Sandia Peak is a great area for the Albuquerque, NM visitor who wants to get in a quick day or half-day of skiing. You can drive around to the other side of the mountain to the base or save some time by riding the Tram on the Albq. side and start from the top. Note that there are no ski rentals available if you do the Tram.
The resort is on the eastern slope of the Sandia Mountains that is pitched to average of 15 degrees leading to a family resort of intermediate skiing. However, there is glade skiing and some advanced pitches to keep the day interesting. Sandia does have snow problems in some years but can also have overwelming amounts of snow in wet years. Also look into Ski Santa Fe for a more advanced skiing experience.