Supporting Sandia Ranger District Since 1997
Notices and Highlights
Everyone
– NMDOT Begins Construction of NM14/NM536/Frost Road Roundabout.
– Forest Service Seeks Comments Regarding North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project.
– Sandia Ranger District and FOSM thanked for donation firewood.
– FOSM working with Forest Service and rescue organizations to improve safety of La Luz Trail.
– Forest Service announces closure of Cedro area for thinning operations.
– Check out our many volunteer opportunities.
– Check out our awards and recognition.
– Read about our history, strategic plan, and board of directors.
Members
– Save the date: Next membership meeting May 7
– Welcome our new members.
– Become leader of our paint and trail construction crews.
See below for further details.
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.
Weather and Road Conditions
Learn About Talking Talons Youth Leadership at our May 7 Membership Meeting
Members, please make plans to attend our next meeting to hear interim Executive Director John Ross tell us about Talking Talons Youth Leadership with emphasis on their new focus on developing the next generation of climate change leaders.
Many of us have had the pleasure of working with bright young people in the TTYL program on various projects during past summers. Here’s our change to learn more about the organization and its programs.
Date/Time – May 7, 7 PM
Location – Sandia Ranger Station conference room
Program abstract – John will be making a presentation about Talking Talons’ current program focus on finding and supporting youth Climate Change leaders. Specifically, John will discuss the Junior Youth Conservation Corps pilot program to be implemented in Fall 2024.
Speaker Bio – John has served in the nonprofit sector since 1976. He has seen the industry from many angles: he has worked with United Way, served in a wide range of agency leadership positions and chaired and/or participated in numerous community collaborations. However, being a part of Talking Talons Youth Leadership with its focus on supporting and mentoring young people who will be our Climate Change Leaders is the highlight of John’s career. John and his wife Janie love to travel, hug on their five grandchildren, hike and hang out in their garden.
NMDOT Begins Construction of NM14/NM536/Frost Road Roundabout
April 15, 2024 – The New Mexico Department of Transportation began the construction phase of the NM14/NM536/Frost Road Roundabout Project. A detailed description of the project can be found here. This project will impact access to Sandia Crest, picnic areas, and trailheads on the east side of the mountain for the next year or so.
FOSM has partnered with NMDOT to preserve the iconic Sandia Crest sign currently located at the intersection by agreeing to maintain the sign after project completion. The first step in this process was completed on April 17 when Star Paving, the project contractor, removed the sign and placed it in temporary storage pending reinstallation.
Click to enlarge a photo. Photo credit: Carla Ward, Don Carnicom, Sam Beard, and Cliff Giles
Forest Service Seeks Comments Regarding North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project
The Forest Service issued the following announcment on April 3.
The Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands is seeking scoping comments for the proposed North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project. The Forest is proposing to restore, maintain, and improve forested conditions on approximately 2,956 acres on the Sandia Ranger District, Sandoval and Bernalillo Counties, Sandia Mountains, north of I-40 (see attached map for proposal area and reatment types).
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.
Scoping documents for the North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project can be found on the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands project page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/cibola/?project=65654.
How to Comment
Please submit your comments no later than May 3, 2024.
Written comments must be submitted to District Ranger Crystal Powell, ATTN: North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project, Sandia Ranger District, 11776 HWY 337, Tijeras, New Mexico 87059.
Electronic comments must be submitted using the online CARA comment form. The form can be accessed by clicking ‘Comment/Object on Project’ under ‘Get Connected’ on the right side of the project page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=65654.
To provide oral comments, please call Brittany Lewellen, Planning Program Manager/Project Lead at 505-274-4519. Oral comments must be provided during normal business hours, between 8:30 am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.
For additional information, please contact brittany.lewellen@usda.gov.
Sandia Ranger District and FOSM Thanked for Donation Firewood
Scott Peterson, Mountain Christian Church Wood Ministry Leader, emailed the following note of appreciation to FOSM for the donation wood that the Sandia Ranger District and FOSM provided to them last winter:
I wanted each of you to know we were able to meet the needs of several elderly and others in the east mountains this winter with the wood that came from your projects on the crest (Sandia Ranger District) last year. This was a blessing to many in our community, and the work was much easier for the Mountain Christian wood ministry workers with the wood already in firewood lengths and (being) larger wood than the typical pinion and juniper that is common in this area. Thanks to each of you for your hard work last year and for partnering with us to bless those in need in our area.
