Paty Matiskella (“Sisu”), Eugene, OR

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Hi there Pam, 

Thank you for creating this route. I loved it and was thrilled to thru-hike a new route that so few people have experienced yet. I definitely should have acclimated first, given my home is in the PNW. I live at 428′ elevation. I knew better, but I was just SO excited to be in New Mexico!  

I did the SF2T route as a 7-day thru-hike from 2-8 October 2025. The weather was great, with the exception of 30-35 mph winds on day 3 when I went up Truchas Peak, and had several rounds of hail that evening at Truchas Lake.

My favorite parts of the hike were:

  1. My detours up Santa Fe Baldy and Truchas Peak for the panoramic views (I’m a state and county highpointer, and both peaks were on my bucket list).
  2. Walking across the Trailriders Wall under dramatic stormy skies (chef’s kiss).

I’ve been telling everyone that late September and early October is the perfect window for this thru-hike. Yes, the weather is quite a bit cooler, but the yellow, orange, and red aspens every day more than make up for having to wear an extra layer.

Paty wrote a very detailed account of her SF2T thru-hike on her website, Outdoor Pilgrim.