The Tram

Well, I think I already told you that Ms. Dee is a scardy cat and won't be taking me on the Tram.  Mr. Stu might be able to, but we don't know just yet.  We are planning a visit to Sandia Peak in just over a week, but in the meantime, Ms. Dee thought it might be fun to share some information about the Tram.  She thinks I might understand why she doesn't want to go on it, but I'm not so scared of heights.  I figure if I fall, I'll just gently float down to the ground.

Here is some information on the Tram.  Ms. Dee is just going to 'copy/paste' the history.  Then she will load up some pictures from Autumn that she was able to get off the Tram page.  It is beautiful!

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SANDIA PEAK TRAMWAY - A BRIEF HISTORY

The scenery steals the show on the Sandia Peak Tramway.
The Tram, as it is affectionately known, has taken more than 9 million passengers to the top of Sandia Peak and back again, and celebrates its 44th anniversary in May.  Located on the eastern edge of Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, the Tram is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Central New Mexico.

Although the Tram is an engineering marvel, visitors come mainly for the spectacular view - 11,000 square miles of the Land of Enchantment.  Passengers ascend 4,000 feet in about 15 minutes, gliding along the western face of the rugged Sandia Mountains.  The granite rock faces, eroded into spires, cliffs and pinnacles, the aspens, hardy pines, scrub oak, fir and spruce, are home to many different birds and other animals.  Tram riders may see an eagle or a mule deer or perhaps a black bear as they look out the windows of the cable car into the deep canyons.

No matter what time of day, the view is unparalleled.  West across the Rio Grande and a volcano field, Mount Taylor rises, more than 100 miles away.  To the north is Cabezon, a stump of an eroded volcano, and other volcanic necks and plugs.  To the north and west, Redondo Peak stands tall in the Jemez Mountains, rising from a caldera known as the Valle Grande, a volcanic crater reported to be the largest in the world.

To the east lies the heavily wooded backside of the Sandias and, on the far horizon, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the capital city of Santa Fe.  Farther to the south, the Estancia Valley and the Manzano Mountains frame the view.  The view from 10,378 foot summit parallels what one might see from a very still airplane on a scenic flight.


 This is a picture of the Tram in motion...

These other pictures are a little small, but if we increase the size, they get blurry.

Look, they do have trees in Albuquerque!

This is an Aspen Tree.  They only grow well in higher elevations.   This is Mr. Stu's favorite tree because as they turn colors in Autumn, the leaves dry out and when they touch during a nice breeze, he thinks they sound like music.

Here is a URL to a 'panoramic' view of Albuquerque during the day from the top of the Tram, or Sandia Peak Crest:

http://www.rozylowicz.com/retirement/turquoise-trail/albuquerque-panorama.html

Ms. Dee and family live on the other side of this mountain.   You can't see their house from the top of the Tram because it is in the foothills area.  A foothill is the rolling smaller hills at the base of the mountain.

Here is a picture of Albuquerque at night from the top of the Tram.  I'll get some of my own pictures when we go, but just thought this was too pretty not to share.

And it does rain in Albuquerque.  This is a thunder storm, well, maybe we should call it a lightening storm!  You can see storms for miles away.  You can probably tell that it isn't storming over all of Albuquerque, just that one section, and everyone else is dry.

More sharing to come!  I'm learning about the Aquifer, Arroyos and Xeriscape this week.  I'll share that with you soon!