Scott Peterson
FOSM Working with Forest Service and Rescue Organizations to Improve La Luz Trail Safety
La Luz Trail is such an iconic but potentially dangerous hike that we’ve created a separate top-level webpage describing the trail, its rewards, and its risks.
FOSM member and Sandia Ranger District volunteer Jamey Browning is working with the Forest Service and several rescue organizations to develop signage and maps to improve hiker safety on La Luz Trail.
The trail, one of New Mexico’s most popular hiking destinations year-round, can be very dangerous as exemplified by two recent, fortunately successful, overnight rescues. The mid-January rescue of three stranded hikers involved multiple organizations and culminated in a dangerous helicopter extraction of one of the victims. The danger and difficulty of this rescue are described in a dramatic article published in the Albuquerque Journal on January 18. The mid-March rescue of five out-of-town hikers by Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue involved the use of infrared-camera technology to locate the hikers on the snow-packed trail.
Jamey is working closely with Jonathon Yales of Cibola Search & Rescue and the Sandia Ranger Dsitrict to develop new signage and safety documentation that meets Forest Service requirements. The first tangible results of their efforts are warning signs and a map installed at the Lower La Luz Trailhead on January 10.
This effort is in response to a call for help from FOSM and Cibola Search & Rescue member Shannon Braune, who emphasized the frequency and severity of La Luz rescue missions during her presentation at our August 1, 2023 membership meeting.
Forest Service Announces Area Closure for Thinning Work at the Cedro 4 Project Area
Sandia Ranger District
Order Number 03-03-05-24-02
Albuquerque, NM, January 12, 2024 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF&NGs) has issued an area closure order (Order 03-03-05-24-02) for the Cedro 4 Project Area 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 January 12, 2024, at 0600 through May 1, 2024 at 0600, unless rescinded.
Purpose of this order is for the protection of public health and safety during mechanized thinning work in the Cedro 4 project area south of Forest Road 462.
This Closure Order includes the area south of Forest Road 462. Roads included within this closure order are as
follows:
- Forest Road 12 from its intersection with Forest Road 462 (northern end of the closure) to its intersection
with Lone Pine Trail (southern end of the closure); - Forest Road 13 from its intersection with Forest Road 462 (northern end of the closure) to just east of the
intersection of Forest Road 13 and Cedro Peak Trail near Forest Road 252 (southern end of the closure).
Trails included within this Closure Order are as follows: - Delbert’s Trail from its intersection with Chamisoso Trail (southern end of the closure) to its intersection
with Forest Road 13 (northern end of the closure). - Mighty Mule Trail from its intersection with Forest Road 13 (northern end of the closure) to its intersection
with Rattlesnake Trail (southern end of the closure). - Rattlesnake Trail from its intersection with Forest Road 12 (southern end of the closure) to its intersection
with the Meadow Ridge Trail (northern end of the closure). - Meadow Ridge Trail from its intersection with Forest Road 13 (northern end of the closure) to its
intersection with the Cedro Single Track Trail (southern end of the closure).
Click on the images above to read the full announcement and see an enlarged map illustrating the affected area and trails.
Volunteer Opportunities – Paint and Trail Construction Crew Leaders
Thanks, Anne Hickman and Jenny Blackmore, for your years of faithful service as leaders of the paint crew and trail construction crew. Anne and Jenny have stepped down due to other commitments. Please use the form on the referenced pages if you would be interested in assuming either leadership position.
Welcome, New FOSM Members!
Marianne Randall – April 2, 2024
Judy Ruiz – March 29, 2024
Colleen Leseberg – March 29, 2024
Sharon Esquibel – March 29, 2024
Christine Neher – March 9, 2024
Judith Scarbrough – March 2, 2024
Emily Moore – January 29, 2024
Christopher Mcgrew – January 25, 2024
Allan Miltenberger – January 17, 2024
Laurie Lacey – January 8, 2024
Kerry Jones – January 5, 2024
Linda Shedd – January 2, 2024
Aaron Browning – December 18, 2023
Shawn Dietrich – December 9, 2023
*Life sponsor
