Hiking

Monument Canyon

Monument Canyon is a gem of a hike, 12 miles round trip from the Canyon Wren Farm driveway. There are many ways to hike the it, but so far, I’ve only tried two. The first time I walked into the canyon, it was mid-afternoon. The canyon faces northwest, so daylight was already becoming scarce. It only made the walk more beautiful, with all the colors contrasting and deepening until they were overwhelmed with richness and became dark. I walked out to the Kissing Couple monument and back, a journey of around 8 miles.

sunset on the monument

On my second attempt, I turned my back on the Grand Valley and headed west into Monument Canyon on a beautiful Sunday morning. The air felt chilly, but I hoped my feet would be warmed by the red sandstone along the trail. After a half mile walk to the trailhead from Penelope’s door, I set out into the Colorado National Monument backcountry. As soon as I passed through the Monument gate, I was greeted by a couple of indigo buntings fleeting through the flats. They went on their way, and I walked through the sand to the trail register for the Monument Canyon trail. The area is well-traveled, and on the morning that I arrived, there were five groups who had already signed in the National Park register. Once I added my name to the list, I started the initial climb into the canyon. The trail is distinct, marked off with low rock walls at the start. Footprints last awhile in this arid wilderness, so it’s easy to find the path after the markers disappear. For the first mile or so, the climb is gentle, each step taking you farther from the few houses visible from the trailhead and back behind a wedge of Wingate Sandstone that stands at the canyon’s mouth.

On initial approach, the canyon seems narrow, like a small crack in the landscape, but once inside it is incredibly vast. Cliff walls open onto an arcing plain of pinion and juniper where, if you’re lucky, you’ll find bighorn sheep along the rocky arroyos. So far, I’ve just found their footprints and droppings.

Farther along the trail, the canyon rewards each step. Two great monoliths, Independence Monument and the Kissing Couple, stand along the second mile of the trail and offer a their majesty to hikers who venture to the foot of these extraordinary towers. Independence Monument is also home to Otto’s Route, a 5-pitch technical climb that is a classic for the area. The man who established the route, John Otto, developed most of the trails in the Monument area and named many of the rock formations within. A German immigrant, Otto was enchanted by the American west and expressed his enthusiasm by chipping holds in Independence Monument to climb up and mount an American flag at the top. These days, climbers continue Otto’s tradition every fourth of July.

Past the two monoliths, I reached the most remote and intimate section of the canyon. The trail winds and twists along back cliffs and knolls until it reaches the final climb up to the road. This is the most challenging part of the journey, but it is well worth the exertion. Along the switchbacks up the cliff, the Coke Ovens formations held my gaze captive until I reached the road, tired and sweaty and glad for the journey.