Snow status
TL:DR version: It’s bad, but there’s some hope for a wet spring.
Santa Fe Ski Basin: 75 inches season total. Average is 161 inches.
Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort: 60 inches season total. Average is 122 inches.
Taos Ski Valley: 76 inches season total. Average is 171 inches.
We’re not done yet, of course. As you can see below, March tends to be a good month:
Is this kinda dire? Yes. However… I found something hopeful. These screenshots are from Accuweather, for Santa Fe, for April. 10 days of rain…
And for May. 11 days of rain.
So… is this “just” Accuweather - and so far out that it’s a wild guestimate? Yeah. But still. Fingers crossed for a wet spring. This might quash doing SF2T “early” in May, because rain in Santa Fe is probably going to be snow above 11,000 feet. But who knows. I’ll keep reporting on what’s happening, and what the near-future weather predictions show.
What snowfall like this means
I am still rooting for March snow and April and May showers. But to be where we are now with this amount of snow is not good. It could mean fires, and if it doesn’t mean fires, it could mean drought and levels of humidity so low that the Forest Service closes the woods. (And I would support that; I’d rather the woods be closed than burn.)
We are also at a disadvantage because of cuts to the Forest Service that mean cuts to wildfire fighting resources.
We could still limp through this, have a wet spring, and maybe have an early, good monsoon season. We’ll see.
Guided hikes Q&A calls
Join me for a short presentation about the guided hikes, then an extended Q&A session to answer all your questions.
Two calls: Tuesday, March 17th at 8 pm ET / 6 pm MST and Saturday, March 21st at noon ET and 10 am MST.
Outward Link Trail is no longer open
This hasn’t hit the news yet, but apparently the Outward Link Trail case has been appealed, and the trail has been closed. This is per a conversation I had recently with someone who would know, as their organization is right by the trail and is in some ways connected to the trail.
Here’s my old - now outdated map explaining this. Outward Link Trail is very close to Taos. It basically connects Carson National Forest to Taos County Roads.
There is still the alt route. And the Don Carlos Lounge.
More about this soon, I hope. But probably for the rest of 2026, the Outward Link Trail is no-go.
Vote for the title of the 2nd Edition of the guidebook
Just reply to this email with the number of whichever title you like best.
The Santa Fe to Taos Trail Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition
The Santa Fe to Taos Trail Guidebook, 2nd Edition
The Official Santa Fe to Taos Trail Guidebook, 2nd Edition
Complete Guide to the Santa Fe to Taos Trail, 2nd Edition
The Santa Fe to Taos Trail: The Official Guidebook (2nd Edition)
The title for the last edition was “The Santa Fe to Taos Thru-Hike Pocket Guide: Mile-by-Mile Directions for How to Go From Santa Fe Plaza to Taos Plaza”
That’s it for now. More soon.
Pam Neely,
Founder and Creator of the Route, The Santa Fe to Taos Trail
P.S.: I have verbal agreement for three parking spaces in Taos. Not official and completely agreed to enough yet to announce. Light a candle/say a prayer/do whatever you do to add positive juju … but I think I found parking in Taos. Still looking for more, as this is just three spaces for now. But three is better than none. These will be reserved for SF2T members, but if I have an open space two weeks before you need it, we can work something out. Would be silly to have them just sit empty.
P.P.S. If you’d still like to give feedback about the route of the SF2T Trail NOT being part of the Rio Grande Trail Alignment, you can read my position statement about this and - if you want - submit your feedback and your own opinion about this to their survey.
