Albuquerque has one of the longest tram rides in the world. My first tram ride was right after they build it in the mid 1960s, and I always get a thrill every time I take the trip up.

The next 4 photos were taken inside the tram car. The windows were tinted yellow, so photos also are shaded with a yellow tint. The first part of the ride crosses a rocky area with sparse vegetation, but once you pass the first summit, a huge valley full of vegetation within the sheer cliff walls.

There are two tram cars that counter balance each other. The tram car coming down meet us at the half way point.

People always talk about the east side of the Sandia Mountains as the "green side," but the valley in between is also lush in vegetation, except that it is between 2 steep granite cliffs.