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As I look through all the pictures that have been posted, I'm reminded of all the beautiful things that NM has to offer. Many of which I've taken for granted.
A view of the Sandia mountains from the Sandia Lakes.
A rainbow with the Sandia Mountain in the background.
Roadrunner hangin out in the back yard...........beep....beep!
These beautiful gals were standing next to the road by Hollywood Hills Casino. Yes, they are WILD ones.
(I did not have to zoom in, this how close they were)
I decided today to go for what many hikers consider to be the 'brass ring', Hillsboro Peak, in the Gila Wilderness. Since my departure from this wonderous state is imminent, I took it upon myself to draw up a self-imposed bucket list of activities I must undertake, without any sure knowledge that I will live here again in the future.
Hillsboro Peak, in my view, blew out everything in its wake, in my own world of personal experiences. I am not what I would consider to be well-traveled, yet, I've seen a lot of pristine areas: the Olympic peninsula in Washington State, Silver Falls State Park Oregon, the spires in Sedona, Muir Woods, the upper St. Joe in Idaho, as well as some New Mexico expeditions locally in Las Cruces and in Santa Fe. Today was the end. I just counted number of pictures taken on this hike to Hillsboro Peak, and it totals 140. There is no way, however, these pictures can do the hike justice. One thing: it was cold. Many perceive New Mexico as a sub-tropical state, and that perception is largely a canard. The trailhead to Hillsboro Peak was at Emory Pass: it was over 8000 feet in elevation when I undertook this hike. It is not uncommon to register 8000 feet in this state, it's surprisingly achieveable. In fact, only Colorado has a higher net elevation than New Mexico. I saw something today that I haven't seen in a while: steam coming from my breath. It was bitter, in fact, it's warmer outside right now in Las Cruces as I type this than it was in broad day light in the Gila Wilderness. The hike is a long one: my resources say 14 miles, but I want to say it's probably closer to 10-12 miles. The last mile is almost entirely vertical, switchback city. What awaited me there was somewhat surprising: a tower and lookout station for the U.S. Forest Service, to ensure that lightning strikes in the summer do not permeate into the Gila. Needless to say, on a cloudless, crisp November day, such fears were not to be realized.
Enough of the sermon, here are some many pictures. Enjoy them.
My father took me and my siblings on that hike when we were young (40+ years ago). We complained all the way up, but the view was well worth it, and the downhill return was better. Thanks for the pix.
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A view of the Sandia mountains from the Sandia Lakes.
They are cool, tho. 
Hillsboro Peak
