There are 10,000 reasons to hike this trail, but I only needed one

The 10K trail got its name because it follows a ridge along the 10,000 foot elevation line in the Sandia Mountains.

I was here because I’d put the word out on social media for a hike I’d never done before. I’ve spent the past two summers chasing shade, and there are fewer and fewer cool, shady hikes close to Albuquerque that I haven’t done.

When a friend suggested the 10K trail, I knew we had a contender.

The trail gains a total of just 600 feet in elevation over its five-mile one-way length. Piece of cake, right?

Heh.

There’s plenty of up-and-down within that 600-foot range, but what really makes this trail challenging is 1) the high elevation (huff, puff) and 2) the ankle workout from the tree root networks poking out of the path.

This is spruce-fir-aspen wonderland, complete with carpets of wildflowers and many kinds of mushrooms. The sweet-sharp smell of fir was our constant companion. Neither my husband nor I could resist poking a finger in a drip of fir sap. At some points the trail was mostly deadfall, mushrooms growing out of giant dead spruce trunks.

As we reached a beautiful overlook just a quarter-mile in, thunder rumbled. We debated turning back, but neither of us wanted to and both our instincts told us no storm was close enough to present danger, so we kept going.

There was plenty of traffic on this hike, but the folks who were just out there to gossip turned around after about a mile. The silence was even more welcome because we’d craved it.

I got into the rhythm of the hike, the trail leveled out more, and breathing became easier. We turned around after two and a half miles, and I realized why that last part of the trip out had felt so easy – it was all downhill. I huffed and puffed again.

Once we were close enough to the trailhead that I knew I’d get back under my own power, I had another problem; I did not want to leave.

Chickadees and nuthatches twittered above, squirrels and chipmunks darted along fallen logs, and sunlight filtered in through the trees. It was a cool 75 degrees with a refreshing breeze – even with rain nearby, the elevation kept it from being humid.

We heard thunder rumbling again on the last mile of the hike. But I couldn’t say no to stopping for a snack at the overlook, or walking down into a meadow to get a better view of the San Pedro Mountains.

The fields of wildflowers that had begun our hike greeted us again at the trailhead. Another side trail called to me, but the thunder grew more persistent and the dark clouds were rolling our way.

We climbed in the truck and drove the 11 miles back down the mountain. We caught the flint-smell of rain about halfway down. We drove through puddles. Mist rolled off the road’s surface. The temperature dropped another 10 degrees. Then, real rain, a steady beat against our windows that kept up all the way through Tijeras Canyon.

We passed the lovely trail that’s closed for three months due to heavy bear activity.

We passed the sign telling us we were leaving the Cibola National Forest, “Land of Many Uses.”

Hiker and motorcyclist and bear and caterpillar and chipmunk, all using the mountain in different ways.

I gave thanks for it and took my leave until I am lucky enough to be at 10,000 feet again.

Hike length: 5 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Trail traffic: Moderate

Wildlife spotted: chickadees, nuthatches, caterpillar, butterflies, chipmunk, squirrel