I’ve only been on Tree Springs Trail when it’s 100 degrees in Albuquerque. The trailhead is at 8,500 feet elevation. You step out of your car and instantly you’re in a mountain forest: evergreens soaring overhead, wildflowers at your feet, chipmunks scampering, sky an eye-popping blue. The elevation change alone is good for 10-15 degrees lower temperature than in the valley.
The first time we came out here, the mountain was shrouded in mist and fog. I needed extra layers. We hiked all the way to the Sandia Peak Tram terminal, over seven miles roundtrip.
I was hoping for that same cool mist today, but the only clouds to be seen appeared to be far-off smoke from a fire in the Jemez Mountains. No moisture there.
A thing I cannot overstate about hiking in New Mexico: it’s usually solitary, rarely crowded, and never, ever really crowded. It was a prime, if hot, summer Saturday on a popular trail 30 minutes from downtown, but after saying hello to a few folks at the trailhead, we didn’t see anyone but black-and-white Abert’s squirrels for most of the first hour of our hike.
Much of Tree Springs Trail is deeply shaded. The sections on mountain bends in the sun were already baking at 8 a.m. The trail is a gradual but constant 1,000-foot climb over two miles. Much of the trail is limestone rock, and as you ascend, more and more fossils from when this trail was at the bottom of an ocean appear in the rocks. My husband kept seeing animal shapes in the limestone rock formations, and after he pointed them out, I did too.
Amid the canopy of massive evergreens and sprinklings of wildflowers, some great views over the surrounding mountains and small-town valleys appear. We followed a couple of huge yellow and blue swallowtail butterflies, hoping they’d settle on a flower long enough for us to snap a photo, but couldn’t quite catch them.
It’s been many months since I did a real mountain climb. My calves and ankles felt it, and the low humidity had me guzzling twice as much water as usual (and usual is a lot). As the morning kept warming up, I began to wonder if they’d moved the spectacular overlook at the top of Tree Springs Trail further away. Finally, we passed the wilderness boundary sign and took the path to the overlook. We waited in a shaded glen while a loud couple took overlook selfies. I spotted something moving on the ground. It was the biggest horny toad I’d ever seen, gray and black. We watched him, snapping a few photos, until he disappeared in the brush.
Then we climbed around the enormous overlook, with its panoramic view of dusty, hazy Albuquerque below, faraway mesas and the arrowhead-shaped Sierra Ladrones range 60 miles to the south.
On my previous two visits to this overlook, the winds were so strong it was hard to stand. I understood for the first time why it’s always so bumpy when you’re flying over the Sandias. Today, a cool, gentle breeze offset the baking sun.
There would be no trip up the Crest Trail to the tram today; after the hot climb to the overlook, I had enough energy to make it back down the trail, and that was all. We enjoyed that breeze on the way down, passing panting but happy dogs and their owners as the trail came to life for the day.
Will we have the good fortune of hiking this trail in a gentle mist on a blazing day again? Stay tuned. The current forecast for next Saturday: 103 degrees.
Length: 4 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Trail traffic: moderate
Wildlife spotted: many kinds of butterflies, chipmunks, rabbits, Abert’s squirrels, bluebird, towhees, ginormous horny toad
Woman Seeks Elevation 
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