ACTIVITIES

We will hike Audubon trail and along the Colorado River and around the Connected Lakes.  We will watch for eagles, waterfowl and signs of spring.  Wildflowers should be showing.  Don't forget to check for nesting great horned owls as we walk under their tree.  The hike is level and on hard surface or light gravel.  Mostly shady.  It will last about 2 hours.  Temperatures upper 50's and lower 60's,  and mostly sunny.  Perfect weather.

   Meeting place will be the Redlands Marketplace (Think Safeway) on the Redlands, SW corner outside Chow Down. ( From downtown Grand Junction, take Grand Ave West just across the river when it turns into Broadway.)  Time is 0900.     Lunch at Handlebars?

This is on top of the Redlands, where you can spin around and get outstanding views of the Grand Mesa, the Colorado National Monument, the Book Cliffs, and the top of Riggs Hil and the Ridges. It is not far away and easy to get to, once you realize where it is. I try to pick seasonal hikes; and this one is for sure it. Even though it was dry this year, I saw amazing wildflowers. There are places where there are as many as 5 patches of 12 or more flowers in each square yard. You will see Townsends daisy, Golden Aster, and phacelia in great abundance. Only once have seen more desert wildflowers in the city area.

Expect about 200 foot of elevation increase along the paths that may be a little rough, but still an excellent place to hike. It may be that the Redlands 4000 Development is will be encroaching in the future, but it has not yet taken over; and there will still be plenty of places to hike over a wide area. Get there while you can. The weather will be mostly sunny and cool lower 40's to upper 50's. Hats and sunscreen recommended.

The large trail head parking lot is not easy to find, located at the corner of Holy Cross Drive and Easter Hill Drive, particularly since there is a road closure at 23 and a one-way street to confuse. Go to the trail head if you know where it is. For those Newcomers who would like a carpool, or a car to follow, we will meet on the Redlands at the shopping center SW of Safeway, outside Chow Down on the at 0845.