Wilderness Society Outing
We took a trip to the Sandia Mountains on Saturday June 14th and rode the Tram to the top of the crest. There were 18 of us total who went and the group consisted of two staff from TGRCNM, one teenager from our youth group, eight children from our play group, and seven parents. Many of the youth who attended had never been up to the top of the mountain before so they were really excited.
We asked some of the kids what they thought of the trip and they said:
“The Tram ride was the best! It was like a rollder coaster, but a lot slower.” —Ellie
“I liked the birds. I didn't use the guides but it was cool looking for that Yellow Rumped Warbler.” —Monica
“I thought it was really green up here. It's not that green down in Albuquerque. I like the hike too.” —Thao
“We saw hawks circling. The views were pretty cool too.” —Aerin
“I liked hiking.” —AJ
“I got a crown made of moss!” —CJ while holding up a crown he made himself from moss he gathered.
Overall we had an amazing time. Thank you again for providing us with the funds to do this outing, pay for all the Tram tickets, and get the youth some binoculars they could keep to encourage them to get outside more.
We gathered for the first ride of the day at 9am and lined up to load the Tram car. We then took a 15 minute ride in the Tram car up the mountain, listening to the tour guide point out different trails, plants, and animals. Once we were at the top, we distributed binoculars to each youth who participated that day. The TGRCNM staff brought out birding guides and print outs of local birds to look at and we pointed out what we saw.
We ate some snacks and then went for a nature hike on the loop at the top of the crest together. We looked at birds, fossils, lichen, plants, flowers, and beautiful scenery as we walked around. We talked about all of our senses, thinking about what we could touch, see, hear, and smell. WE stopped at different outlooks and were able to see different perspectives of the forest.
After we finished our hike, we went inside the small visitor center at the crest and were able to read some educational materials about Sandia Crest and the creatures that live up there. We took the ride down together and then visited the gift shop together. We were able to use the funds from this grant to allow the youth to keep the binoculars as a take home gift to continue to inspire them to go outside and enjoy nature.
