ABQ, NM - Hiking in Sandia Mountains

I was so close to the trailheads but somehow I only hiked a few trails. One reason is that there was a walking trail along the side of the road leading to my rental, so even driving 15 minutes was less convenient than just walking outside. I noticed as I travel from place to place that the availability of easy and safe walking is essential for my mental health. I need to do something in the morning, whether it is a short walk or a trip to the gym.

The view of Sandia Mountains from the walking trail

With that said, I did do several hikes:

1) Tree Spring Trail was spectacular. Not too difficult at just 4.5 miles with over 1,000 ft elevation gain, the trail offered the views of ABQ from the west side of Sandia Mountains. It was a pleasant hike with some cardio. Even ABQ, while more desert-like compared to Santa Fe, had mountains with deep forests - such a pleasant surprise.

2) Faulty, Canoncity and Cenega was the closest trail I could find on Alltrails that represented the route I took with a Meetup group. I really thought I was in a pretty good shape after Colorado and weekend hiking in Santa Fe, so when the group mentioned that it is a hard hike, I decided to just go for it. It was  a HARD hike, and not because of the elevation gain, but the speed of the group. We completed 9.63 miles with 2,762 ft elevation gain in 4 hours and 8 minutes. I did a similar hike in Santa Fe with 8.79 miles and 2,710 ft elevation gain in 4 hours and 6 minutes. While an extra mile does not seem like a lot it adds to the speed quite a bit. Sadly, since I had to keep up with the group, I had very little time to stop and take pictures, although the views were nice, but I didn't enjoy them as much as I hoped I would.

3) Rinconada Canyon Trail was brutal as I did it in the full afternoon sun with no shade. Luckily, it was a short loop for just under 2 miles with minimal elevation gain. The trail is part of Petroglyph National Park displaying petroglyphs from hundreds of years ago. I planned to do two more trails in the park but decided not to due to the heat. History is great when the temperatures are reasonable.

4) 10K Trail (North Section) was the last trail I hiked in ABQ. I enjoyed it early in the morning the weekend before I left the city. It is also in Sandia Mountains and is an relatively easy trail at just over 5 miles with around 1,000 ft elevation gain. The views were nice, but I think I enjoyed the forest itself and the shade. 

Sadly, this was it for ABQ.