Santa Fe to Albuquerque

Five days of hiking was necessary to walk from Santa Fe to Alberquerque. I pushed my body hard walking approximately 91 miles. The post holing through deep snow at the top of Sandia Crest at over 10,000 feet was hard since I was just at sea level.

The picture above shows the wildernesses boundary sign as I leave the wildernesses and approach Alberquerque for a day of rest. Two hours prior I was in four feet of snow, and now I am surrounded by cactus.

The route went as expected, except the deep snow because I thought there would only be about a foot on the crest. I also expected people I encountered along the way to be nice, and this is true. I was offered a beer over a barb wire fence, and Delphine & Camellia chatted with me how the Fallon plate subduction and continental rifting created the Sandia Mountains. I laughed because this strangely made me think of Maria. (I know Maria is laughing now, during COVID we watched a college geology lecture series that talked about this, now two people on trail are telling me about the New Mexico rift.)

I am enjoying my day of rest with Marsha and Larry parents of my friend Patrick. I was just greeted by their corgi as it hopped into the bed, but who’s legs were too short to hop off. This made me laugh.

I am looking forward to what is to come because the start has been very enjoyable.