ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ALL HIKERS! ALL MOUNTAIN WALKERS! ALL MOUNTAIN DWELLERS! THE NEXT TRAM DEPARTS IN 15 MINUTES! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! MAY WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! THE TRAM IS NOW BOARDING! THE TRAM IS CURRENTLY BOARDING AT THE TRAM TERMINAL! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ALL MOUNTAIN WALKERS! ALL MOUNTAIN DWELLERS WITHIN A MILE RADIUS! ATTENTION! ATTENTION! THE TRAM IS NOW DEPARTING! NEXT TRAM DEPARTS IN 15 MINUTES! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!

Dear Sir or Madam:

Operation Skywalk is an annual memorial march in honor of Colonel Ted Westhusing (Nov. 17, 1960-June 5, 2005) that covers the length of the Sandia Mountains from Placitas to Tijeras along the Crest Trail. Participants include classmates of his from West Point ’83, members of his unit from Iraq, and general members of the public. Some of the participants, due to age or infirmity, will only be able to travel as far as the tram, and then will be taking the tram down the mountain. This year’s Skywalk will take place on Saturday, June 1. In honor of the somber aspect of the occasion, we would ask that you consider lowering the volume of your loudspeaker on this day. It is the primary complaint that I have received from our participants, that as they come within a mile of the tram, they hear the piercing and shrill announcements of your PA system shattering the peace of the mountain. Some of them have expressed an interest in stopping at the restaurant to fortify themselves for the next 16 miles of their journey, but have found the loudspeakers so unpleasant that they elect to just continue on without stopping. If you could manage to lower the volume to even half or a quarter of its current intensity, we would be much obliged. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Alex Limkin, Captain, U.S. Army, Ret., Skywalker