John Otto Climbs Independence Monument

By Stewart Green, About.com Guide

The Colorado River drifts through the Grand Valley in western Colorado, meandering past cottonwood-lined banks, peach orchards, and the towns of Palisade, Grand Junction, and Fruita. Cliffs and mountains hem the river into the broad valley—the Book Cliffs across the north; Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-topped mountain, rises to the east; and the Uncompahgre Plateau looms to the south. Along the plateau’s northern edge, abrupt cliff-lined canyons dip north toward the river. These canyons and their precipitous rims, carved from sandstone strata draped over the plateau, are protected in 32-square-mile Colorado National Monument.

Previous

• Colorado National Monument
• The Monument's Geology
• John Otto: Father of Colorado National Monument
• John Otto Loved the American Flag
• John Otto's Ladder of Pipes
• The Grand Junction Daily News Reports on Otto's Feat
• John Otto Unfurls Old Glory Atop Independence Monument
• Climbing Otto's Route Today

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