The Manitou Incline or “Incline” for short is a .9-mile hike that climbs to 8590 feet elevation, a gain of 2,000 feet. The Incline Nation is the ever-growing number of people who choose to climb it once a: day, week, month, or year. Like our physical body with different parts and functions, the Incline Nation has several parts that are too many to list, but a few do stand out; Jill Suarez – aka “Queen of the Incline” who posts almost daily updates on what taking place and then there is Brian Ratterree – aka “Commander of the Incline Base HQ” who keeps us updated on parking, shuttle buses, and other general conditions. Add to that is everyone who does: trash removal, new trail building, trail maintenance, and other things. What they have and what we live by is the Incline Nation Code, which includes: picking up after yourself, picking up after others, sharing the success of a first-time incliner (or someone who has done it a 1,000 time. It’s taking 2 hours to journey with someone who is doing the incline for the first time, or being the push for someone trying to set a new PR. It’s standing at the top of incline and yelling for a complete stranger finishing the last 25 steps or liking the Face Book post picture of someone posing at the top of the incline. It’s sharing my bottle of water or traction with someone not prepared for the grind of the incline. It’s accepting everyone in the Incline Nation as peers and equals regardless of their religion, political views, and other items. As I ponder these Incline Nation Code items, I start to wonder: what would my world look start to look like if I applied the Incline Nation code to my Hiking, Personal, and Work life.
In hiking: Do I let the slowest person of my group set the pace? Do I take the time to explain routes to someone who appears lost? Do I greet everyone I see and ask if they are doing ok? Do I take time at the end of a hike to ask those around me, what did they like best or learn from the hike they just finished? Do I pick up trash others have left on the trail or do I just complain about the unknown hiking slob who left a mess? Do I respect the trail I’m on like I respect the Incline?
In my personal life: Am I grateful every day for my spouse and kids; and let them know that? Do I cheer them on when they are going through a hard time? Do I walk besides them in their time of sorrow and hardship or do I just tell them to figure it out and blast past them? Do I cleanup the kitchen dishes after a meal is made for me or do I murmur a quick thank you and leave them with the mess? Like Brian Ratterree offering guidance on the Incline conditions; do I offer help and support for those around me going through hard times? Do I accept those around me if I don’t agree with the various view on life? Do I greet and notice those I pass when going into a store? The greeters and cashiers at Walmart, Home Depot, Kohls all wear name tags; why can’t I take the 15 seconds to read their names and say it when I interact with them?
In my work life: Do I take time for small talk (which has more impact than we think), or am I just about getting to the business at hand? Do I take time for a call to help someone understand a difficult issue or do I just point them to a web site “that has all the answers for them”? Do I initiate a phone call with a new co-worker to see how they are doing and what they are struggling with? Do I congratulate the success of a co-worker or am I jealous because they got something I think I deserved? Do I take time to try to understand a language barrier problem, or do I just murmur in agreement and just move on?
The Incline Nation with its code is unlike anything else on this planet. Come be a part of this nation, embrace the challenges of climbing the incline, and experience the code each step of the way. Then take the code and apply it to your hiking, personal, and work life. I can tell you from my own short comings and failures it will not be easy, but as the song goes: “And the world will be a better place, For you and me, You just wait and see…
Al Andersen 