Snowshoeing the La Luz Trail

The day started at 5:30 am for me. It was coffee prep and breakfast hour at MST Adventures HQ. After filling the tank I meet my new friends at the La Luz trail head for a fun day of adventure. The crew was a collection of outdoor enthusiasts from San Diego to NYC. After I handed out the snowshoes and poles we strapped them to our packs and began the hike up La Luz trail. We made great time and the group was jovial.

We came into stride as we passed the 4 mile mark on the trail, the sun was breaking over the mountain and the views of the city and western horizon were stunning. As we rounded the corner we began to head north and came into the heavy snow. We paused to put on our snowshoes and head off onto the “snow field.” I use this term loosely as this area was full of scree, and the snow fills in the gaps and makes a nice black diamond slope. This face is south-west facing but the snow tends to stick around as the attached ridge seems to protect it from the warm winter sun.

This really was a beautiful area, with the sun peaking over the crest ridge line and the green pines accenting the snow like a painting from Bob Ross.  As we passed Donald Duck rock we paused for a breather before topping out at the saddle that indicates the trail for the crest spur.

Taking the road less traveled we continued up slope along the crest spur trail. We dodged the post holes of winter travelers only using micro spikes up to the stairs. The warming hut was within our reach at this point; I could hear other Sandia Mountain Visitors at the Crest House; No doubt waiting for their fresh grilled burgers on the deck while taking in the scenic vista.

As we closed in on the end of the Crest Spur Trail my new friends began to fantasize about the burgers and warm coffee they were going to consume. We began to discuss the possibility of taking the tram down to the base; after all it only takes 14 minutes to descend what took 5 hours to climb.

All in all it was a wonderful day on the mountain.

Next time you’re heading out give us a call, for beta, rentals, or just to tell us about your trip.