New Mexico
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The Sandias Crack the Top 100
[and other alternate realities]
by Stephen Ausherman
Duke City Fix 11/28/06
I always thought that the Sandias peaked at
10,678 feet. But in the December 2006 issue
of Smithsonian Magazine, mystery legend
Tony Hillerman announced:
"Sandia Mountain... rises to more than 11,000 feet."
Nobody can dispute claims from such venerable entities. Besides, the
sudden growth spurt is just enough to boost our little rockpile onto the list
of New Mexico's 100 highest summits.
For millions of years Sandia Crest sat patiently at the lowly ranking of
102. Then suddenly it showed up as "Sandia Mountain" and blazed past
Santa Fe's Penasco Mountain to secure a solid and respectable 82 on the
top 100 countdown.
I can accept that.
I'm also willing to embrace these virtual versions of the Sandias:
"The perfect awe-inspiring overview of Albuquerque can be had from
nearly one mile above the city on top of Sandia Crest, the windy
mountaintop where the view is said to extend for over 1,000 miles."
-wordtravels.com
(At last, I can see Canada!)
"I've never seen anything larger than a bird from the Tram, but... if you
have a sharp eye, you may spot wreckage from a plane that crashed into
the mountain in the late 80s."
-abqjournal.com
(Amazingly, it was identical to the TWA flight that crashed there in 1955.)
"The term 'sandia,' ... refers to the colour of the gorgeous sunsets viewed
from above Albuquerque and the New Mexico countryside."
-ezinearticles.com
(The mountains, however, turn the colour of scones with apricot jam.)
"Snow often blankets many areas of the Sandias year round."
-texashiker.com
(And Albuquerque's native penguins often feast upon the frozen carcasses
of Texan hikers found on nearby Manzano Glacier.)
. . .
Get to know the Sandias better in
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Albuquerque
Related story: Quebec to Albuquerque: It's WAR
[and other alternate realities]
by Stephen Ausherman
Duke City Fix 11/28/06
I always thought that the Sandias peaked at
10,678 feet. But in the December 2006 issue
of Smithsonian Magazine, mystery legend
Tony Hillerman announced:
"Sandia Mountain... rises to more than 11,000 feet."
Nobody can dispute claims from such venerable entities. Besides, the
sudden growth spurt is just enough to boost our little rockpile onto the list
of New Mexico's 100 highest summits.
For millions of years Sandia Crest sat patiently at the lowly ranking of
102. Then suddenly it showed up as "Sandia Mountain" and blazed past
Santa Fe's Penasco Mountain to secure a solid and respectable 82 on the
top 100 countdown.
I can accept that.
I'm also willing to embrace these virtual versions of the Sandias:
"The perfect awe-inspiring overview of Albuquerque can be had from
nearly one mile above the city on top of Sandia Crest, the windy
mountaintop where the view is said to extend for over 1,000 miles."
-wordtravels.com
(At last, I can see Canada!)
"I've never seen anything larger than a bird from the Tram, but... if you
have a sharp eye, you may spot wreckage from a plane that crashed into
the mountain in the late 80s."
-abqjournal.com
(Amazingly, it was identical to the TWA flight that crashed there in 1955.)
"The term 'sandia,' ... refers to the colour of the gorgeous sunsets viewed
from above Albuquerque and the New Mexico countryside."
-ezinearticles.com
(The mountains, however, turn the colour of scones with apricot jam.)
"Snow often blankets many areas of the Sandias year round."
-texashiker.com
(And Albuquerque's native penguins often feast upon the frozen carcasses
of Texan hikers found on nearby Manzano Glacier.)
. . .
Get to know the Sandias better in
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Albuquerque
Related story: Quebec to Albuquerque: It's WAR
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