Bandelier Wilderness Ranger Bob Loy. Courtesy/NPSBANDELIER News:
Bandelier National Monument recently welcomed their newest seasonal ranger, Colonel (RET) Bob Loy.
Ranger Loy will serve as the Dorothy Hoard Wilderness Ranger at Bandelier. The position is sponsored by the Friends of Bandelier as a memorial to the founder of the organization, Dorothy Hoard, who was also instrumental in the designation of the Bandelier Wilderness.
According to Bandelier Superintendent Jason Lott, “Many people know of Dorothy because of her guidebook to hiking in the park. It’s so appropriate to have a ranger specifically for the wilderness, to help visitors appreciate and understand it as Dorothy did.”
Loy is no stranger to being called a ranger, having first earned the title when he graduated from the US Army’s elite Ranger School in 1987. After retiring from active duty and moving to Los Alamos in 2012, Loy found himself volunteering at both Bandelier and the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC), where he first met Dorothy Hoard. In Loy’s words, “Dorothy Hoard fully understood that people who spend time in nature live longer and healthier lives.” With that, Ranger Loy’s mission will be to encourage visitors to explore the backcountry areas of the park that Dorothy loved so much.
Although there are more than 70 miles of trails within the park’s 33,000 acres, the majority of visitors rarely venture beyond the Visitor Center and the Main Loop Trail.
Ranger Loy will lead interpretive programs and hikes into backcountry areas, providing opportunities for visitors who might not otherwise venture away from the paved trails.
Visit the Bandelier National Monument webpage at https://www.nps.gov/band for more information about upcoming backcountry programs, follow the park Facebook page at BandelierNPS, or call the Bandelier Visitor Center at 505.672.3861 x 517