Daily Postcard: Roxy and Zuma survey the area as they walk side-by-side on the La Jara Trail at Valles Caldera National Preserve. At an elevation of 8,497-8,545 feet, this 1.5-mile loop trail circles Cerro La Jara, the smallest volcanic dome in the park, which formed about 500,000 years ago when lava oozed up and onto the caldera floor. South Mountain, to the west, and Cerro del Medio, on the opposite side of Valle Grande, are also volcanic domes and can be seen from this trail. The trail passes through a prairie dog colony; they’ll be keeping an eye out for hikers and will make an alarm call as hikers approach and then scurry underground. Keep an eye out for them (and their large burrows) and their main predator, the coyote. Elk may be present late in the day at the base of South Mountain. Photo by G. Farrell/NPS