Topics in that new Trail Conditions blog post:
Stage 2 fire restrictions for both forests
Water updates
What to expect from American Spring and a suggestion for working around it
Altitude sickness incidents
Relevant active fires in northern New Mexico
Rio del Pueblo, July 3:
Very low, but still there.
Agua Piedra Creek, July 3:
Also low, but still enough water to cool off in.
Rio Santa Barbara, near the free parking lot
Just like the others. Low, but still there.
464 registered hikers as of July 4
I’ve been getting about four new registered hikers every day. We do seem to be past the crush of mid June. If this pace continues for the rest of the year, we’ll approach 1,000 registered hikers. I think 800 is more likely.
This represents 464 registered hikers as of July 4th. That’s up from 412 when I last emailed you two weeks ago.
All backordered guidebooks have shipped. SF2T members’ guidebooks will ship this week.
Related: The 2nd edition will not be available on Amazon. That’s part of my ongoing efforts to keep SF2T below the radar as much as possible to reduce the overuse situation.
The 2nd edition will also not be available for sale at Collected Works in Santa Fe. As soon as I feel like we’ve got the stewardship and overuse situation dialed in, I look forward to selling the book in Collected Works again. For now, the book will only be available at Travel Bug in Santa Fe and at Taos Mountain Outfitters. Selling it even through those places makes me uncomfortable, but I’m going to stick with this plan for now and see how it goes.
The book will be available through the SF2T website, as always. It will also be available from the SF2T office. Office hours will be starting soon. Stay tuned; I’ll add a page to the website about the office and office hours.
A big thank you to everyone who volunteered or showed up at the Buffalo Thunder Outdoor Expo!
So appreciate everyone’s help at the Expo. It wasn’t super-busy, but that meant we all got to talk to each other a bit. There was still a steady stream of visitors… maybe 75 to 100 or so over the whole weekend. Stay tuned for more of these. I’d love to have a table at the Taos, Santa Fe, and Pecos Farmer’s Markets at least once before the season ends.
You read to the end. Thank you.
Pam Neely,
Founder, The Santa Fe to Taos Trail
P.S.: 21 of you took me up on the offer to get a free copy of the 2026 enhanced GPX file of the route if you took the free, online, 30-minute Leave No Trace 101 course and sent me your completion certificate. That offer still stands. Take the course, get the file.
I would like to make the offer publicly available. I would like to get 400 people to take the LNT 101 course this year. That will cost me $5,196 in lost sales. That’s a major financial sacrifice - one that I can’t make without help.
So I am seeking donations. A generous donor has offered to match the first $1,000 in donations for this campaign. You can make your donation here. Or just take the LNT 101 course - that helps, too.
P.P.S.: I hired a part-time Trail Coordinator. We’re still onboarding, but so far it’s looking really promising. I might be able to see the trail again. Ongoing apologies for my delayed replies to emails, texts, and voicemails.. Haven’t forgotten any of you.
