Notices and Highlights
Sandia Crest recreation area closed until January 2027. Click here for details and alternative hiking routes.
Everyone
– We love our mountains!
– Volunteer opportunities
– “Amazingly wet, again”
– Successful National Public Lands Day event at the Sandia Ranger District
– Bernalillo County sponsors East Mountain celebration
– Forest Service announces plans for prescribed fires
– Forest Service lifts fire restrictions
– Nature Journaling workshop held on September 12
– Presentation materials available from September 1 membership meeting
– SRD provides updates on projects
– Forest Service revives Visitor Orientation Program
– Forest Service announces surveys on the Cibola and Gila National Forests
Members
– Pueblo of Sandia Land Transfer Proposal
– Welcome our new members
– Volunteer opportunities
– Report volunteer hours
– Help with In Memoriam page
Click on a link above to go to details below. You may need to scroll back up slightly to see the topic header. Click on the up arrow (^) at bottom right of page to return here.
We Love Our Mountains*
*Technically, it’s Sandia Mountain (singular), but we use the plural because of the northern and southern peaks.
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.
Click here to learn about the fascinating geological history of the Sandias as well as some unique features of our beloved mountains including Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway, Ten 3 restaurant, 84 medallion trees, and sadly more than a dozen aircraft crash sites.
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 sometimes dangerous trail.
Weather and Road Conditions
Volunteer Opportunities
About Us
Who We Are
Our History
More About Us
Our Board of Directors
Our Awards and Recognition
Trail Construction
Description
Reports and Photos
Trail Maintenance
Description
Reports and Photos
General Projects
Description
Reports and Photos
Other Activities
Painting and Graffiti Removal
Youth Outreach
Visitor Orientation
Join Friends of the Sandia Mountains
if you enjoy the outdoors and want to give something back!
A great 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. FOSM member Sally Lowder maintains a comprehensive database of reported trees and their disposition.
Special thanks to CTR members who cleared 90 trees from our trails during the first 6 months of 2026!
Or join our partner organization
New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors
Our volunteer work focuses on single-day activities in the Sandia Ranger District. If you are looking for opportunities ranging across New Mexico and involving multi-day projects, check out our partner organization New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors (NMVFO) at https://nmvfo.org.
“Amazingly Wet, Again”
September 27, 2026 – FOSM VP and recently retired weatherman Kerry Jones writes: Incredibly, a couple of high-resolution models now in range are showing 3–4 inches of rainfall for much of the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–East Mountains area starting tomorrow afternoon and continuing through Wednesday morning. While those 2-day totals are on the extreme side, blending all available model guidance this evening shows a 100% chance that virtually every location in the region will receive 1-2 inches and there is a high likelihood that most of the East Mountains will see over 2 inches with localized totals 3+ inches. Similar to if not more impactful than last week. This would bring our monthly precipitation total to 8 inches or more, which would be over 5X average.
This is an optimal setup. Deep tropical moisture shedding from Hurricane Polo will be a gamechanger as it gets pulled northward over the next 24 to 36 hours. Polo’s leftover circulation may survive as far north as El Paso by midday Tuesday before “slingshotting” northeast across eastern New Mexico on Tuesday night, which is a rare occurrence. However, the very wet pattern for our local area is equally driven by a punchy low-pressure system aloft.
This system is expected to track from just north of Phoenix on Tuesday night to near Los Alamos by Wednesday afternoon. The associated cold front should cross our region Tuesday evening or night, bringing a period to watch for intense weather, including heavy rain and thunderstorms. One reason why this incoming event will be more impactful is because the coverage and intensity of thunderstorms will be greater at some point late Tuesday.
Additionally, cooler air aloft will move over the area Tuesday evening and night. This will boost intense thunderstorm potential and drop temperatures into the mid-30s at Sandia Crest, where we could see the first wet snowflakes of the season.
Successful National Public Lands Day event at the Sandia Ranger District
September 27, 2026 – FOSM VP Kerry Jones reports:
Our National Public Lands Day event at the SRD on Saturday had around 150 attendees. Peter Rhyins and I set up a table in the lobby and enjoyed chatting with a steady stream of visitors. The event got a nice write-up in the East Mountain News!
