Good view to the west in Albuquerque?

[Paul Ciszek]

There will be an annular eclipse of the sun visible in Albuquerque, NM on
May 20th just before sunset. Can someone recommend a convenient place
with an unobstructed view to the west?

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[Steve Coltrin]

begin fnord

nos...@nospam.com (Paul Ciszek) writes:

> There will be an annular eclipse of the sun visible in Albuquerque, NM on
> May 20th just before sunset. Can someone recommend a convenient place
> with an unobstructed view to the west?

I suppose the parking lot on the west side of the Petroglyphs would
count, on Atrisco Vista (formerly Paseo del Volcan and probably still
signed as such) would do. Nothing west of there but dirt and, far
off enough, Mount Taylor.

(Or the Sandia Crest parking area, but I bet everyone else will have
that idea too. It's also a bit of a drive.)

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[David Loewe, Jr.]

On Fri, 27 Apr 2012, nos...@nospam.com (Paul Ciszek) wrote:

>There will be an annular eclipse of the sun visible in Albuquerque, NM on
>May 20th just before sunset. Can someone recommend a convenient place
>with an unobstructed view to the west?

It has been a long time, but I would think that, from what I remember,
somewhere on Sandia Mountain to the east of town would be best (as
Albuerquerque sits in the middle of a valley).
--
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making the other poor bastard die for his country."
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[Paul Ciszek]

In article <f81kp75kl364rn4ck...@4ax.com>,

David Loewe, Jr. <dlo...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>On Fri, 27 Apr 2012, nos...@nospam.com (Paul Ciszek) wrote:
>
>>There will be an annular eclipse of the sun visible in Albuquerque, NM on
>>May 20th just before sunset. Can someone recommend a convenient place
>>with an unobstructed view to the west?
>
>It has been a long time, but I would think that, from what I remember,
>somewhere on Sandia Mountain to the east of town would be best (as
>Albuerquerque sits in the middle of a valley).

My girlfriend has made it clear that she will not under any circumstances
ride the cable car up to Sandia peak. Can you get there via other means?

[Steve Coltrin]

begin fnord
nos...@nospam.com (Paul Ciszek) writes:

> My girlfriend has made it clear that she will not under any circumstances
> ride the cable car up to Sandia peak. Can you get there via other means?

Yes - go east on I-25 through Tijeras Canyon, turn north on State 14,
then in a few miles west on State 536 aka Sandia Crest Road. It's
winding but not particularly scary. (Avoid the turnoff on the right
to State 165. If you find yourself on dirt, go back.) Pay to park,
$2 if I recall my last time there but it may have gone up. Cash or
check, no credit.

This takes you to a spot on the crest about half a mile north of the
tram station, but the view's just as good. There's a grill at the
gift shop where you can get burgers and such, or if you really want
the restaurant at the tram station it's an easy hike, though maybe not
recommended for unacclimated lowlanders.

[Steve Coltrin]

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Steve Coltrin <spco...@omcl.org> writes:

> Yes - go east on I-25 through Tijeras Canyon

I-40, of course. Dammit.

[Howard S Shubs]

In article <m2bomdm...@kelutral.omcl.org>,

Steve Coltrin <spco...@omcl.org> wrote:

> Yes - go east on I-25 through Tijeras Canyon, turn north on State 14,
> then in a few miles west on State 536 aka Sandia Crest Road. It's
> winding but not particularly scary. (Avoid the turnoff on the right
> to State 165. If you find yourself on dirt, go back.) Pay to park,
> $2 if I recall my last time there but it may have gone up. Cash or
> check, no credit.

$3 when I went up there on 1 January.

--
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We are but a moment's sunlight, fading in the grass. - The Youngbloods
Those who eat natural foods die of natural causes. - Kperspective

[Keith F. Lynch]

Steve Coltrin <spco...@omcl.org> wrote:
> There's a grill at the gift shop where you can get burgers and such,
> or if you really want the restaurant at the tram station it's an
> easy hike, though maybe not recommended for unacclimated lowlanders.

I had no problem with the altitude when I visited there once many
years on a business trip. The only problem I had was with the prices
at the restaurant. At least they had an excuse for that: Food is
cooked at the bottom of the mountain, then hurriedly carried up before
it can cool off. (At that altitude the boiling point of water is too
low for proper cooking.)

