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May 18, 2026
With a few hours of daylight to spare, I quickly put together an 18-mile trail run (mostly on trails, that is) to reach three lesser known peaks in the Sandia Range. Knowing that I would be finishing in the dark, I packed a headlamp for good measure.
Peaks climbed
| Peak | Elevation | Topographic Prominence | Summit Coordinates (lat/lon) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "North Pino Peak" | 9,653 ft | 358 ft | 35.17292, -106.41516 |
| "South Pino Peak" | 9,579 ft | 345 ft | 35.16403, -106.41594 |
| South Sandia Peak | 9,786 ft | 636 ft | 35.12025, -106.43062 |
Total Stats
18.8 miles
4,800 ft gain/loss
I initially tried to start at the main entrance to Gallegos Open Space Park, but turned back after seeing that the parking area closed at 9pm and that there was a gate which could potentially lock in my car if I finished later, which was likely. Driving 5 minutes south, I found a residential area to park in. A trail led out east from a cul de sac to meet the park trails, but there was an unfriendly sign from an HOA deterring pedestrians from using that access point. I backtracked a few minutes and parked at a "for sale" sign in front of an open lot, trying to appear more as a prospective buyer rather than a runner.
Having found a safe(r) place to ditch the car, I walked back up the cul de sac to access the trails, jogging a short distance north back to the main entrance of Gallegos Park. From there I picked up the Pino Trail which ascended almost 5 miles east, gaining about 3,000 ft in elevation to intersect the Sandia Crest. This trail was built very nicely for running, and I was happy to feel the air rapidly cool down and the trees get larger and shadier the higher I went.
A strong gust of wind surprised me as I reached the Sandia Crest, intersecting "Crest Trail 130." From there, North Pino Peak was a quick out-and-back, following the Crest Trail north for half a mile before picking my way through trees and brambles for a short distance west to its summit. One noteworthy thing here was that the denser the tree canopy was above, the less dense the bramble bushwhacking was below.
Back on the Crest Trail, I headed south for about 0.7 mi to a line of trees just northeast of South Pino Peak. I followed these trees to the summit, partaking in only light bushwhacking.
Referencing a GPS track from someone who had done this peak not long ago, I descended the south ridge of Pino Peak, weaving between thick patches of brambles but never getting myself into anything that bad. Within 10 minutes I had re-intersected the Crest Trail and continued south along it.
About 3 miles later, I left the Crest Trail, taking a small use-trail up South Sandia Peak's north ridge. There were wonderful sunset views from this peak, but I didn't stay long as the wind was really ripping up there.
I continued south on the use-trail for a short distance to intersect the Embudito Trail, which would head west, dropping several thousand feet back to the valley floor. This was a fine trail to jog down and enjoy the city lights below as they grew closer. The only thing I didnt relish was the increasing temperature, which sure did come, rising what felt like 20 degrees over an hour of jogging. Eventually I spotted the first row of homes which indicated my arrival back into civilization. I turned right (north) here onto "Trail 365" which paralled the eastern sides of several housing developments. Just over 2 miles of light jogging brought me back to my turnoff. I switched off my headlamp for good measure, walked the short distance to the car which was happily undisturbed, and quietly drove back into town.
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