The event provided an opportunityn for the public to meet Forest Service staff, chat with the District Ranger and staff, get updates on the Forest and recreation, and meet partner organizations at family-friendly interactive stations and explore ways to get involved.
Residents Enjoy 2026 East Mountain Celebration
September 28, 2026 – FOSM VP Kerry Jones also reported: Then yesterday, Byron, Sim, and I had a great time teaming up with Rebecca Ward for the East Mountain Celebration. It was a bit quieter than last year, but overall a lovely day.
The annual event, sponsored by Bernalillo County District 5, returned to Los Vecinos Community Center on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 1-4 p.m.
Participants enjoyed live music, local vendors, car show, and activities for all ages as they celebrated the spirit of the East Mountains. Residents were encouraged to bring their family, invite friends, and make lasting memories at this cherished community event!
Complimentary event parking and shuttle service to and from Los Vecinos Community Center was provided at Roosevelt Middle School and Montoya Elementary School.
Forest Service Announces Plans for Prescribed Fires
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – September 24, 2026 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands is planning prescribed fires for this fall into winter as conditions allow. Certified prescribed fire specialists use prescribed fires to help remove excess vegetation, reduce wildfire risk, improve habitat, enhance watershed health and restore fire-adapted ecosystems.
Numerous projects are anticipated; however notification of the exact days of ignitions will depend on wind, weather, fuel moisture conditions and required approvals. The Forest Service will evaluate conditions in the days and hours before ignition. If conditions are not favorable, planned prescribed fire activities may be postponed or canceled.
Prescribed fires planned through fall into winter are described in detail in the accompaning map and news release.
Forest Service Lifts Fire Restrictions
(Albuquerque, NM, September 17, 2026) –Due to increased moisture and favorable weather across central New Mexico, the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands will lift Stage 1 fire restrictions on the Mountainair and Sandia Ranger Districts effective Friday, September 18, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. MDT. This rescinds Stage 1 Fire Restriction Order #03-03-00-26-20. Stage 1 restrictions have been in effect across both districts since May 8.
The decision is based on fuel moisture levels and the amount of precipitation both received and forecasted across the two districts. Fire restrictions are implemented to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires during periods of extreme fire danger and elevated fire weather.
Nature Journaling Workshop Held on September 12
The practice of Nature Journaling is an easy to grasp and fun activity that opens the door to wonder and curiosity, while creating a deeply intense connection to nature. You don’t have to be a naturalist or even an artist to ‘nature journal’ because this practice is all about your own personal experience with nature. The details you notice, the questions you want to ask, or the shapes and sounds you find in a plant, animal, or cloud are all collected within your journal.
This free workshop was open to FOSM volunteers and family of all skill levels/ages. All participants needed to bring was a blank sketchbook and a pen or pencil, and water bottle while wearing comfortable clothes, sturdy shoes, and a hat. Participants practiced basic sketching techniques, developed observation skills, and performed field-recording. They then independently explored the Tijeras Pueblo area and recorded inspiring nature discoveries in their journals using drawings, diagrams, words, and/or numbers.
Click here for photos from the workshop.
Presentation Materials Available from September 1 Membership Meeting
September 1, 2026 – FOSM Vice President Kerry Jones announced: Thank you to everyone who joined our September membership meeting earlier this evening. We had a wonderful time listening to an informative and thoughtful presentation by Bjorn Fredrickson, the Conservation Director at NM Wild.
Bjorn shared insights on several recent wilderness designations and expansions that NM Wild helped establish, including the Ojito Wilderness northwest of Albuquerque, the Sabinoso Wilderness east of Las Vegas, and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument– one of my favorite places in northern New Mexico.
Presentation materials from this and previous membership meetings are available here.
Sandia Ranger District Provides Updates on Projects
July 21, 2026 – During the bimonthly meeting of the Sandia Collaborative (of which FOSM is a member), Ken Born and Alfred Garcia of SRD provided positive updates regarding progress on the North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project and Sandia Crest Hazard Tree and Fuel Reduction Project. Click either image below to view the presentation.
July 30, 2026 – In private conversations, Sandia District Ranger Ken Borne provided the following clarifications:
- The equipment of the contractor doing the thinning work is needed elsewhere for fire suppression. Therefore, the work, which is about 80% done, is on pause until the equipment and personnel can return.
