Supporting Sandia Ranger District Since 1997
with a wide choice of volunteer opportunities
About Us
Who We Are
Our History
Trail Construction
Description
Reports and Photos
General Projects
Description
Reports and Photos
More About Us
Our Board of Directors
Our Awards and Recognition
Trail Maintenance
Description
Reports and Photos
Other Activities
Painting and Graffiti Removal
Youth Outreach
If you enjoy the outdoors and would like to give something back, join Friends of the Sandia Mountains!
Notices and Highlights
Everyone
– We love our mountains!
– Winter storm on the way
– March 11 meeting regarding Sandoval County 2025 “Community Wildfire Protection Plan”
– FOSM briefs Forest Service volunteer program coordinators
– Ken Born named Sandia District Ranger
– Decision memo signed for North Sandia Fuels Reduction project
– Forest Service announces temporary area closure of Cedro 4 project area for public health and safety
– Forest Service announces closure for thinning work at the Cedro 4 project area
Members
– Welcome our new members
– Paint crew leader needed
– Time to report February hours
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Weather and Road Conditions
We Love Our Mountains*
Whether you are a hiker, mountain biker, cross-country skier, trail runner, or you just enjoy being in the Sandias, you know that our mountains are one of nature’s special gifts.
Have you ever wondered what you could do to help protect our mountains? Do you want to learn more about the animals and plants you find there? Do you like to meet people who share your concern for the Sandia and Manzanita Mountains?
Welcome! Please explore our website to learn more about the goals and many activities of the Friends of the Sandia Mountains (FOSM). We likely have volunteer opportunities that match your interests and abilities.
*Technically, it’s Sandia Mountain (singular), but we often use the plural to recognize the existence of northern and southern peaks.
New to Albuquerque or just new to the Sandias? Explore the many recreational opportunities our mountains offer. Please carefully read the Safety section.
Please check out our La Luz Trail webpage if you are planning to hike this iconic but too often dangerous trail.
An easy way to get involved is to join Cibola Trail Rangers, an email group consisting of hikers, bikers, XC skiers, horsemen, etc., who frequent the trails in the Sandia Ranger District and are interested in exchanging information on trail conditions on both an immediate and continuing basis. The group includes FOSM members trained to correct reported problems.
Please report corrective actions as well as problems so the FOSM trail maintenance crew doesn’t hike to fix a problem that no longer exists.
Take the Tram to the Top⏤an Unforgettable Experience!
Sandia Peak Tramway makes the top of the mountain easily accessible and one-way hikes of La Luz Trail possible, but be sure to check their website before starting your journey.
Winter Storm Coming
March 5, 2025 – Kerry Jones, our favorite weatherman, provided this update:
Another strong Pacific cold front will sweep the East Mountains tomorrow afternoon/evening. Intense, potentially damaging winds are expected for several hours with the period from 1-4pm looking especially difficult.
Several key models are highlighting gust potential of 55-65mph for populated areas of the EM region as the cold front passes through early afternoon. NWS defines high wind as gusts 58 mph or greater. While it will remain windy/very windy into the evening hours, the most intense, ugliest winds look to last for 3-4 hours early to mid-afternoon as the front makes its way eastward.
Unlike Monday’s event, chances for wetting precipitation are significantly better for Friday afternoon into early Saturday with perhaps around 1/4″ liquid and a dusting up to ~2″ of snowfall Friday night. We haven’t had more than 1/10″ liquid in our gauge during a 24-period since late November! And the pattern stays active with another system possible late next week!
March 11 Meeting Regarding Sandoval County 2025 “Community Wildfire Protection Plan”
March 3, 2025 – The following message was received from Myron Temchin, Las Placitas Association Buffalo Tract Grant Manager
Please see attached notice of the Tuesday, March 11th discussion (6:00pm to 8:00pm) of the upcoming 2025 Sandoval County’s “Community Wildfire Protection Plan” to be issued in final form this coming May. Although the meeting room is at the Fire and Rescue Administrative Office at 301 Piedra Lisa Road in Bernalillo, I have been told that this discussion will focus on the Placitas Community. You can also contribute through a Zoom link contained in the attached announcement.
Thanks for your best effort to participate!
FOSM Briefs Forest Service Volunteer Program Coordinators
FOSM was honored to be invited to brief the 3rd annual meeting of Forest Service volunteer program coordinators as a model friends organization. Mike Madden, Sam Beard, and Lou Romero presented the adjacent 15-slide overview of FOSM during a nationwide virtual meeting on January 30. Among the 30 participants were Sandia District Ranger Ken Born and Recreation Staff Officer Julie Padilla. Ken made the following observations afterwards:
Awesome job today, gentleman! We greatly appreciate you carving out time to share your experiences and know-how with the national volunteer group. This kind of information sharing and engagement is so helpful for other forests and national program managers to be part of – and makes me really proud to call FOSM our partner.
Thanks again for all you do in service to the public and the Sandia mountains.
