The Sandia Mountains rise grandly east of Albuquerque, an uplifted block with sheer west-facing cliffs and gentle forested east-facing slopes. The effect is particularly interesting as seen from an airplane while circling the airport. The Sandias are a magnet for hikers and tourists, with options ranging from a paved road up the east side to the top, to miles of excellent hiking trails, and even a tramway from the west. The hiking option up La Luz Trail is long but nothing impossible. However, it is a long day hike and I haven't yet allotted a full day for the hike. Thus, in my two visits to Sandia Crest, I have taken the tram once and another time for the road. Some day, La Luz.

First Visit, March 2000: I was on my Spring Break from teaching, so I decided to spend it in New Mexico and seeking out various county highpoints. I left home around 4 a.m. and eight hours later, arrived in Albuquerque, with Sandia Crest and its highpoint on my immediate agenda.

There was still a fair amount of snow up high, so the long hiking trail seemed less appealing. Instead, the tram offered a perfect way to kill a few hours and have a whole lot of fun while at it. I found the tram station, paid my fee and got onto the tram with a whole batch of others. The tram ride is fascinating and fun, and gains 4,000 vertical feet before letting off at the range crest, about 1.75 miles south of the highpoint at Sandia Crest.

Most people were happy enough to hang around the upper tram area and make short walks, but I took off, following a series of muddy and goopy trails, and eventually just snow, until I gained the top. The hike was easy and the gain about 300 feet. There were a number of people at the top, most having driven up. I stuck around for photos and some relaxing, then started my walk back to the tram. On the way I stopped at the Kiwanis Cabin, a small stone cabin about 3/4 mile south of the summit, and visible from the tram as it sits on a promontory overlooking the cliffs. It's also an outside contender for the highpoint as it is listed as 10,640 feet elevation. That was amusing, and shortly I was back to the upper tram station, where I waited for my ride down.

The whole adventure took just a couple hours and I had a lot of fun, even getting some exercise while at it. Back down in Albuquerque, I ate a quick lunch then got moving again, up Interstate-25 toward Las Vegas (NM). The next day, I would pick off a whole series of high plains county highpoints, starting with the volcanic plug at Sugarloaf Mountain in Harding County.

Second Visit, September 2003: My wife Beth and I were spending the weekend in New Mexico, and had just succeeded on two highpoints: Little Costilla Peak in Colfax County the day before, and Elk Mountain in San Miguel County earlier today. Once off of Elk Mountain, we visited some more in downtown Santa Fe, then took a scenic back by-way, state highway NM-14, back toward Albuquerque. The highway is called the Turquoise Trail, and it runs through a few small settlements that came into being during the mining booms of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Turquoise was mined here, as was gold (pre-dating the California Gold Rush), and coal. Nowadays the towns are in a state of arrested decay, and many of them, especially Madrid, have become artist's colonies. We had fun walking around the shops.

From Madrid, we eventually found our way to the east side of the Sandia Mountains. Highway NM-536 runs 14 miles up the forested slopes to top out at the visitor's center and very near the summit. We strolled to the top and snapped some photos. The highpoint rocks are within feet of the viewing platform. On this crystal clear day, we could see miles in all directions. After we drove down, we headed into Albuquerque for a dinner, then flew home that night, the end of a wonderful and productive weekend.