Heart of the World | Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Well, here it is! This is my last hike in the Colorado National Monument for my Heart of the World project and I managed to finish them all up before the end of the year! To be honest, I did have some time when I could have completed this final hike in November, but I purposely waited until December so I could get in a hike during each month of the year, which wasn’t a goal when I initially started this project back on New Years Day, but it just kind of happened naturally and I decided to stick with it about halfway through the year. I guess that waiting until December was a little too late for this particular hike since the trail was covered with some snow in the shaded areas by now, but I figured that might be the case and brought along my microspikes. As much as I would have liked to have hiked the entire length of No Thoroughfare Canyon for this project, the days are just too short at this time of the year for me to squeeze that kind of hike in after work, plus the only section of an ‘official’ trail in Upper No Thoroughfare Canyon are the switchbacks at the very top, so I figured I would be good just hiking down the trail a few miles and then returning the same way.
When I reached the top of the trail I saw that the shaded sections were covered with snow and there were no tracks. I’m glad I brought my microspikes along.
The Snowy Descent
Following the snow-covered trail into the canyon.
Upper No Thorougfare Canyon
The snow had melted off the parts of the trail that still see some sunlight at this time of the year.
I was hoping to hike a few miles down the canyon before turning around, but when I reached this large arroyo cut and found that the trail descended very steeply and was covered with slippery snow I decided to just turn around here. Thankfully, this section was beyond the end of the ‘official’ trail into No Thoroughfare Canyon, so I was still able to complete my goal.
I stopped to take in the views from a sandstone outcropping near my turnaround point before I started hiking back up the trail.
Upper No Thoroughfare Canyon Rim
Hiking back up the stairs near the top of the trail.
After returning to my vehicle at the trailhead I drove back down through the Monument and briefly stopped at Cold Shivers Point for a quick photo since this project had never brought me to this overlook.
Driving down into Lower No Thoroughfare Canyon on my way home.
Although I had fun revisiting the main trails of the Colorado National Monument this year, I’ll probably take some time off from hiking in the Monument during the upcoming year as there are plenty of other trails around the Grand Valley that I still need to check out.
Congrats! Always nice to meet a goal like that.