Hiking OK'd on popular trail near Colo. Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — The cities of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs have opened a steep, rugged trail to the public, although thousands of hikers already use it.

The Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/WiirPV ) the Manitou Incline, an abandoned cable car route west of Colorado Springs, officially opened Friday morning. The path rises more than 2,000 feet in a mile, and railroad ties serve as makeshift steps.

The two cities agreed to manage the trail, and officials say 13 conditions for legally opening it have been or soon will be met.

Even though it had been considered trespassing, The Gazette has reported that as many as 500,000 people a year hike the incline.

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Information from: The Gazette, http://www.gazette.com