South Piedra Lisa Trail, June 2020.

Beautiful little hike just outside Albuquerque in the Sandia Foothills. I had just returned to New Mexico from Oregon, so this one was a beautiful "welcome back home" hike.

Find the full description on AllTrails HERE.

Ellis Trail, North Sandia Peak, main Sandia Peak.

Started out at the Ellis Trail parking lot and then meandered between Ellis Trail and the trails between North Sandia Peak and the main Sandia Peak.

Find Ellis Trail on AllTrails HERE.

Embudo and Three Guns Spring (Tres Pistolas) Trail.

On two separate occasions I hiked the Embudo Trail starting in the Sandia Foothills, and the Three Guns Trail that originates in the Tres Pistolas open space north of Carnuel and Monticello.

AllTrails combines the two into the Embudo Canyon hike.

Rio En Medio Falls and Rio En Medio Trail.

This trail originates outside of Santa Fe, east of Tesuque Pueblo and the Chupadero neighborhood. This trail is currently closed. I hiked it during the summer of 2020, there was plenty of water and wildlife around.

Find the details on AllTrails HERE.

Pajarito Mountain Loop.

This one is located outside Los Alamos, by the ski area. Amazing views, highly recommend!

Check it out HERE.

South Sandia Peak, my favorite hike!!

This lovely trail originates in the Canyon Estates neighborhood in Tijeras Canyon and then loops up on the south ridge of the Sandias, passing by Travertine Falls. I love this trail because it is long and somewhat difficult, and not a lot of people go up to South Sandia Peak so you will have it all to yourself.

I have done this hike three times over the past years, twice from Canyon Estates and another time starting in the Sandia foothills on the west side of the mountains.

Find the loop on AllTrails HERE.

Agua Sarca Trail.

This trail originates outside Placitas and then winds its way up the north side of the Sandias, at first through steep canyons and later on the gently sloped back side of the Sandia Mountains. You can connect from there to North Sandia Peak and the main Sandia Peak and many other trails.

HERE it is on AllTrails.

La Luz Trail.

This is generally a long and challenging trail, and you can do it in a variety of ways. I started out by the tram station, parked my car there and then hiked north to meet the La Luz trail. I went up from there and hit the peak by the visitor area and parking lot. From there I went south on the crest trail past Kiwanis Cabin and to the tram station on top of the Sandias. Had a snack at the bistro and took the tram back down. Beautiful hike, beautiful day.

HERE is La Luz Trail on AllTrails, but you may have to pick some other trails to combine it into what I did.

Find the Sandia Tram website HERE, and the restaurant on top of the Sandias HERE.

Next I hiked the Canoncito and Cienega Loop twice in a row.

You start on the east side of the Sandias and work your way up to where the trail meets the Pino trail coming up from the Sandia foothills. From there you go south, back down the mountain, and back north to where you started. I think I hiked it once this way, and the other time vice versa, in the other direction, south first, then up the mountain, north, and back down.

HERE is the loop on AllTrails.

I used Montem hiking poles for the first time, I quite like it, makes ascending the mountain a little easier.

Oso Ridge and Embudito Trail to South Peak.

Hiked up to my beloved South Peak again, this time via the Oso Ridge Trail on the way up and the Embudito Trail on the way down. Quite amazing!

Osha Loop Trail via 10k and Sandia Peak.

Here I started out with the 10k Trail and the Osha Loop and ended up hiking to main Sandia Peak and back to the 10k trailhead.

Find the Osha Loop and 10k Trail HERE.

Pino Trail.

Attempted the Pino Trail but there was a lot of snow and I didn't have snow shoes or yak tracks/crampons. Still very beautiful.

Find the whole Pino Trail HERE.

First drive of the collection!

I went down south to visit friends and came through Lincoln on the way home.

Really interesting local history, check it out HERE.

Cedro Peak.

Took a drive out east from Albuquerque and drove up as far as I could on Cedro Peak, then hiked the rest up to the top.

Took a long drive south, visited some cool spots, and drove on some beautiful roads:

Abo Pass, Salinas Pueblo ruins, WSMR 7 south, then back home over the Quebradas Backcountry Byway.

For snacks I carried some good old turkey jerky and trail mix.

White Ridge, Ojito Wilderness, and Cabezon Peak.

Long drive again, this time around the White Ridge, Ojito Wilderness, and Cabezon Peak.

Drove north on the 550 from Bernalillo, turned onto Cabezon Road, then followed the pipeline road northwest for a while, turned left to get to Shark Tooth Ridge, and then north from there around Cabezon and back onto the 279 past San Luis and back to 550.

White Ridge Trail System.

Ojito Wilderness.

Cabezon Wilderness Study Area.

Sandias, Salinas ruins, and Quabradas Scenic Byway. 

Drove around the Sandias on the 165 between the Crest Road and Placitas, then down to Salinas and Quebradas.

First drive in my then new baby, a 1997 GMC Suburban. It has since then undergone some modifications. Sadly right now it sits in Albuquerque with a broken transmission. I am saving money to get her fixed up and back on the trails.

Went on a road trip with a group of new off-road friends I made. We went to Socorro, and then into the foothills and canyons of the Magdalena Mountains. Really fun ride. Made me hungry for more off-roading and camping. Purchasing the Suburban was the right choice because I (6'2) can comfortably sleep in the back of it without having to mess with a tent. 

Went up the Sandias again, this time in the snow. I had just had eye surgery so the snow was very bright. Luckily they gave me some sexy sunglasses. 

Went down south, east of Belen to cruise around some of the dirt roads there and visit a piece of land I had just bought in the area.

Drove around some dirt roads outside Placitas and then up Mount Taylor. I had just gotten a lift and new suspension for my truck (I named her Zippy the Snowflake), so this was sort of a test drive to see how it rode and felt now. It was super fun. Had some rain up on Mt. Taylor but it was beautiful, fairly wet, very green and lush all around (for New Mexico).

Hiked the Cienega and Canoncito Loop again. Came very close to some deer. 

My mom came to visit. This was her second visit to New Mexico but this time I had the means and transportation to take her around the state. On her first visit she went to Santa Fe, the Sandia Crest and Madrid, and around Albuquerque, so for the second visit we decided to go elsewhere. We went to Taos, Mt. Taylor, White Sands, and some other amazing places in between.

A few months after my mom my dad and his wife also came to visit. It was their first visit to New Mexico, so I did a similar tour with them as with my mom, plus a few places I didn't go to with my mother. We went up the Sandias, to Madrid, to Santa Fe, Taos, Bandelier, around Albuquerque, to White Sands, ToC, Elephant Butte Lake, and the VLA. It was quite amazing.

South Sandia Peak once again.

This was sort of a going-away hike for me. Little did I know that I would be returning home very soon to resume my adventuring in this wonderful state.

Took a drive into the Zuni Mountains outside Grants and then hiked to the top of Mount Sedgwick, the highest point in the Zunis. Very beautiful drive and hike, the dirt roads in and out were mostly fine except for a few spots. 

AllTrails has it as a point to point hike HERE.

Find more info on the Zuni Mountains and Mount Sedgwick HERE.