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The view is dizzying; we drove to the trailhead and there were bicyclists speeding down the peak who had apparently biked up or possibly taken the tram from below. (There's a race next weekend that goes through this area, so there's even more bicycle activity than usual. That's the entire city of Albuquerque below, this must be amazing at sunset and right after. With temperatures in the 70s a mere 3,000 feet below, we were a little surprised to encounter as much snow as we did. We were dressed warm enough, but we got our ankles a little wet. Sydney's friend's grandfather. He's Swiss and he just loved the thin air and expansive views.
Winds on the crest were wicked. When you fly over, the leeward side of the mountain is rich and green, the windward side is basically barren. This tree was in the 1 or 2 feet right in between. Looking back north toward home; that's the little Ortiz mountains right in the middle of the photo. They're roughly halfway between where we are in this photo and where we live. All the way in the hazy back - the wind really stirs up the dust and makes distant views hazy - are the Sangre de Cristos that we live at the base of. (Yes, I ended with a preposition. It's colloquial or something.) It's very difficult to see in this photo, but we were headed toward the old Kiwanis stone cabin at the very back of this photo just where the trees dip down in the middle.
I had a touch of high altitude sickness, basically a hint of a headache. The thin air is both intoxicating and maddening; you feel relaxed and your heart races. Slightly dreamlike. I was super edgy about my daughter and her friend running around and I was very salty about keeping them well away from the edge. Amazing, huge views. We finally made it. Very cool and out of place. The Kiwanis built this, I think it said it was in the 30s. The informational placards were either eroded or vandalized and we couldn't see what the original purpose was. Strangers, always wandering into my field of view. Nice point of reference for the size and orientation of the landscape though. (Bastards.)
Sydney and her friend. Skirt day again for Sydney, but no bells this time. There was a ring of mostly dead trees surrounding the Kiwanis structure. It was regular enough that it was clearly intentional, but I can't imagine how they got trees started in this rocky bed. The odd pitch to the trail was easier to see on the return hike. My headache mostly disappeared after some lunch, but quickly came back while herding the young ones. There were hundreds of ladybugs on the path, and between that as a distraction and the threat of the wind blowing caps away, I was a lot more tense than I usually am on a hike.
You can see these from I-25 when you approach Albuquerque. I'm not sure exactly what they do, but I got a great sunburn by basking in their warming, invisible glow. At least I think it's a sunburn... Not nearly as much fear as I'd occasionally like. I think they both had ladybugs in their hands while I shot this.
   
Photos 1 - 15 out of 16 | Back to Albums
Description: Gave Anette a quiet house to study in and went for a long trip to Sandia Crest, one of the highest peaks in the area. It's the backdrop to Albuquerque and about 60 miles from our house. (It's very easy to see it from our neighborhood, although at our house the view is blocked by trees.) We were at 10,600+ feet, and even though we're already used to 7,000 or so feet of elevation from where we live, we definitely could feel the height. Even though it was in the 70s down where we lived, it was cool and very windy and there was still snow on the ground. We hiked to the old Kiwanis cabin and turned around to picnic on the leeward side of Sandia Peak before heading back. It was a good workout for my new very-wide zoom lens, which I love more and more.
Location: Sandia Mountains, just outside Albuquerque NM

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