The View from Sandia Peak

After our visit to Madrid, we decided "in for a penny, in for a pound" and we drove on south and turned to drive to the top of Sandia Peak. Above is the view looking east (away from Albuquerque) toward the distant desert.

On the west side looking to the south is Albuquerque. And yes, there is still snow up here at 10,000+ feet above sea level.

As you look off into the distance, there continue to be ridges of mountains. About an hour south is Socorro and Bosque del Apache (there'll be photos from Bosque here before too long) located near the most distant ridge you can see.

The nearby smaller side peaks show the snow and tree covering the mountains have even in the relatively warm temperatures of spring. Which is not to say that it was warm up here. Not a place to stand around and think too long about composing a photo, at least this time of year. I imagine that in the summer heat in the valleys below, however, it is a pleasant retreat.