a flight of rock-cut steps to reach the fort. The villages from where the trek starts are Harshewadi and Nirgudpada.

 

 

There are two base villages of the fort, Harshewadi and Nirgudpada. The Harshewadi is 13 km from Trymbakeshwar. The other base village of the fort is Nirgudpada/Kotamvadi which is 40 km from Ghoti which itself is 48 km from Nashik and 121 km from Mumbai. One can travel from Ghoti to Trimbakeshwar by bus or by private vehicle. One should take care of returning from the fort the last bus from Trimbakeshwar is 5:30pm to Ghoti and enough trains are available from Nashik to Mumbai till late night. The climb from Harshewadi is more easier than from the Nirgudpada. A wide, safe trekking path starts from the hil lock north of the Nirgudpada. It passes through scrub forest till it reaches an open ridge which is connected to the fort. It takes about an hour to reach the scarp of the hill on which the fort is situated. The ascent through the 60 m rock-cut steps is wonderful. It is like a stone ladder placed at 60 degree along the scarp. The steps are worn out at many places yet the holes on either side of the steps are conveniently cut for holding onto. After reaching the main entrance, the paths takes a left traverse and again a helical rock cut steps are to be climbed, which are more steep than the earlier. The steps finally end with a narrow entrance. At many places the steps are very narrow that, only a single person can climb at a time. Accommodation is possible on the harihar fort as well as in the local villages.

There are no good structures left on the fort except for a storage house with a small entrance. There is a series of rock-cut water cisterns in the center of the fort. It takes about an hour to visit all places on the fort.

After you climb the first rocky staircase main entrance we walk thru below an overhang with a sheer drop. Again one has to climb a set of steep stairs with niches, then pass thru a staircase inside the rock like Peth Fort - Kothaligad Fort and then reach the top of the fort. The view from the top is excellent. After climbing these steps, we get up to the entrance door. The fort has got a tapering plateau with a raised level in the middle. There is a small temple of Lord Hanuman and Lord Shiva on the plateau. A small pond is there in front of this temple. Water from this pond can be used for drinking.

Boldt Castle, U.S. State, New York

Boldt Castle is a major landmark and tourist attraction in the Thousand Islands region of the U.S. state of New York. Open to guests seasonally between mid May and mid October, it is located on Heart Island in the Saint Lawrence River. Heart Island is part of the Town of Alexandria, in Jefferson County. Originally a private mansion built by American millionaire George Boldt, it is now maintained by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority as a tourist attraction. 

 

Today, Boldt Castle is accessible by ferry, private boat, or by tour boat from Alexandria Bay, New York, Clayton, New York, Gananoque, Ontario, Rockport, Ontario, and Ivy Lea, Ontario. Most of the grounds and buildings can be explored by the public for a fee^. Private boaters may also dock at Heart Island for free. Boldt Castle is a Port of Entry and has a U.S. Customs and Border Protection office on Heart Island. Visitors coming from Canada require appropriate identification to check in to the country, as visiting the island is considered entering the United States.

 

As of 2020, all of the rooms on the first floor and second floors of Boldt Castle are restored and furnished. The second floor houses the Gift Store and Theatre which shows a 16 minute introductory video about George Boldt and Boldt Castle. Most of the rooms on the third and fourth floors are unfurnished, but there are exhibits of pictures and original artifacts of the Thousand Islands region during the Gilded Age in which the Boldts lived. Rooms are also left unfurnished to give the visitor an opportunity to imagine what the castle looked like before the Thousand Island Bridge Authority's restoration efforts. The basement is mostly unfinished, with a pool, many compartments, and a long tunnel passage to the Power House. At the edge of the island, a large peristyle archway stands as the intended original entrance way for boats to Heart island. The bridge connecting the two sides would have been raised and lowered as required.

The Power House is located on the eastern edge of the island and was built to hold a generator to supply the island with power via steam generator. Exhibits inside describe how power was obtained in the early 1900s and hosts a small display of historic photographs of Boldt Castle construction and the 1000 Islands region Nearly destroyed by a fire in the 1930s, the Power House was one of the first restoration projects completed after the Thousand Island Bridge Authority acquired it in 1977.

Alster Tower was modeled after a Rhineland defense tower in Germany and purposely constructed with slanting and uneven walls, ceilings, and roofs. This unique structure sits on the south side of the island facing Alexandria Bay and boasts a two-lane bowling alley and stage for performances. The Alster Tower cafe is one of the restoration projects currently taking place on the island.

The George C. Boldt Yacht House on nearby Wellesley Island represents the only remaining wooden yacht house structure of this kind. The interior features extensive living quarters and a number of antique and wooden boats. For an additional admission fee, visitors can take a shuttle from Heart Island to the Yacht House on Wellesley Island to tour these exhibits. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The 1969 children's novel Secret Castle by Anne Colver is about the castle and Alexandria Bay.

Castellfollit de la Roca, Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain

Castellfollit de la Roca is a municipality in the comarca of Garrotxa, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The urban area is bordered by the confluence of the Fluvià and Toronell rivers, between which the town's basalt cliff rises. Castellfollit de la Roca is one of the most picturesque villages in the autonomous community of Catalonia, in Spain. The village is situated on a narrow strip of basalt rock, barely two houses wide at places, that rises to a height of 50 meters and stretches for a kilometer. This small urban area is bordered by the confluence of the Fluvià and Toronell rivers, between which the town's spectacular basalt cliff rises. With an area of less than 1 square km, Castellfollit de la Roca is one of the smallest villages in Spain. The sight of the church and the houses high on the edge of the basalt precipice has become one of the most photographed and the most popular image of this region. It was formed by the overlaying of two lava flows.

The cliff is the result of two lava flows; the first took place 217,000 years ago, and originated in the area of the village of Batet, and has formed slabs. The second, a more recent formation from the volcanoes of Begudà is 192,000 years old, and has formed into prismatic shapes. Castellfollit de la Roca has its origins in mediaeval times, and consist of squares and dark, narrow streets. The houses are mostly made from volcanic rock. At the end of the cliff lies the Josep Pla viewpoint-square from which one can see a spectacular panorama. The town's strategic location, and its naturally advantageous position for defence can be fully appreciated. On one side of the cliff stands the old church of Sant Salvador, which dates back to the 13th century.

From its peak on the layered, volcanic formation, the town offers stunning views. To both sides, the rivers Fluvià and Toronell amble by the rock face of the town through the volcanic zone of Garrotxa. To add to the drama of the landscape, the cliffs are illuminated from sunset until midnight for six months out of the year.

In reality, it is the old town that is located on this rock cliff, known as La Cinglera de Castellfollit and originated by the superposition of two lava flows in an area that has ceased its volcanic activity too long ago, but the orography of the The field tells us things that cannot be told by writings or oral testimonies.

It is not only one of the most beautiful towns in Catalonia, but also one of the smallest ones, where the smell of firewood and dishes cooked on the grill already permeate its streets. The town is made up of basalt stone houses that have resisted for years and everything seems to indicate that they will continue to do so. The route through its streets inevitably leads to the Mirador Josep Pla, from where you can admire a panoramic view of the entire valley.