Notices and Highlights
Sandia Crest recreation area closed until January 2027. Click here for details and alternative hiking routes.
Welcome
– We love our mountains!
– Volunteer opportunities
Announcements
– Forest Service announces road closure
– Forest Service recognizes FOSM and other volunteers
– Forest Service completes Cedro area fire-pile burning
– Adopt-a-Highway fall cleanup accomplished
– SRD provides updates on projects
Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site Activities
– Nature Journaling Workshop Held on September 12
– Final Tijeras Pueblo Level 1 Docent Training to be held Saturday, November 14, 2026, 9am-3pm
Member Messages
– Pueblo of Sandia Land Transfer Proposal
– Welcome our new members
– Volunteer opportunities
– Report volunteer hours
– Help with In Memoriam page
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We Love Our Mountains*
*Technically, it’s Sandia Mountain (singular), but we use the plural because of the northern and southern peaks.
Weather and Road Conditions
Welcome! Please explore our website to learn more about our mountains as well as the goals and activities of the Friends of the Sandia Mountains (FOSM). We likely have volunteer opportunities that match your interests and abilities.
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?
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.
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.
Announcements
Forest Service Announces Closure of National Forest Road 462
November 4, 2026 — The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands has issued a road and area closure order (Order #03-03-05-26-24) for National Forest Road (NFR) 462, Coyote Trailhead parking area and the Chamisoso Trailhead parking area on the Sandia Ranger District within Bernalillo County, New Mexico. See attached map.
The purpose of this Order is to protect public health and safety during a road construction project because there is no safe detour around the construction zone. Crews will replace and remove aging culverts, clean and armor ditches, regrade the road surface, place new aggregate, and install 90 feet of guardrail. Work runs from the heliport on NFR 462A downhill to NM-337. The improvements will reduce erosion, improve drainage, and provide a safer, smoother road for visitors and emergency access. Visitors should plan to use alternate trailheads during the closure. Work schedules may shift due to weather.
This Order will be effective on November 9, 2026 at 7 a.m., and shall remain in effect until December 11, 2026, or until rescinded.
Forest Service Recognizes Volunteers from FOSM and other Organizations
November 8, 2026 – FOSM president Chuck Logan wrote:
As your incoming president, I wanted to share with you a write-up of the individuals that were recognized by Ken Born of the Sandia Ranger District on October 27, 2026 during their annual volunteer recognition event. I’ve provided a brief summary of our volunteers’ incredible contributions to Friends of Sandia Mountains, Tijeras Pueblo Archeological Site and the Sandia Ranger District (see attached).
I appreciate the hard work that all of our members are doing for the Sandia Mountains.
October 30, 2026 – The Cibola National Forest stated in a press release:
Volunteering on public lands is one of our oldest traditions: the idea that citizens don’t just use these places, they take care of them. Every crew that heads out on a weekday morning carries that tradition forward, and every young person who joins one learns it. That is how a public land stays public, for the next generation and the one after that.” – Kenneth Born, District Ranger, Sandia Ranger District
The annual tradition of gathering volunteers from across the District to be honored and recognized continued in 2026 with the Volunteer Recognition Event at Oak Flat on the Sandia Ranger District. This occasion allows for the volunteers to reflect on their efforts over the years to steward public lands for the benefit of all who enjoy them.
Click on an image at right to learn more about the annual Recognition Celebration, held at the Oak Flats Group Picnic Area, or see a group photo of the participants.
Sandia Ranger District recognized FOSM as an organization as well as numerous FOSM volunteers during the event.
(Patricia Johnson, USFS)
District Ranger Ken Born gave special recognition to three FOSM members: Mike Madden for his six years of outstanding service as FOSM president; Lou Romero for his many years of service as a Forest Service employee and FOSM volunteer after retirement; and Lynn Bender for his many years of support to the Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site. (Neither Lou nor Lynn could attend because of health issues.)
Many other FOSM members also were recognized as were volunteers from several other organizations that support SRD.
Forest Service Completes Cedro Area Fire-Pile Burning
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – October 29, 2026 – Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NGs) fire crews have successfully completed ignitions on 15 acres of the Cedro unit piles on the Sandia Ranger District.
Fire crews remain on scene to continue with mop-up using hand tools to turn over smoldering embers to secure hot spots until piles are cool and called out.
The 15 acres of burned piles are in the Manzanita Mountains, south of Forest Road 462, east of N.M. 337. Visitors should stay alert in the areas of Coyote, Delberts, and Mighty Mule trails, as well as Forest Road 462 while firefighters work to complete operations.
We use prescribed fires to help reduce overgrown vegetation to help protect local communities, infrastructure and natural resources from wildfires.
This will be the final update on the Cedro Prescribed Fire Piles unless conditions or the situation warrants additional information.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – October 22, 2026 – The Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands (NF & NGs) plans to burn piles on 15 acres within the Cedro unit as early as Tuesday October 27. Officials expect the project to be a one-day operation, as conditions allow. Fire managers are taking advantage of recent precipitation, cooler temperatures, and improved relative humidity, which together create suitable conditions for burning piled slash and woody debris piled during earlier forest restoration work.
The planned burn is in accordance with the broader news release for the Cibola National Forest issued in September.
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.
Adopt-a-Highway Fall Cleanup Completed on October 23
Adopt-a-Highway Fall Cleanup
Friday, October 23, 9:00 – 11:00 am
Mile 4 – 5 on NM536 Crest Road
Eleven FOSM volunteers picked up trash and cut brush along the Crest Highway on what turned out to be a great day for the project after overnight showers. Vests, trash bags, pickup grabbers, and buckets were provided.
L-R: Chuck Logan, Rav Nicholson, Tim Kirkpatrick, Ken Nicholson, Pauline Ho, Susan Gregory (project leader), Rick Buss, and Mike Madden. Not shown are Larry Larrichio and Don Carnicom, who already were hard at work, and Cliff Giles, who took the photograph.
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.
Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site Activities
FOSM helps the Forest Service promote public understanding and appreciation of Tijeras Pueblo as an archaeological site, as the home of an Ancestral Puebloan community, and as a place of importance to the modern Pueblo community. This website is a tool used to support Sandia Ranger District’s reorganization of the Tijeras Pueblo volunteer program. Recent and upcoming activities are highlighted below.
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.
Final Tijeras Pueblo Level 1 Docent Training to be held Saturday, November 14, 2026, 9am-3pm
October 4, 2026 – Sandra Arazi-Coambs, Sandia/Mountainair Zone Archaeologist, Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands, writes:
Please join us for the final 2026 Level 1 docent training at Tijeras Pueblo. This one is scheduled for a Saturday (November 14th; 9am – 3pm) to accommodate folks that can’t easily join us on weekdays. Please email me (sandra.coambs@usda.gov) if you are interested in attending!
Looking forward to seeing you guys there!
Webpages dedicated to support of Tijeras Pueblo can be accessed here.
Member Messages
Pueblo of Sandia Land Transfer Proposal
Perhaps you watched one of the TV newscasts on the evening of July 23, read the detailed story in the July 26 issue of the Albuquerque Journal, or read Governor Paisano’s recent oped in the October 4 edition 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!
Charles Moxley – November 10
Peter Lovejoy – November 1
Jeffrey McDaniel – October 28
Michael Capenos – October 20
John Quinley – October 12
Matt Bedeaux – October 9
Jon Coles – October 7
Chris Chatenka – October 6
Jordan Armstrong – September 29
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
*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.
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