- The road barrier above 10K was manned by the contractor. SRD does not have the personnel to continue staffing this; therefore, the decision to remove the barrier even though there is no public parking above 10K while the closure order remains in effect.
- The (separate) contract for demolition of the Crest House was signed recently. Work should begin in late August and finish this fall.
Forest Service Seeks Volunteers to Provide Visitor Orientation at two Locations
Sandia Ranger District is seeking to revive its vistor orientation program halted by the closure of the Crest House and the pandemic. FOSM members are encouraged to volunteer to serve either at the Interpretive Hut at the Doc Long Picnic Area or at the lower Tram terminal. Hours are flexible, and training will be provided.
Details are availble here.
Public Surveys on the Cibola and Gila National Forests
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – September 25, 2025 – Beginning October 1, the public may encounter contract employees conducting public surveys on the Gila National Forest and Cibola National Forest & Grasslands in developed and dispersed recreation sites and along forest service roads. Surveys will be conducted through September 30, 2026.
The National Visitor Use Monitoring survey is a Forest Service program designed to estimate how many people actually recreate on national forests and grasslands, what activities they engage in while there, and how satisfied people were with their visit. These surveys are conducted on a national forest every five years.
Contract employees will be out in all types of weather conditions, wearing bright orange vests and be near a sign that reads “Traffic Survey Ahead”.
Surveys are voluntary and all responses are confidential; names are not included, and interviews last about 10 minutes.
Questions asked include where you recreated on the forest; how many people traveled with you; how long you were on the forest; what other recreation sites you visited while on the forest, and how satisfied you are with the facilities and services provided. About a third of survey participants will be asked to complete a confidential survey on recreation spending during their trip to measure the economic impact to local communities.
Information about the National Visitor Use Monitoring program can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/nvum.
Member Messages
Pueblo of Sandia Land Transfer Proposal
Perhaps you watched one of these TV newscasts on the evening of July 23 or read the detailed story in the July 26 issue of the Albuquerque Journal.
Please remember that as a matter of policy FOSM does not take positions on political issues as an organization: “Friends of the Sandia Mountains is not a political activist organization. We are a service-oriented group of volunteers dedicated to working in a close relationship with our US Forest Service partners.”
However, members are encouraged to express their individual views on this matter.
Welcome, New Members!
Michelle Hegmon – September 15
Paul Marien – September 12
Julie Torchi – September 12
Luke Anaya – September 3
Christopher French – August 31
Timothy Nipper – August 15
Deirdre Kann* – August 8
Jan Chytilo – August 8
Lynn Bender – July 28
Courtnee Bennett – July 24
Teresa McGrew – July 21
Ann Ruhnka – July 20
Kathryn McSorley – July 20
Paul Eichel – July 20
Erin Gaddis – July 12
Andre Huffmire – July 10
Jen Reilly – July 2
Patricia Steele – July 1
Bradley Bryan* – June 29
Kay Burns – June 28
Ericka Roman – June 25
Carol Chorniak – June 24
Ryan Jackson – June 20
Ralph Wrons – June 14
Rebecca Harris – June 5
Chris Caro – May 13
Paul Neville – April 19
Teri Neville – April 19
Mark Werkmeister – April 2
David D’Antonio – March 28
*Life sponsor
Volunteer Opportunities
Tijeras Pueblo – SRD is seeking volunteers to help with Tijeras Pueblo site and museum. Click here for details.
Visitor Orientation – FOSM members are encouraged to volunteer to provide visitor orientation either at the Interpretive Hut at the Doc Long Picnic Area or at the lower Tram terminal. Hours are flexible, and training will be provided. Details are availble here.
Paint Crew Leader – Please use the form here if you would be interested in assuming this leadership position.
Volunteer Hours Reporting
Expect a monthly call for hours going forward during Forest Service fiscal year 2026 (October-September).
*The weekly crew leaders (Bob, Sam, Laura) have already provided their crew’s hours by individual into our FY2026 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.
In Memoriam
Thanks, especially to Sally and Bob Lowder, for helping identify former members of Friends of the Sandia Mountains (or New Mexico Friends of the Forest) whom we’ve remembered with photos and links to their obituaries on our new webpage. Please send your suggested additions and favorite memories for sharing on the page to webmaster@friendsofthesandias.org.
Last updated 3 minutes ago