The Inner Monument

4.6 miles of pure, unadulterated bliss on Monument Canyon Trail.

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Though I very much enjoyed the first hike we did in Colorado National Monument, it wasn't quite what I was looking for. Viewing the canyon from the rim was wonderful and extraordinary, but I wanted a lower elevation profile where I was walking among giants rather than looking down at them.

For the second hike of the van trip, Jen wanted to hike Mount Garfield (near Palisade). Though I was intrigued and knew it would be a short distance, I was not in shape for the massive elevation at that moment. Jen was willing to ride bikes with the guys, but then I mentioned I found a different hike in the monument, and it looked like this one was in the canyon itself. When I mentioned the name of the hike to Jen, she hadn't hiked the trail either, which cemented our plan to check it out.

At the trailhead, you can start the loop in either direction. Many AllTrails reviews suggested going counterclockwise to ascend the right side of the loop rather than descending it. At the fork, I noticed that the path to the right, through Wedding Canyon, was primitive. I better understood why it was primitive once I learned about the trail’s history. John Otto (of Otto’s Tub fame), the first superintendent of Colorado National Monument, built the section that winds through Wedding Canyon (where he got married) in the early 1900s. Walking the loop meant hiking the same paths Otto blasted with dynamite, evidenced by the single track that hugs the edges, has uncut stone steps, and unflinchingly puts you smack dab in nature.

Though Jen and I hadn't hiked together alone before, we fell into a steady rhythm, full of chatter, laughter, and tears. It's amazing to spend time with someone you don't know extremely well and build rapport so quickly. The further we got into the canyon, the deeper the conversation went. There’s something about the grind of a steep climb that breaks down your guard. We talked about everything on that hike, our families, our friends, our passions - we truly had a therapy session. With everything happening in the world around us, it was nice to touch grass and let go of some of those deep, uncomfortable emotions that we had both been feeling.

I often mention silence when talking about hikes, and this trail was no exception. Not everyone makes the loop; instead, they choose to stay on Monument Canyon Trail (the left side of the loop) for an out-and-back hike. I would imagine the Wedding Canyon trail's primitive nature scares a few people away. It was glorious to hike the narrow trail alone in the shade of the canyon walls (I was dripping with sweat from the steep sections). With such perfect light, we made many stops to take it all in. The quiet, when not chatting, was punctuated with many a “wow.”

As we hiked closer to Independence Monument, voices floated around us. We looked up towards the high western rim, likely near Otto’s Trail, and saw tiny specks. They were the overlook people, and we were now the “ghostly voices” they heard from below. To get their attention, Jen (lover of vagus nerve screaming) let out a loud “kaw kaw!” It didn't take long for them to respond in kind, which led to our laughter, followed by the echoes of their laughter. Jen let out one more “kaw kaw,” to which they responded, and once again, we all fell into a fit of giggles. It was a nice moment shared with strangers whose faces we never saw.

If you zoom in on the top of the rocks, you can see our new friends.

Independence Monument, named by John Otto who climbed the rock and planted an American flag on July 4, 1911. This tradition is still carried out today. Every 4th of July, you can watch climbers carry the flag up Independence Monument and then stake it at the top.

We reached the southernmost point of the trail, where Wedding Canyon meets Monument Canyon. There we were in the full blast of the sun, but we also saw a different perspective of the red rock we’d been circling.

Looking at Grand Mesa (in the middle) to the east.

Monument Canyon is well known for its local residents. We had spotted a herd of big horned sheep early in the hike, but they were far out in the distance. We were later surprised by a ram, much closer than that first herd.

As we continued on the trail, we realized there was a smaller herd less than 100 feet away. We watched the alpha chase away a younger ram from his harem, preventing us from hearing the crack of ram horns. Once the alpha made eye contact and slowly walked toward us without breaking eye contact (and breaking the “thumb rule”), we got a little nervous and continued our hike.

We were in a great mood after spotting the fauna. Even though we encountered far more people as we hiked down, we told everyone we saw that there were big horned sheep up ahead. Every person was so excited to hear that, and their enthusiasm was infectious. On a day centered around gratitude, finding that instant community with strangers felt like the best way to celebrate (American) Thanksgiving.

I really enjoyed the previous trail that we had hiked in the monument, but felt like this one was a winner. I will hike this trail again and encourage any of you who are visiting Grand Junction to do so as well.

Cheers.