View of the Rio Grande from Red Dot Trail. Photo by Paul Arendt
Desert Verbena is one of the many wildflowers often bloombing on this hike. Photo by Craig Martin
PEEC News:
The Red Dot Trail is especially beautiful this time of year a surprising number of plant species that bloom in early spring.
Saturday, April 8, Craig Martin, co-author of Plants of the Jemez Mountains, will lead a three-mile hike down the Red Dot Trail and identify flowers found along the way.
The hike will traverse the canyon from rim to river and promises to yield as many as 30 species in bloom. It’s a rugged trip, so participants should be sure they can walk a half day on rough terrain and on the return trip gain 1,000 feet of elevation in a mile—like climbing the stairs of the Washington Monument, twice. But the canyon is worth the effort!
Martin is the former Open Space Specialist for the County of Los Alamos. He is a writer, musician and avid hiker. His books such as Los Alamos Place Names,Valle Grande, A History of the Baca Location No. 1, and 100 Hikes in New Mexico have helped preserve the history of the area and acquaint us with the importance of the landscape and its uses. The Los Alamos Trails app is a result of his many years of exploring.
To hike the Red Dot Trail with Craig Martin, register online at www.peecnature.org or call 505.662.0460. Afterward, meet Craig and other hikers at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 8 at the Red Dot Trailhead. Bring water, snacks, hat, sunscreen and good hiking shoes or boots. Attendance is free for PEC members and $5 for non-members.
