Saturday morning, bright and early (ok, 7am) I ran the La Luz Trail with a few friends. The La Luz trail in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico is a grueling 7.2 miles of dirt (and rock) single track trail with a 12% grade. If you start from the Tram as we did, you pound out an nice 1.3 extra miles, totaling about 8.5 miles of some serious uphill running. The Tram sits at an elevation of 6559 ... and the peak at 10,678. Yup, you're doing the math right: 4119 foot elevation change.
The early part of the trail boasts pinon and juniper trees, while cholla and prickly pear cactus seem to leap out at you just as you pass. The continued climb gives way to an alpine forest with blue spruce trees, ponderosa pines and some wildflowers (at least this time of year). Just after 5 miles up (or 6.3 from where we started) you touch base on the rock slide area. 14 energy sucking switchbacks over a rockslide area that is nearly impossible to run - I call it the ankle break area. With just 0.6 miles left you make a turn and can see the top, but it is oh so high. You climb nearly 700 feet in elevation in only 0.6 miles. UG - probably the slowest half mile of my life!
When I got home we made breakfast burritos and I ate mine so fast I can't remember what was in it.
La Luz Trail Elevation
Sunday morning I woke up and biked 41 miles with a different set of friends. Around mile 33 I was really starting to feel the La Luz run the day before. The massage I had Monday morning was more than deserved!