I also had no problem with the altitude at the top of the considerably
higher Pike's Peak (on another business trip), even when, as a test, I
tried running.

Going down from Pike's Peak was interesting. There were several
mandatory brake-check stations, where someone made sure your car's
brakes weren't overheating.
--
Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.

[Steve Coltrin]

begin fnord

"Keith F. Lynch" <k...@KeithLynch.net> writes:

> I had no problem with the altitude when I visited there once many
> years on a business trip.

Yeah, because everybody responds to high altitudes the same way.
And did you take the tramway there, or hike half a mile on broken
ground?

> The only problem I had was with the prices
> at the restaurant.

It's called 'High Finance' for a reason. Well, two reasons.

> At least they had an excuse for that: Food is
> cooked at the bottom of the mountain, then hurriedly carried up before
> it can cool off.

Sounds like bullshit. There's no hurrying up that mountain.

> (At that altitude the boiling point of water is too
> low for proper cooking.)

That can be compensated for.

[Keith F. Lynch]

Steve Coltrin <spco...@omcl.org> wrote:
> "Keith F. Lynch" <k...@KeithLynch.net> writes:
>> I had no problem with the altitude when I visited there once many
>> years on a business trip.

> Yeah, because everybody responds to high altitudes the same way.

Did I say anything of the sort?

> And did you take the tramway there, or hike half a mile on broken
> ground?

The latter.

>> Food is cooked at the bottom of the mountain, then hurriedly
>> carried up before it can cool off.

> Sounds like bullshit. There's no hurrying up that mountain.

Maybe so, but it's what they claimed.

>> (At that altitude the boiling point of water is too low for
>> proper cooking.)

> That can be compensated for.

ObSF: In Clarke's _A Fall of Moondust_ a customer compliments someone
for, unlike anyone else on the Moon, making a decent pot of tea. The
customer didn't realize the person who should be credited is the one
who turned up the air pressure.

[Steve Coltrin]

begin fnord

"Keith F. Lynch" <k...@KeithLynch.net> writes:

> Steve Coltrin <spco...@omcl.org> wrote:
>> "Keith F. Lynch" <k...@KeithLynch.net> writes:
>
>>> Food is cooked at the bottom of the mountain, then hurriedly
>>> carried up before it can cool off.
>
>> Sounds like bullshit. There's no hurrying up that mountain.
>
> Maybe so, but it's what they claimed.

I think that if you had checked, you would have found that one of your
legs was slightly longer when you left than it was when you arrived.

[David Friedman]

In article <jnneie$ovo$2...@reader1.panix.com>,

"Keith F. Lynch" <k...@KeithLynch.net> wrote:

> >> (At that altitude the boiling point of water is too low for
> >> proper cooking.)
>
> > That can be compensated for.
>

Provided you recognize the problem.

We spent weekend before last in Colorado, teaching two classes (and
taking some) at an SCA event ("Cooks and Bards"). One of the classes was
a hands on cooking class on period Islamic cuisine, and one of the
things we did was a lentil dish, 13th c. Andalusian, that is one of our
standards.

We allowed an extra half hour, just to be safe--at the end of which the
lentils were still harder than we like them, although edible. We hadn't
allowed for being at 9000 feet.

And, on the subject of different reactions to altitude ... . Betty felt
mildly sick for most of the event. I tired fast and went earlier than
usual to bed, but otherwise was fine.

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[David Friedman]

In article <m2bom8n...@kelutral.omcl.org>,

Steve Coltrin <spco...@omcl.org> wrote:

> begin fnord
> "Keith F. Lynch" <k...@KeithLynch.net> writes:
>
> > Steve Coltrin <spco...@omcl.org> wrote:
> >> "Keith F. Lynch" <k...@KeithLynch.net> writes:
> >
> >>> Food is cooked at the bottom of the mountain, then hurriedly
> >>> carried up before it can cool off.
> >
> >> Sounds like bullshit. There's no hurrying up that mountain.
> >
> > Maybe so, but it's what they claimed.
>
> I think that if you had checked, you would have found that one of your
> legs was slightly longer when you left than it was when you arrived.

A useful adjustment to walking around a mountain.