Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've lived in both ABQ and Denver so I've had the pleasure of enjoying the Sandias and the Rockie's, but I do have to say that the Sandia's take a backseat when it comes to the Rockie's. The Sandias offer a great backdrop to the city of ABQ, thank god ABQ has the Sandia's.
The Sandia's proximity to ABQ can be a blessing.....and a curse!?
While it opens up the great outdoors, to hundreds of thousands of ABQ residents.
Often on weekends, the solitude that one might desire, just isn't to be found?
I'll often drive South, to the much less crowded Manzano Mountains, where me and my two Shelties, will have all the solitude we desire.
I would be interested in knowing from people ( when they add a post to
this thread )please say if you have hiked the La Luz Trail.
I'll put that I have hiked it both ways, but have done the one-way+tram
version of the hike also.
I have hiked it all the way up and back only about three times. I've also used the Old La Luz Trail to bypass some of the many switchbacks. Once I made the mistake of taking the tram back down, not realizing how far it was (and more uphill) from the bottom of the tram to the La Luz trailhead where I was parked. Man, that was rough! And I ran out of water. Another time I went with a friend who had never hiked it and only wanted to hike down, so we parked one car at the trailhead, drove in the other car to the tram and rode up. It felt like cheating, but it was fun.
Many more times, however, I've done partial climbs. I find I enjoy the trail up to the talus slopes. I don't much like traversing the talus. There is an overlook at Chimney Canyon just short of the talus that I enjoy stopping at for a snack or lunch, and then head back down.
Also several other times I've just done the loop from the parking lot at the Crest House, down to the fork of the spur trail and La Luz and then over the more level trail to the top of the tram, continuing back along the Crest Trail to the parking lot. That is always a great hike. Right now I bet it's jumping with noisy grasshoppers!
The lower part of the trail is just inhospitable in summer so I will wait for a cool day in October to hit La Luz again. I had thought I would never do the whole thing again but I've been improving my fitness and have the urge to go all the way again. Having a couple of friends who have done the La Luz Run several times is also motivating.
For those that don't know what this is; it's also called "the rockslide."
Looking down from the crest, it looks like a pile of rocks with a trail
that runs through it.
Even on the hottest days, you can feel cool air blowing out of it
near the bottom. I assume that deep within it, there is ice all twelve
months of the year. The exposure is to the NE. It is in shadow most
of the morning and only gets indirect sun during the afternoon.
When the snow falls on it in October, you can count on there being
snow there till, at least, late April - at least in the nooks and crannies.
Here is a flickr search on La Luz (http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?m=pool&w=36092056@N00&q=%22la+luz%22 - broken link).
The talus slopes are just visible in some of these pictures
just below the large jutting rock formation called "The Thumb."
The picture that aries63 posted looks down on that formation.
In some of the flickr pictures you can see the same trail winding
up/down the slopes.
Addendum: for those not up to the climb, check out this youtube video: http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=gk8Dj9...eature=related
There are some great shots of the talus slopes, and general vicinity
as well as shots from inside the old La Luz Mine and a nearby cabin.
One of the related videos that show up is of the TWA crash site.
Walking back from class, my favorite thing to look at is the mountains. I love how they seem to have their own personality. They're some of the most provocative mountains i've ever been lucky to see, and I feel tremendously happy with the fact that I live so close. This might be my favorite thread on this entire forum
I have spent, by my estimation, almost 200 nights in the Sandias (I took the bus to Tramway and Montgomery and hitched or hiked in from there almost every weekend of my first two years at UNM ) and probably another 200+ dayhikes. With all that, I have only hiked La Luz twice. My favorite hikes are Embudo, Embudito, Pino, Tree Spring, Faulty, and the related spur trails.
How wide is the path through the talus? I can't get an idea of how wide it is at the picture's angle.
I would say an average of 3 feet wide. Wouldn't you say, mort? The picture makes the trail look smooth, but it is very rocky. The trail is fairly level, but you have to watch your step since it's easy to trip while looking at the view. And if it's wet the rocks can get slippery, worn down as they are by many hiking shoes.
An up-close picture from flickr here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/26521676@N00/2956799383/ - broken link).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There is an overlook at Chimney Canyon just short of the talus that I enjoy stopping at for a snack or lunch, and then head back down.
Having a couple of friends who have done the La Luz Run several times is also motivating.
