Driving the Sandia Crest Scenic Byway

Back in Albuquerque again for the Roller Figure Skating National Championships.  Not finding much interesting architecture to photograph that I haven't already got so trying to explore  more of the natural side of the state.  While driving the Turquoise Trail National Scenic byway the other day I took a slight detour on this path to the crest of the Sandia Mountains.  My only complaint about the road was that the few pull offs that were available were not at places that offered scenic vistas.  Nevertheless, it's a beautiful drive that I would highly recommend.  Incidentally, since there was no where to pull over, many of these shots were through the windshield.  I tried my best to reduce the glare from the glass but it's still visible in some places.

The End Is Near...

...of the pictures, not the hike.  About an hour before we finally reached the lower tram parking lot and happily climbed into our van, I became tired of everthing and put my camera away in my backpack.  So the pictures will end before our hike did.

Dark clouds were brewing on the other side of the mountain and beginning to come over the top.  As worried as a was about potential flash floods and lightning, I was thrilled at the prospect of rain and the cool relief that it would bring my scorched body and dry throat.  Stumbling along by myself I felt like someone lost in the desert without food or water hundreds of miles from civilization.

The last picture I took.  While rapidly losing stamina and hope civilization suddenly seemed attainable.  The tram station was still way out of sight around the mountain.  I seriously considered trying to make my way to one of these houses and begging for help or calling a cab or just jumping in someone's pool.  We had long since left the cool mountain air and I'd been out of water for about an hour.  Luckily about 20 minutes after this it started to rain and shortly after that I was reunited with both parts of my group as one had caught up to me and the other had lost the trail and waited for the rest of us to reach them.  The last leg of the trail was virtually nonexistant but we managed to follow it and finally reached our van.

Still Trying To Get Off The Mountain

Looking back up at some of the rocks we traversed on our way down.

At this point we've been hiking down the mountain for three hours.  In the distance you can see civilization and how high up we still are.