So yesterday we went on a nice hike up and down the La Luz trail to get out and see the sites. Hiking in New Mexico is a beautiful experience. The hike is 7 miles to the peak and listed as 'strenuous' in several guides, but the first 2 miles is pretty nice. We got to the 2 mile point and could see all of Albuquerque and partially south to parts of the Magdalena Mountains and west to Mount Taylor. At 2 miles it began to rain, and we decided it was a good time and get the kids back to the cars. It had been a pretty hike, and I wondered "Why I don't do this more?"
It was the downward part where I was reminded why. The stone that the Sandia mountains are mainly made of is I think a loose pyroclastic rock. There are small hard parts embedded in a loose sand so that they break apart in what people call "BB-granite". Walking down in various spots it was very much like walking on bb's.. and well I fell down a couple of times (I had forgotten my walking stick). While no where near Seth Vidal levels of injury.. I did get a back spasm, and my hands are messed up a bit. Funny enough, 23 years ago I had done the same thing in the Magdalena mountains.. though that time had been a rolling fall down 20 or 30 feet into a canyon.. it had been the last time I went hiking...
Well played New Mexico mountains, well played. [Of course if all is well I will be trying a different hike next week with the kids.]
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Frank loved this post. Last time I went for a "real" hike in NM was in a park east of Tramway, where I managed to sprain my ankle so bad I was on crutches for 6 weeks. My ankles hasn't been the same since.
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