Sandia Mountains, Tunnel Spring Trail, March 13, 2016

This my first hike on the north end of the Sandias.  I don’t usually hike the Sandias because it seems that I am either going straight up or straight down.  I must admit that each time I hike a different trail there is something unexpected to see; small waterfalls, numerous springs, deep dark forested areas with ferns.

I met with Laurie and Becca, hikers from the WOW WE Meetup Group.  “We usually do this hike after work; it’s a good workout, 1,000’ elevation climb over a mile of trail”.  “The sunsets are fantastic from this trail”.  Were the main statements I heard as we drove to the trailhead.  I haven’t been out for a hike for a while so I am interested in seeing how I do with hikers that do this trail on a regular basis.  I am not interested in setting any records making it up the 1,000’.  After the hike I downloaded our track from my GPS on to Google Earth and see that we are never even close to the elevation of the crest.  This trail tops out at around 7,400’.  Near the top of this trail the North Crest trail joins up with the Tunnel Spring trail providing access to the top of the Sandias.  Maybe next time.

Parking lot in the distance

This hike reminds me of most of my other hikes in the Sandias, up.  Since we start out fairly low, 6,300’ elevation, the hike is easier than if we were up around 9,000’.  The scree along the trail varies in size from pebbles to toasters.  I kept an eye on every step since a misstep could mean a slip leading to who knows what.  I felt better that I was going up instead of down given the steepness of this part the trail.

Stopping several times along the trail to catch my breath I see the landscape open before me.  First I see the Jemez Mountains with the Rio Grande Valley in the foreground.  As we approach the apex of the trail the panorama includes; Mount Taylor, Cabezon Peak, Jemez Mountains, Rio Grande Valley, Bernalillo, Placitas, the tops of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks and the Sangre de Cristo mountains above Santa Fe.  There are many other features that I don’t know or recognize.  In specific locations along the trail I spot our vehicle 1,000’ below us, I don’t feel too bad taking somewhat less that an hour to ascend that thousand feet.

The rocks in this part of the Sandias are different than the southern part where I usually hike.  There is a lot of limestone here instead of the pink granite I have become familiar with.  I am not a geologist so I do not recognize many of the different rocks in the area. Instead I see shapes that remind me of things I am familiar with.  Smooth gray boulders with small white rocks remind me of whales with barnacles.  Other multi-layered rocks with different colors between the layers remind me of either a bad mortar job between bricks or a layered cake with frosting oozing between the layers; the vision depends on whether I’m hungry at the time.

By doing the steep ascent first, then continuing on the loop, the descent is quite easy with an occasional uphill stretch.  Spring is delayed on the north facing slope.  In town many of the trees have already budded and put on leaves; here the buds are just starting to make their appearance.

We did not plan this hike to catch the sunset so I can only imagine what it looks like.  I have a feeling I will be back to experience one sometime this summer.

Thank you for stopping by,

Mark