exposed RED MOUNTAIN

Thicktrunked junipers and stunted pinyon pines bathe in sunlight as the sky builds with fattening monsoon clouds. A stiff breeze dries the sweat on the back of the neck, keeps the body cool and aggressive flies at bay.

Reddish dirt coats the shoes, and the thick fragrance of mountain flowers tickle the nose. A rusted iron cut, as if a giant used a cleaver on the landscape, bisects the mountain and reveals the fascinating geologic beauty that typifies this part of northern Arizona

MyworkcolleagueandfriendEvanBurris andIareonthetrailatRedMountain.Itisan easyoutingwestofFlagstaffthatfewpeople make, opting instead to stay in the car and head for the Grand Canyon.

They are missing out

According to information from the U.S. Geological Survey, Red Mountain is a 740,000-year-old cinder cone volcano situated among hundreds of other cinder

An unusual view of a cinder cone

Red Mountain Trail No. 159

Length: Three miles round trip—a great hike for children. Dogs are allowed on leash.

Difficulty: Easy—less than 500 feet elevation gain, unless you try to scramble up a cinder hill.

Directions: From Flagstaff, take U.S. Highway 180 west toward Grand Canyon for about 25 miles. Make a left at milepost 247. The dirt road goes about a quarter-mile and ends at a small parking area for the trail.