A frightful climb

A mild fright is fun on Halloween, but climbing the Manitou Incline in 4-inch rhinestone heels? That is truly scary.

"But that's what Marilyn would do," said local real estate agent Michelle Blessing, as she started her annual Halloween costume climb of the Incline on Thursday, decked out in a platinum blond wig, long white gloves, a feather boa and the classic Marilyn Monroe white halter dress.

In her hand she clutched a champagne bottle - full of water for the 2,100-foot climb.

Heading up the jumble of ties with her were a cave woman, a waitress, an Indian princess, a go-go dancer in a very nonbreathable plastic dress and two more Marilyns.

About 20 women in all showed up in costume to celebrate Blessing's day-before-Halloween 45th birthday.

They brought candy to pass out to hikers along the way, and since it was the Incline, some had energy supplements to hand out, too.

"This is the seventh year we've done it. You should see people's faces as they get passed by a Marilyn on each side," said Blessing, who dresses as Monroe every year.
She headed up the steep, gravely trail with the others, occasionally stumbling on glittery mules with clear plastic heels.

"Those are even worse than the ones you wore last year. They don't even have straps," a friend said.

"No," Blessing said between breaths, "they're better."