The Last of Albuquerque

Once I got out of the tram, the whole world seemed to brighten up. The view was breathtaking – literally! Being so high up, I found it hard to catch my breath. It wasn’t the elevation, it was my fear of heights getting caught right in the middle of my throat! It was freezing, there was snow and I wasn’t about to go slipping off the edge just for that perfect shot! haha  I was able to snap a few pictures before I ran inside for dinner.*

This next one shows that storm I kept posting from different heights.

*I brightened both of these photos up in hopes that they aren’t so dark on other computer monitors.

Sandia Peak: Part II

These two came out a bit better and you can see more of the sunset.

The sunset wasn’t exactly spectacular in way of colors as I would have thought, (they were much softer). However, between the soft colors and the view, it was altogether awe-inspiring.

Sandia Peak: Part I

The bad thing about choosing to go right before sunset is that your lighting may become finicky. I never considered that I would be inside of a tram car covered in polarized windows…

The closer we got to the top, the more snow we saw, (and the more nervous I got).

Distant Weather

This first view of the storm in the distance looked so different after time had passed and elevation had increased. It’s amazing, how the first photo is so blue and the second is so yellow.

You can also see a bit more of this storm in this photo. I’m guessing that the rain is coming down pretty hard on the left side and it’s only showering on the right. I like the way the mist seems to float and create “waves” and how all of it is illuminated by the setting sun.

May Theme: Yellow (or Gold) – 2

So, I’ve begun my journey up the Sanida Peak. We planned our trip right around sunset, hoping to catch some beautiful views. We were not disappointed.

I cropped this photo, that was it. No levels, no color changes, nothing. I love this photo and what I love most is the detail when it’s enlarged. If you look close, you can see a street under the sun – it snakes from left to right, along with the city below. On the right side of the picture you can see the levels of mountains in the distance. And everything is tied in to the sun’s rays. I’m actually pretty surprised that I was able to capture this.

The Sandia Peak Tramway

Elevation: 6,559 feet at the base of the Sandia Tramway.

Temperature at the top: 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wind at the top: 15 miles per hour, southwest.

With a total diagonal length of 2.7 miles, Sandia Peak Tram is the longest  aerial tram of its type in the World.*

Elevation at the top: 10,378 feet.

Notice the two towers in the second picture, (you can read about them here). There was a nice little dip going around these. Still, that was nothing compared to the top of the peak where I’ve never been so afraid of heights.

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*http://www.sandiapeak.com/

May Theme: Wildlife

So, I looked it up. Wildlife is typically thought of as animals. It’s true definition is that whatever it may be, it is neither human nor domesticated. This one’s not human, I’m just not sure if it’s been domesticated…

A Vision in Thirds