Overview In anticipation of our arrival to the Western Slope this summer, I started doing research on climbs and hikes in the area. Monument Canyon got onto my radar when I found out about Independence Monument, a desert tower that was first ascended by John Otto in 1911. He did it in cowboy boots! The tower is located at the meeting place of two canyons, Monument and Wedding. When I first got to town, I hit up Randy Langstraat, a Grand Junction local who happens to write one of my favorite d...
