Page 13 - 2008 DT 12 issues

ries for “heart smart exercise.” Mod; 2.9 mi. Sun 17, “Potato Knoll Loop” – Join our favorite Red Rock Canyon hikes! From
Thurs. 14, “Ash Canyon” - Get ready Carol and Carleton for a hike around Potato chaparral to forest and back again, this loop
for some great boulder scrambling with Chris Knoll. We’ll take a snack break in a beautiful with Athena offers great views and a little bit of
while climbing through the canyon to the base area with pinyon pines and junipers and have desert everything. Mod/Stren; 6 mi.
of Red Cap, then down a drainage to Gateway lovely views of Oak Creek Canyon and the Sun. 24, “Turtlehead Peak” – This is
Canyon and over a saddle to Calico Basin. Escarpment. Mod; 4.5 mi. not an easy hike, according to George. At the
Loop hike, Strenuous; 5 mi. Mon. 18, “Monday at the Rock” – Head summit, you’ll be treated to a view sweeping
Sat. 16, “Knoll-Arnight Trail” – Hike this out to North Cottonwood with Jen, hiking back across the Red Rock Escarpment to the Las
loop with Pat and look for mule deer in the area. to Black Velvet Canyon. We’ll keep and eye out Vegas Valley, with the La Madre Mountains
Mod; 3.5-4 mi. for climbers and mountain bikers and see our rising majestically over you. 2000-ft elev. gain,
Sat. 16, “Moenkopi” - Thought about fair share of desert varnish. Mod; 4.5 mi. Strenuous.
hiking, but weren’t sure where to start? Want Tues. 19, “Explore First Creek” – Join Sun. 24, “A Hill and a Fault” – Join Car-
to get involved with an interpretive program, Aaron as we scramble up and explore First leton and Carol for a hike to the top of Cactus
but don’t know which to choose? This is the Creek Canyon. Moderate bouldering, 4 mi. Hill, on to the Keystone Thrust Fault and a site
one for you! Learn about Red Rock Canyon’s Wed. 20, “Heart Healthy Hike #3: Lost of dubious distinction. Mod; 2 mi.
hiking opportunities with Athena on this easy Creek” - Join Janis on this third and last hike Mon. 25, “Monday at the Rock” – Come
2-mile hike. in the series for “heart smart exercise.” Easy, out to Red Rock for a classic hike up to Calico
Sat. 16, “Inscription Hill” – You’ll see 0.7 mi. Tanks with Jen, the up to an overlook for a
why “Inscription Hill” gets this name and some Wed. 20, “White Rock-Sandstone 360-degree view of Red Rock and out to Las
interesting landscapes near the southern Es- Loop” – This 7-mile loop hike with Chris begins Vegas. Some rock scrambling; Mod; 2.5 mi.
carpment. Along the way will be “new” views of at Sandstone Quarry, utilizes part of the Grand Tues. 26, “La Madre Springs and Be-
the Conservation Area and several permanent Circle Trail, then passes Keystone Thrust yond” – First, hike La Madre Springs with
springs, where there’ s a good chance of see- on toward the base of the La Madre range. Chris, then on to the stone miner’s cabin on
ing wildlife, birds and burros. Head back with Return through a drainage past Turtlehead. this 4-mile out-and-back hike. 700-ft elev. gain;
Bob by way of historical artifacts near Oliver Mod/Stren. Mod/Stren.
Ranch. Easy/Mod; 4 mi. Sat. 23, “White Rock Loop” – One of

Orchids, continued from p. 3 the answer should be, “They can’t.” In giving rise to its nickname, “Chatterbox
search of further enlightenment, I joined Orchid.” At the other extreme, as far
the Greater Las Vegas Orchid Society. as size is concerned, is Listera cordata
O’Leary announced that we were about Their president, Carol Siegel, is a named after the English botanist, Martin
to go out in the field, not to Willow renowned authority on orchids. It was Lister. It is usually around four inches
Spring, but further afield.
At our destination, we were told that from her that I learned that, in fact, tall. Carol says, “The little flowers look
we would be confining our attention to no less than fourteen different sorts of like tiny elves, with a forked lip looking
an area of approximately one hundred orchid are known to grow in the wild in like legs, a tiny horn-like projection
square yards. The variety of plants we Nevada. Now . . . (wait for it) . . . that looking like arms, and petals and sepals
found there was astounding. We learned is eleven more than have been found in spreading over the lip looking [like]
a lot of new words which were not only Hawaii! the hat.”
There certainly is something magi-
hard to pronounce, but even harder Obviously, none of Nevada’s or-
to spell—dieschuss and moneschuss. chids hang from trees moist with rain cal about orchids and it is little wonder
Sorry, dioecious and monoecious. But and mists like some of their relatives that orchid growing is one of the fast-
the highlight of our session was when in tropical areas. Ours are essentially est developing hobbies, not only in the
we found an orchid. No, it isn’t a fairy ground-loving plants. States, but worldwide.
tale. We really did find one. How do they manage to get their In writing this article, I have drawn
On our return to the Visitor Center food? One of them, the Corallorhiza extensively on the publication, Native
six hours later, we immediately made maculata, actually is parasitic and feeds Orchids of Nevada, by Carol Siegel
a dive for our dictionaries and for the off fungus at its roots. Perhaps the largest for the Arboretum at UNLV. I am also
reference books. is Epipactis gigantea, which can reach a indebted to her for her infectious enthu-
It was perhaps this chance encounter height of three feet and, like Platanthera siasm, which she conveys to all members
which first interested me in orchids. It stricta which is found in the northern of the Society which, by the way, meets
certainly set me wondering how on earth parts of our state, can tolerate tempera- monthly at the Nevada Garden Club in
orchids can survive in a desert environ- tures found at 7500 feet. Part of its lip Lorenzi Park. You can find them on line
ment. Strictly speaking, one feels that is elongated and quivers in the breeze, at www.GLVO.org q

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