Sandia Peak - via the Turquoise Trail

Yesterday morning after baking some peanut butter muffins, I grabbed a couple of them and a cup of orange juice, packed a couple mesquite turkey breast and provolone cheese sandwiches then, headed east on I-40 where I caught the Turquoise Trail (highway 14) north towards Santa Fe.  I decided not to use the Tramway as originally thought and opted for seeing more of the mountain and countryside around it -- spent the $17 on gas instead of the Tramway.

I only went a short distance north on highway 14 and then cut over on highway 536 at Sandia Park where I headed for Sandia Crest (elevation 10,678 ft.) and hoped to enjoy my breakfast at the top.  This "Scenic Byway" (as it was described on the highway signs) was a two-lane, winding road with minimal pullouts for taking in the scenic views and whenever you did pullout you didn't have the views for pictures unless you parked and hiked to some unknown spots (no good trail maps were posted either -- just signs that you had better have a "recreation pass" on your car or get ticketed).

It wasn't any different at the top too and neither the gift shop nor bathrooms were open for use or "recreation" -- lots more signs indicating you had better pay the $3 (pay stations were open, of course).  The view at the top was fairly spectacular but, the wayfinding signage had been vandalized with big black markers so, they were fairly illegible (except for one out of the four).  Thanks a lot you sick little bastards (whoever you are).

After taking some pictures, this old man had to head back down the road to the nearest open facilities where I enjoyed one of those muffins and the cup of orange juice with a banana.  I then drove up and down the road some short distances and pulled out on some dirt shoulders to get some more picturesque views to the east and the valley below where the Turquoise Trail wound its way north past vineyards and in front of the San Pedro Mountains and the Ortiz Mountains -- beyond that, nothing but, the featureless desert I had seen last spring on my trip north from Carlsbad and through Roswell (on my way to southwest Colorado).

From there I headed to a nearby entrance to an unimproved road (route 165) which is usually closed from Nov. 1st to May 1st -- it was open so I took the 4-wheel road some 6 or 6.5 miles along the mountainside and along a small creek before hitting an asphalt highway again on the other side of the mountain.  A little more scenic that way.  Came out along "Gringo Gulch" where there were some beautiful southwest style homes dotting the hillsides (each probably on about 5 acres of land with beautiful views of the northern valley above Albuquerque).

I then connected back onto I-25 heading into Albuquerque and continued back to my campground to spend the rest of the day with the twins and make sure the RV did not get too hot -- we spent most of afternoon outdoors with the awning out and enjoyed its shade and mild temps.  Note the snow among the trees in the picture above -- I thought it would be cooler up there but, was suprised to see so mjuch snow in the shadows of the trees.