Ken Born Named Sandia District Ranger
Albuquerque, NM – January 15, 2025 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF&NGs) is excited to welcome the following individuals to our forest leadership team. In their leadership roles, they will be responsible for the overall management of the unit they are assigned to, including oversite of recreation, timber, fire, and other land management activities. Along with leading personnel, they will also serve as liaisons with community members, local leaders, and elected officials.
Ken Born, District Ranger – Sandia Ranger District, Tijeras NM
Ken Born comes to the Sandia Ranger District from the US Forest Service’s Southwestern Regional Office in Albuquerque where he has worked since 2018, primarily as the region’s Recreation Special Uses Program Manager. In this role, he supported administration of commercial permits which authorize ski areas, resorts, marinas, outfitters and guides, and recreation events on National Forest System lands. He has more than 15 years of federal service and has also served in local government, spending his early career working as land use planner. He began his time with the Forest Service as the Forest Planner for the Tonto National Forest in Phoenix, AZ and has been a District Ranger previously on the Coronado National Forest near Tucson, from 2015-18. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in environmental planning from Northern Arizona University, and a Master of Arts degree in public policy from Stony Brook University.
Ken follows Sandia District Ranger Crystal Powell who has accepted a position as the Regional Developed Recreation Program Manager for the US Forest Service Southwestern Region. Prior to the selection of the permanent District Ranger, the Sandia Ranger District was led by Acting District Ranger Amanda Ginithan; who has accepted a position as the Lincoln NF Deputy Forest Supervisor.
Decision Memo Signed for North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project
November 13, 2024 – The Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands is announcing the signing of a Decision Memo for the North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project, a significant step towards mitigating wildfire risk in the area. The project will restore, maintain, and improve forested conditions on approximately 2,965 acres on the Sandia Ranger District, Sandoval and Bernalillo Counties, Sandia Mountains, north of I-40 (see attached map for project area and treatment types that may be used).
Objectives for the North Sandia Fuels Reduction Project include reducing the impacts of high severity fire, reducing wildfire risk to communities within the wildland urban interface (WUI), and restoring forest structure and composition within the planning area.
The Forest Service thanks the public for their input and active engagement in the development of this project and looks forward to continued engagement and collaboration throughout implementation.
Individuals who commented on this project will be notified directly regarding the signing of the decision memo.
To view the categorical exclusion and signed decision memo along with other helpful documents and information, please visit the project website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/cibola/?project=65654
Print copies of the final documents will be available for viewing at the Sandia Ranger District office at 11776 Hwy. 337 Tijeras, NM 87059 and the Cibola National Forest & Grasslands Supervisor’s Office at 2113 Osuna Rd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87113. Copies of the documents will also be available for viewing at the Placitas Community Library.
For additional information, please contact:
[email protected]
Forest Service Announces Temporary Area Closure of Cedro 4 Project Area for Public Health and Safety
Albuquerque, NM, February 3, 2025 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF&NGs) has issued an area closure order (03-03-05-25-03) for the Cedro 4 Project Area east of Forest Road 462 and southeast of Forest Road 12 on the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola NF&NGs, described below and shown on the attached map.
This Order shall be in effect from February 10th, 2025, at 0600 through May 31st, 2025 at 0600, unless rescinded.
The purpose of this Order is for the protection of public health and safety during mechanized thinning work as specifically shown attached map.
Forest Service Announces Area Closure for Thinning Work at the Cedro 4 Project Area – North of Forest Road 462
Albuquerque, NM, September 27, 2024 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF&NGs) has issued an area closure order (Order 03-03-05-24-13) for the Cedro 4 Project Area north of Forest Road 462 on the Sandia Ranger District of the Cibola NF&NGs, described below and shown on the attached map.
This Order shall be in effect from October 7, 2024, at 0600 through May 3, 2025 at 0600, unless rescinded.
The purpose of this Order is for the protection of public health and safety during mechanized thinning work in the Cedro 4 project area north of Forest Road 462 as shown on attached map.
Member Messages
Welcome, New FOSM Members!
Richard Fagioli – March 3
Jim Houle – March 3
John McNett – March 2
Carolyn Grady – March 2
Brandon Sanchez – February 26
John Samuli – January 26
Caleb Kirby-Meyer – January 23
Mimi Junick* – January 5
Scott Nicolaysen – December 26
Karen Thorn – October 15
Glen Clement – October 15
Peter Rhyins – October 4
*Life sponsor
Volunteer Opportunity – Paint Crew Leader
Thanks, Anne Hickman for your years of faithful service as leader of the paint crew. Anne has stepped down due to other commitments. Please use the form on the referenced pages if you would be interested in assuming this leadership position.
Time to Report Volunteer Hours for February
Expect a monthly call for hours going forward during Forest Service fiscal year 2025 (October-September).
*The weekly crew leaders (Bob, Sam, Laura) have already provided their crew’s hours by individual into our FY2025 FOSM hours tracker, so if you signed an attendance sheet, your hours are already covered.
*Basically, report any and all individual time spent in a FOSM activity which pertains to the District.
Additional guidelines for reporting hours can be found here.
