Wednesday, May 20 update: I expect to have physical copies of the 2nd edition by June 6th or so. If you want a digital version of the first edition now, it is available here.

Most of why it’s not done is because a) just managing the basic day-to-day of the SF2T is 60+ hours a week and b) the SF2T has tipped into a serious overuse situation and getting ahead of that took temporary priority over finishing the guidebook. 500 or more thru-hikers will do the SF2T this year. The high alpine lakes, in particular, are at risk of adverse impacts. Managing this overuse situation as best I can is more of a priority for me than completing the guidebook.

The second edition is coming together rapidly. I am working on it around the clock. The delay has actually been lucky, because I learned about an important alternate route just in the last two weeks that significantly improves hiker safety.

For those of you who bought the guidebook after the first edition cut off (February 21st),

I am keenly aware that you sent money and I owe you a guidebook. You will absolutely get your printed guidebook, and if you want a digital version, please see the email I’ve sent you. If you want to cancel your order, use the contact form and tell me the email address you used to order the guidebook.

Here are answers to the most common questions I’ve been getting about the guidebook:

What’s in the second edition?

• The new alternate routes in the north half of the SF2T. These cut “road walking” (forest service road walking) in half.
• Significantly updated and expanded logistics information
• Way more detailed information about campsites, with campsites included in the section maps
• Way more detailed information about water sources, with campsites included in the section maps

Do you need the second edition to do the SF2T?

No. You’ll miss the new parts in the north half that skip the forest roads, but you can still do the SF2T.

Will there be a digital version of the second edition?

Yes. An epub file. That’s the same file format Kindle books use. So you’ll be able to import the epub file into Kindle devices, the Kindle app, or any of the many other reading apps available.

Does this mean the enhanced gpx file won’t be updated soon, either?

The enhanced gpx file is actually pretty close to being ready. Stay tuned. I hope to announce it’s availability in the May 3rd newsletter.

What will the cover look like?

Okay, so nobody is actually asking that. But it’s a good segway into letting you pick which cover you like best.

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A bit more about this overuse situation…

To say the overuse situation concerns me is not strong enough language. It keeps me up at night. It makes my heart clench. Ever since an unexpectedly large and poorly-managed publicity event last fall I have been alarmed about overuse.

I have taken several actions to address this:

• The SF2T registration program is active and working. We have good data that land managers and other entities take seriously. We have an idea of when the traffic spikes might happen. We know, for instance, that over a third of people doing the SF2T are from New Mexico. The SF2T was originally created, and is still primarily for New Mexicans, especially those who live near it.
• A campsite monitoring program has been created and is being field tested. This will allow us to track the conditions of the 130+ campsites along the route. We’re building it so any hiker can complete an easy form and let us know where the problem spots are.
• The SF2T has begun work toward getting Leave No Trace Gold Standard designation as a program. We are already a Leave No Trace Platinum Level Community Partner, and Pam has become a Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor. See the Leave No Trace page for more about SF2T’s Leave No Trace Partnership. Becoming a messenger for Leave No Trace principles is a natural move for the SF2T. To wit: The first edition of the guidebook talks about Leave No Trace principles both at the beginning and the end of the book.
• Last year I (Pam) got a certificate in Visitor Use Management. I have been concerned about overuse for a long time, even before the kinda-disastrous-but-maybe-still-too-soon-to-judge publicity event last fall. I have a draft of a Visitor Use Management plan that I will prioritize and finish as soon as the guidebook is done.

Key thing for everyone to understand, and key part of my job to convey to everyone better:

The primary purpose of the SF2T isn’t hiking. It is to renew our connection to the land. The thing that has driven me (Pam) to create the SF2T is that pull to the mountains so many of us feel. That the SF2T is now required to responsibly handle increased use, and required to up its game at managing that use and shaping our messaging is timely. Our public lands are under unprecedented threats. Our humanness – our ability to connect and be present, to keep our hearts open – is also being covertly taken from us, click by click, frame by frame, distraction by distraction.