Petroglyph National Monument protects a variety of cultural and natural resources including volcanos, archeological sites and an estimated 20,000 carved images.
Many of the images are recognizable as animals, people, brands and crosses; others are more complex.
These images are inseparable from the cultural landscape, the spirits of the people who created, and who appreciate them.
http://www.nps.gov/petr/ The
Sandia Peak Tramway, located adjacent to
Albuquerque,
New Mexico,
USA, is the world's longest passenger
aerial tramway. It also has the world's third longest single
span It stretches from the Northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the
Sandia Mountains.
With a total diagonal distance of 14,657 feet (4,467 m) the Sandia Peak Tram is the longest aerial tram in the world. The tramway ascends the steep western side of the highest portion of the Sandia Mountains, passing close to dramatic
cliffs and
pinnacles, from a base elevation of 6,559 feet (1,999 m) to a top elevation of 10,378 feet(3,163 m).
A trip up the mountain takes fifteen minutes to ascend 3,819 ft (1,164 m), and the normal operating speed of the tram is 12 miles per hour (19
kilometers per hour). Approximately four "flights" leave every hour from the base and top departure stations. The view from the tram includes all of Albuquerque and roughly 11,000 square miles (28,000 square kilometers) of the New Mexico countryside.
The tramway has just two support towers. The first tower, which is 232 feet (70.7 m) tall, is situated at an elevation o f7,010 feet (2,137 m) above sea level and built as an inclined tower with an inclination angle of 18 degrees. The second, just 80 feet (24.4 m) tall, is situated at the end of a major spur of the mountains at an elevation of 8,750 ft (2,667 m) and was built by helicopter aid.
The longest span is between the second tower and the top terminal. This span is the third longest clear tramway span in the world, at a length of 7,720 feet (2,353 m). Mid-span, the cables are 900 ft (274 m) above the mountainside. This span passes over Domingo Baca Canyon, part of which is referred to as
TWA Canyon. This is the site of the crash of
TWAFlight 260 on
February 19,
1955, in which the lives of all 16 passengers and crew were lost. While much of the wreckage was removed during construction of the tramway, some still remains on the canyon floor and may be visible to riders of the tram.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandia_Peak_Tramway
