Hiking the Sandia Mountains

It's been about a month since I've gone on the Old La Luz Trail Hike, but I had to share some of the photos I took. It was a gorgeous hike during the fall season. The 7-mile trail led my group and I to the top of the Sandia Mountians, where we took the Tramway back down. It took the group and I about 4-5 hours to complete, including lunch breaks. It was the first time I truly felt the effects of altitude on my breathing.

This shows the Donald Duck rock formation. It was definitely the comical relief during the uphill hike.

This was taken after the lunch break. It was a very memorable portion of the hike. The fallen yellow leaves contrasted so well with the white tree barks, and the occasional green plants accented the scene. Nature's soundtrack was just as fitting with the crunching leaves as the hikers walked and the water brooks in the background. It was a poet's dream.
The fall season can be easily detected in this photo. The scenic mix of mountains and trees definitely portrays the Southwest flavor of beauty.

Now we're getting so close to the Tramway, we can see it. Thank goodness.

Here is a top view of Albuquerque from the peak of the mountains.