La Luz Trail

The La Luz Trail is an Albuquerque classic that I have been told to try ever since I moved here a month ago. Well, I finally hiked a portion of it yesterday. BEAUTIFUL! AND, I had my first PB&J hiking sammy. I gotta say it was the PERFECT trail sammy. Yay!





Here is the skinny:

9 mile hike up with option of taking the tram down or looping down the tram trail and then traversing back to the trailhead via a two mile connector trail. 18 miles roundtrip.

Altitude gain: 7,000 to 10,378

Alleged wildlife present: Mountain Lions, black bears, Mule and whitetail deer, elk, turkey and pronghorn antelope.
Wildlife seen first hand: Itty bitty lizards, various beetles, giant crows, hawks.

Why I liked it: Very well maintained trail, popularity with runners makes it feel safe for a solo hiking adventure, close to town for day hike adventure, impressive cliff faces, beautiful cactus flowers, some rather unexpected lush areas (a nice contrast to the desert at lower elevations), high elevation weather provides nicer hiking temperatures and a nice breeze but also rapidly changing weather to beware of...

Warning: Start early to avoid afternoon thunderstorms/monsoons, bring supplies for unexpected weather. If you fear little lizards you may want to walk behind someone.