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'He Lived for His Kids' | Colorado Man Who Died on Manitou Incline Remembered as Loving Dad
The 48-year-old collapsed during a Cub Scout hike, and the trail was closed for about two hours while officials responded.
A hiker identified as 48-year-old Nickolay Jogolev collapsed Saturday while climbing the Manitou Incline with Cub Scouts and his 9-year-old son, experiencing breathing problems about halfway through the trek before dying later at a hospital.
The Manitou Incline, located at the base of Pikes Peak, gains 2,000 feet of elevation over 2,768 steps in less than a mile and is a popular but strenuous challenge for fitness enthusiasts; a 64-year-old Oregon man died attempting the climb in April 2025.
Jogolev had trained extensively for the hike, participating in all training climbs on the Parker Incline and Castle Rock Incline, and passersby observed him looking pale at the 900th step before he drank Gatorade and continued.
Deputies cleared the Manitou Incline just before 10 a.m. Saturday to allow first responders access; medical professionals including a combat medic and doctors were hiking nearby when Jogolev collapsed.
The cause of death remains pending as the family awaits autopsy results, while Coral Jogolev grieves compounded loss after her ex-partner died just 10 days before Nickolay, leaving the family navigating what she called "a long road ahead.