Customer Reviews

Sandia Mountain Hiking Guide

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been hiking this area since 1983. My bible for the Sandias is Mike Hill's "Hikers & Climbers Guide to the Sandias". However, the last edition is well out of date and I supplement with this book. When I decide it is time to explore a new area of the Sandias in depth, I take out both books and the maps provided therewith, set my GPS and make notes about terrain and when I have the time I'm off. Now if someone could just write one book that combines all this information, I'll be in hiker heaven!

This book is a fantastic resource. I have watched the author over the years put this guide together with painstaking precision, love and care. The full-scale map alone is worth the price of the entire book!

This is a great guide -- it has gotten me to many trailheads, and given me a pretty good idea of what to expect once I get on the trail. The info about trail length and elevation gain alone are worth the price of the guide. But then again, so was the description of the Del Agua Overlook in the fall -- wow! I would never have known, would never have seen it, but for this book.

There's just one caveat: I hike the Sandias quite a bit but am definitely not Search & Rescue team material. I'm pleased that, at age 50, I can still make it up La Luz (as long as I take the Tram down). I find that I have to translate all of the author's descriptions as to the ease or difficulty of a given trail. If he says it's easy, it'll be a nice hike for me; if he says it's moderate, it's going to be pretty tough. (Case in point: Cienega Trail, which he rates as moderate. It was like being on a stair-stepper for giants most of the way.) If he says it's difficult, I almost certainly won't be able to do the whole trail the first time -- or maybe ever. I can only guess that he's very, very fit, with the footing of a mountain goat.

Nonetheless, if you live around Albuquerque and like to hike, get this book -- it's an invaluable guide.

I use this book all the time. The descriptions are accurate and Coltrin provides all the GPS waypoints you will need to safely navigate. This is the only book you need.

now, just because we all know Mike doesn't mean these reviews are baised. This is an excellent book and it's easy to use. I would reccommend this book to anyone in Albuquerque that wants a beautiful hike, but doesn't know where to go. It is true that there are a lot more trails than just La Luz.

I must say this i probably one of the best guides for the sandia mountains in a long time. knowing the author myself i can tell you he definitely knows what he is talking about when it comes to the sandia moutains. it says it took him twenty or so years to hike them all, well before he wrote the book he decided to hike them again and it took him 3 months. Now thats detication.