The La Luz Trail

There are great trails everywhere in the Albuquerque area, but the one any local hiker would recommend to a visitor would be the La Luz trail.
At about nine miles in length, it extends from the high desert foothills at the bottom to cool meadows and wildflowers at the top. As a native of the city, I've hiked and ran up it plenty of times and have gotten a feel for its character.

Firstly, before out of towners go up the trail, I would recommend waiting two to three days after arriving in town to adjust to the altitude. The city itself is about a mile high, the La Luz trail head is about 7,000 feet in altitude, and it ends at over 11,000 feet. Have some kind of comfortable hiking shoe if at all possible. Though the trail is popular, the whole mountain is made of hard, chunky granite and the pines have extremely tough roots that stick up out of the ground. Bad shoes=hot spots and huge blisters. I might recommend stocking up on mole skin. For people from back East, it's basically a type of band-aid to protect blisters from further friction. Also, bring plenty of water and food, common sense. Wear some kind of hat at this altitude if you don't want to be quite crispy by the end of the day. I would recommend going on a weekend day morning if you want to meet lots of the locals. People on the trail are very friendly and will likely greet you with a genuine smile. Finally, the same guy has taken the parking fees for as long as I can remember. He's a tough and wiry elderly gentleman with the park service. He can be laconic in the fashion of one who spends his time outdoors, but he will be able to tell you anything you could possibly want to know about the trail and its current condition.

In the beginning, there are scrubby, gnarled pine trees, prickly pear, cholla cactus, and yucca plants. There are huge pink granite boulders right by the side of the trail. Down here, it is quite arid and hot. There are constant twists, ups and down as you go in and out of sandy folds and gullies. Before you've gone far you will see a cottage built of stone. You will later see another on top of the mountain. I've never read it anywhere, but the local lore I've heard is that these houses were built during the great depression to give people work. Today, they're great places for a picnic and I thought they were awesome to play in when I was a kid. Inside, people have scratched in tons of markings over the decades. As you reach the tops of these first hills, look at the rolling foothills now below. You will be able to see some of the most expensive property and homes in the city. You might notice one huge house that even has an observatory on top. I've heard rumor that a foreign dignitary lives there.

When you reach a certain altitude, ascent becomes constant and you find yourself in pine forest. You will be in shady regions every time you take a switchback around a shoulder of the mountain. You can find yourself feeling quite chilly in shady areas, which can come as a surprise to first timers who have been in scorching heat so far.

At about the three mile point there is a ridge that juts out from the rest of the mountain and if you're a newby, you might miss the side trail that goes all the way to the tip of this promontory with its great view of the city. This point is about as far as one can usually hope to make it in the winter months and it's a great place to have a picnic with a view and then turn around for those on a shorter day hike.

Beyond this point the pine forest thickens and shade becomes constant as the air cools still further. For a time, the ground is soft with fallen pine needles and the trail is almost flat. This is your break before you hit the most challenging part of the trail. For the next while, the journey will be defined by picking your way up steep switchbacks littered with crumbled granite. Watch your footing, some of the stones are loose.

Getting through this part can be tough, but once you're through it, you'll be walking through a balmy high altitude forest and will be seeing the first wildflowers. The reward is well worth it. At the top, there are more goodies still. At a fork in the road, one way goes to the parking lot, the other to the tram station.

After the hike up and with bad weather frequently coming in after early afternoon, the tram is almost as popular with locals as it is with tourists. It is one of the longest tramways in the world and it will take its passengers on a scenic ride all the way back to the bottom in minutes. Just one note, though: if you have an animal with you, it will have to be put in a cage and you'll have to pay for another ticket.

If you have extra time and an empty stomach, there is a restaurant on the top of the mountain by the tram station. At night, you can see its little light at night shining almost as if it were a star low in the sky. In any case, it's somewhat expensive because of its location but it serves up good burgers. You can ask how you want your burger cooked and it's a respectable portion of good quality meat. I would particularly recommend the green chile cheeseburger or the blue cheese and onion burger. During the winter, the restaurant serves hungry skiers. You will be able to see the ski lifts behind the tram station and restaurant.

Before you go back down on the tram for the day, I highly recommend walking down the Sandia Crest trail. This path runs a few miles along the very top of the mountain with not only some of the most spectacular views but with meadows full of colorful wildflowers. Also to be found along this trail is the second stone house, which is perched right on a cliff's edge overlooking the city. I still remember how a cousin from back East who had never seen a mountain before went up to this precipice and lay on his stomach looking out across the desert landscape towards the far off cone of Mount Taylor.

The crest trail ends with the parking lot. If you know someone in town who can pick you up and don't want to take the tram, this is the place to meet them. Also, one just might notice the towering radio antennas nearby, which can easily be seen from many miles away. Also of note is a gift shop selling mugs, collector's spoons, and various tourist items. It has a small café as well that sells snacks and drinks.

Finally, no guide on this subject can be complete without addressing the La Luz trail run. Once every year in early August, there is a nine mile race from the bottom of the mountain to the parking lot at the top. It's been a local event for decades, but in the last several years, the race has gained national and even international attention. The forest service allows only 400 runners at one time, so there is a strict cap on the number of participants. A spot in the La Luz trail run has become something of a hot item. It's necessary both to apply months in advance and win their lottery. I had the privilege of competing in the event in 1998. It was right as the event was getting popular, but not before it became truly difficult to get in. It was the most challenging run of my life! When you get near the top, the oxygen deprivation finally gets to you. If you ever have the privilege to try it out, don't be surprised if there's a few memory gaps near the end. On this run, they don't give you your commemorative t-shirt until you finish. It makes that shirt seem like a trophy.

The then New Mexico governor and dedicated triathlete, Gary Johnson, was among the finishers that day and he's showed up at the La Luz trail run since then. As a politician who caused sensation with his extreme sports injuries and a pro-marijuana stance, he's a prominent state personality. He's had competition, though. The current governor, Bill Richardson has been involved in negotiations concerning a future spaceport... Hollywood actor Val Kilmer has been talking about running for governor...That's New Mexico for you. I can't help but love it.

And as for the race winners, the locals still take gold every year despite the race's growing prominence. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a big advantage in having an intimate knowledge of the course...

To conclude, the La Luz trail is an excellent place to have an Albuquerque experience. Even if you're alone, you'll encounter plenty of friendly locals on the trail, you'll get to walk through three or four different biomes on your way up, see spectacular views, take the tram, and sleep like a baby at the end of the day.