Supporting Sandia Ranger District Since 1997
with a wide choice of volunteer opportunities
About Us
Who We Are
Our History
Trail Construction
Description
Reports and Photos
General Projects
Description
Reports and Photos
More About Us
Our Board of Directors
Our Awards and Recognition
Trail Maintenance
Description
Reports and Photos
Other Activities
Painting and Graffiti Removal
Youth Outreach
If you enjoy the outdoors and would like to give something back, join Friends of the Sandia Mountains!
Notices and Highlights
Everyone
– We love our mountains!
– Snow on the way?
– FOSM briefs Forest Service volunteer program coordinators
– Decision memo signed for North Sandia Fuels Reduction project
– Forest Service announces temporary area closure of Cedro 4 project area for public health and safety
– Forest Service announces closure for thinning work at the Cedro 4 project area
Members
– Long-time member Don Smiset passed away March 12
– Membership meeting April 1
– Welcome our new members
– Paint crew leader needed
– Time to report March hours
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Weather and Road Conditions
We Love Our Mountains*
Whether you are a hiker, mountain biker, cross-country skier, trail runner, or you just enjoy being in the Sandias, you know that our mountains are one of nature’s special gifts.
Have you ever wondered what you could do to help protect our mountains? Do you want to learn more about the animals and plants you find there? Do you like to meet people who share your concern for the Sandia and Manzanita Mountains?
Welcome! Please explore our website to learn more about the goals and many activities of the Friends of the Sandia Mountains (FOSM). We likely have volunteer opportunities that match your interests and abilities.
*Technically, it’s Sandia Mountain (singular), but we often use the plural to recognize the existence of northern and southern peaks.
New to Albuquerque or just new to the Sandias? Explore the many recreational opportunities our mountains offer. Please carefully read the Safety section.
Please check out our La Luz Trail webpage if you are planning to hike this iconic but too often dangerous trail.
An easy way to get involved is to join Cibola Trail Rangers, an email group consisting of hikers, bikers, XC skiers, horsemen, etc., who frequent the trails in the Sandia Ranger District and are interested in exchanging information on trail conditions on both an immediate and continuing basis. The group includes FOSM members trained to correct reported problems.
Please report corrective actions as well as problems so the FOSM trail maintenance crew doesn’t hike to fix a problem that no longer exists.
Take the Tram to the Top⏤an Unforgettable Experience!
Sandia Peak Tramway makes the top of the mountain easily accessible and one-way hikes of La Luz Trail possible, but be sure to check their website before starting your journey.
Spring Maintenance for the Tram and TEN 3 will begin on Monday, March 31, 2025 and it will finish on Thursday, April 10, 2025. The Tram and TEN 3 will both resume regular operating hours on Friday, April 11, 2025. For more updates and information visit sandiapeak.com.
Snowstorm Coming?
March 31, 2025 – FOSM’s own weatherman Kerry Jones provided this bulletin:
A big time adjustment in the weather pattern is coming our way for the second half of this week. But you already knew that ! April in the East Mountains. 😉 Much cooler temperatures (highs 10-20 degrees below normal) and several opportunities for precipitation with Friday-Saturday looking most promising as of this writing. There’s a good possibility for a dusting to 2″ of wet snow accumulation Friday PM into Saturday in the East Mountains. Areas above 9 kft in the Sandias should see closer to 4-8″ of snowfall as we close out the week. Then again the models have been a little too optimistic of late, but this pattern change will be a significant s
Unfortunately, before we enjoy the cooler temps/precip, we will have to suffer through another day of ugly winds tomorrow (Tuesday) as the initial cold front moves through. Peak gusts between 55-60mph look likely for most of us– not as intense/damaging as our last event but plenty strong to cause issues. In fact, the strong winds aloft are already moving overhead Monday evening and they will be increasingly gusty overnight into early Tuesday.
Below are the charts for a point near Tijeras at 7,500′. It’s a model blend and not the official NWS forecast, but the output is encouraging. The state map is the official NWS forecast.
FOSM Membership Meeting
Winter is over, and it’s time once again to resume our monthly meetings. Please join us April 1 to hear new district ranger Ken Born discuss his priorities for the Sandia Ranger District and his views on strengthening the SRD/FOSM partnership.
Date and Time – April 1, 6:00 PM (Note new starting time)
Location – Sandia Ranger Station conference room
Program abstract – Ken Born is the new district ranger on the Sandia Ranger District. In his first presentation to the Friends of Sandia Mountains, Ken intends to provide his reflections on how partnerships are at the heart of how the Forest Service and Sandia Ranger District accomplishes its mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Ken also plans to share out district, forest, and national priorities for the year – and how he sees the district and FOSM strengthening its own partnership to achieve those priorities in the months and years to come.
Speaker bio – Ken comes to the Sandia Ranger District from the US Forest Service’s Southwestern Regional Office in Albuquerque where he has worked since 2018, primarily as the region’s Recreation Special Uses Program Manager. In this role, he supported administration of commercial permits which authorize ski areas, resorts, marinas, outfitters and guides, and recreation events on National Forest System lands. He has more than 15 years of federal service and has also served in local government, spending his early career working as land use planner. He began his time with the Forest Service as the Forest Planner for the Tonto National Forest in Phoenix, AZ and has been a District Ranger previously on the Coronado National Forest near Tucson, from 2015-18. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in environmental planning from Northern Arizona University, and a Master of Arts degree in public policy from Stony Brook University.
