Photographs
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Flowers of the tree cholla cactus range from rose
to almost purple, with the most common color a
deep magenta. They bloom in late May or early
June and are usually gone by the time July rolls
around, although I think there are still a few out
as I post this. I took this photograph in late June
about noon near the start of the Michael Emery
Trail at the end of Spain Road in Albuquerque.
I got this in an especially good light. It's one of
my favorite photographs from 2025.
After 31 years hiking the trails of the Sandia Mountains and Manzano Mountains I can still come across plants
and flowers I haven't seen before. I photographed this
plant identified on [email protected] as myrtle spurge along a trail above Pine Flats in the Manzanita Mountains
southeast of Albuquerque. I like its sculptured shape
and the contrasting blue-green leaves with the yellow-
green new leaves
Ponderosa forest on a ridge above Pine Flats in the Manzanita Mountains lit by the setting sun. When the
sun nears the horizon the forest takes on a golden
glow like this that makes everything stand out. This
was taken at the crest of the ridge on Deadman Trail, a
favorite place of mine to hike lately. Ponderosa forests
in New Mexico typically have a lot of open space with
minimal undergrowth as seen here, so you can see
the forest, not just the trees closest to you. It's visually
pleasant to hike through.
Setting sun looking through a solitary juniper in a meadow
in the Sandia foothills in September, 2025. The foothills
alternate between grassy meadows and juniper forest with
the occasional pinyon tree until you get to the base of the
mountains where pinyons predominate. Pinyon trees are
small pines that have tasty and nutritious nuts harvested
every year by local people, for themselves and often sold
in grocery stores. To the right of the picture in the distance
you can get a sense of how dense the juniper forest can be
in certain areas in the foothills. I love hiking in the juniper
forest where it goes in and out of arroyos with occasional
meadows, with a lot of interesting rocks -- granite, quartz,
sandstone, and chert of varied colors.
A view of Sandia Peak and Trail 365 north of the Cottonwood Springs
trailhead in the Elena Gallegos Open Space Area. Trail 365 runs all the
way from I-40 to the Sandia Tramway, a distance of what must be about
20 miles. This 2.5-mile section runs through a dense juniper forest until it
gets beyond Domingo Baca Canyon, where it goes to the tram through
what can only be described as a cholla forest. It's a rocky stretch with lots
of small granite, quartz, and chert boulders. I had no idea there were so
many different colors of granite until I hiked here. Domingo Baca Canyon is a fairly deep canyon with nice scenic viewpoints at the top on both sides.
