At the tail end of our week in Santa Fe in early September, Kim and I drove to Albuquerque and hiked the epic trail from the lower goldola parking lot to the top of Sandia Peak.  Our route hiking about a mile, mostly laterally, to join the main summit trail, and then after many scenic hours and a few thousand feet of climbing, deviating to the left to reach the actual peak.   At the “snack shack” at the summit, we purchased a couple quarts of Gatorade to enjoy out on the deck which was perched thousands of feet above the city.  Another couple miles generally downhill and through the woods along the limestone cliffs, we reached the upper tram terminal.

By the time we bought our tickets to take the tram down, we’d ascended close to 4500′ and traversed about 10.5 miles.  Spectacular views all day, perfect weather, and end-of-season hiking legs made for a memorable hike.  And a fun and easy 10-minute ride down to our car.

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Kim comtemplating the trail to Sandia Peak