Please join us on the 1st and help welcome Ken to SRD.
Click here for information about past and future meetings.
FOSM Briefs Forest Service Volunteer Program Coordinators
FOSM was honored to be invited to brief the 3rd annual meeting of Forest Service volunteer program coordinators as a model friends organization. Mike Madden, Sam Beard, and Lou Romero presented the adjacent 15-slide overview of FOSM during a nationwide virtual meeting on January 30. Among the 30 participants were Sandia District Ranger Ken Born and Recreation Staff Officer Julie Padilla. Ken made the following observations afterwards:
Awesome job today, gentleman! We greatly appreciate you carving out time to share your experiences and know-how with the national volunteer group. This kind of information sharing and engagement is so helpful for other forests and national program managers to be part of – and makes me really proud to call FOSM our partner.
Thanks again for all you do in service to the public and the Sandia mountains.
Decision Memo Signed for North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project
November 13, 2024 – The Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands is announcing the signing of a Decision Memo for the North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project, a significant step towards mitigating wildfire risk in the area. The project will restore, maintain, and improve forested conditions on approximately 2,965 acres on the Sandia Ranger District, Sandoval and Bernalillo Counties, Sandia Mountains, north of I-40 (see attached map for project area and treatment types that may be used).
Objectives for the North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project include reducing the impacts of high severity fire, reducing wildfire risk to communities within the wildland urban interface (WUI), and restoring forest structure and composition within the planning area.
The Forest Service thanks the public for their input and active engagement in the development of this project and looks forward to continued engagement and collaboration throughout implementation.
Individuals who commented on this project will be notified directly regarding the signing of the decision memo.
To view the categorical exclusion and signed decision memo along with other helpful documents and information, please visit the project website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/cibola/?project=65654
Print copies of the final documents will be available for viewing at the Sandia Ranger District office at 11776 Hwy. 337 Tijeras, NM 87059 and the Cibola National Forest & Grasslands Supervisor’s Office at 2113 Osuna Rd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87113. Copies of the documents will also be available for viewing at the Placitas Community Library.
For additional information, please contact:
[email protected]
Forest Service Announces Temporary Area Closure of Cedro 4 Project Area for Public Health and Safety
Albuquerque, NM, February 3, 2025 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF&NGs) has issued an area closure order (03-03-05-25-03) for the Cedro 4 Project Area east of Forest Road 462 and southeast of Forest Road 12 on the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola NF&NGs, described below and shown on the attached map.
This Order shall be in effect from February 10th, 2025, at 0600 through May 31st, 2025 at 0600, unless rescinded.
The purpose of this Order is for the protection of public health and safety during mechanized thinning work as specifically shown attached map.
Forest Service Announces Area Closure for Thinning Work at the Cedro 4 Project Area – North of Forest Road 462
Albuquerque, NM, September 27, 2024 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF&NGs) has issued an area closure order (Order 03-03-05-24-13) for the Cedro 4 Project Area north of Forest Road 462 on the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola NF&NGs, described below and shown on the attached map.
This Order shall be in effect from October 7, 2024, at 0600 through May 3, 2025 at 0600, unless rescinded.
The purpose of this Order is for the protection of public health and safety during mechanized thinning work in the Cedro 4 project area north of Forest Road 462 as shown on attached map.
Member Messages
In Memoriam
Long-time FOSM member Don Smiset passed away on March 12. Don and his wife Katherine (Kitsie) helped with visitor orientation at the Sandia Peak Crest House during its years of operation.
Don’s obituary can be found here.
Rest in Peace, Don, and thanks for your service.
Welcome, New FOSM Members!
Bill Perkins – March 31
Ira (Bud) Bickford – March 19
Noel Wagner – March 15
Craig Tucker – March 11
Roger Squires – March 11
Richard Fagioli – March 3
Jim Houle – March 3
John McNett – March 2
Carolyn Grady – March 2
Brandon Sanchez – February 26
John Samuli – January 26
Caleb Kirby-Meyer – January 23
Mimi Junick* – January 5
Scott Nicolaysen – December 26
Karen Thorn – October 15
Glen Clement – October 15
Peter Rhyins – October 4
*Life sponsor
Volunteer Opportunity – Paint Crew Leader
Thanks, Anne Hickman for your years of faithful service as leader of the paint crew. Anne has stepped down due to other commitments. Please use the form on the referenced pages if you would be interested in assuming this leadership position.
Time to Report Volunteer Hours for March
Expect a monthly call for hours going forward during Forest Service fiscal year 2025 (October-September).
*The weekly crew leaders (Bob, Sam, Laura) have already provided their crew’s hours by individual into our FY2025 FOSM hours tracker, so if you signed an attendance sheet, your hours are already covered.
*Basically, report any and all individual time spent in a FOSM activity which pertains to the District.
Additional guidelines for reporting hours can be found here.
