Sandia Crest

Sometimes the hardest part about a hike is getting the parking down, and after somehow not missing alerts that the La Luz trailhead was closed (and telephoning to verify), I found myself pulling into the La Cueva trailhead before dawn, walking carefully on the gritty parking lot surface to reach the trail (I’m not wearing shoes). 

From there, the climb was long, but fun, starting in the desert valley, switching back and forth through forest higher up to get around the insanely steep and rugged buttresses, and then finally reaching the long straight stretch on the side of the ridge which for me was the worst part because this was all gravel.  Barefooters generally hate gravel, for all the obvious reasons.  So it was a relief to make it to the tramway station, but then I glanced to the north, and it did seem like their was a higher point, and when I asked, yes you have to go another mile to reach a hut, and even there, I saw a pair of hikers and they had just come from a slightly higher point, where finally I saw the geodesic marker.  This last stretch brought the hike to over 9 miles, but it was fun being on the cool dirt paths and smooth slabs on the ridge crest, notwithstanding cool cloudy windy conditions. 

The tramway ride down was a lot easier than reversing the 9 miles!  Plus views of the amazing rugged buttresses erupting from the desert rocks.  Did the last 2 miles from the station back to the car in shoes!