2026 Goals and Projects

BRANDING AND PURPOSE

  • Last item in the mission statement: “To give people a positive experience of the wild so they will take meaningful action to protect it.”
  • Purpose of the SF2T is to create champions.
  • Every aspect of the entire project is designed to maximize the likelihood of people becoming advocates for the wild, public lands, conservation and connection to nature, to themselves.
  • For some: The spiritual connection and experience of wholeness the wild and nature and stillness can support.
  • But also address the issue or leave space for the people who “aren’t there yet” – who don’t get the idea of connection, and don’t really care about stewardship.
  • Do we “meet them where they are,” or simply don’t build/design this experience for them at all? It’s fine if they don’t come; there are other trails. But the point is to build champions, and so even if what they hear/experience in the messaging and time on trail doesn’t change them now, doesn’t it plant ideas that may develop years from now?
  • Accept the impact increased use will bring.
  • Increased use inevitably brings pressure on landscapes and communities — there is no way to avoid that entirely. The responsibility is to anticipate those impacts and actively reduce them through education, stewardship, monitoring, and thoughtful management.
  • The increased use is also the platform that creates the opportunity to create champions.
  • Use that platform. Make the most of it. Do not stay silent.
  • Change the name: Name changed 2/12 to “The Santa Fe to Taos Trail”.
  • Find myself using “SF2T” or “the SF2T” a lot.
  • Changing it to “The Santa Fe to Taos Trail” still doesn’t feel like enough (because of Red River), and because it is direction dependent. But it will have to do for now.
  • Pilgrimage versus thru-hike.

HIKES

Guided hikes
  • Sell out for the four full route and two half route guided hikes.
  • Hire at least three guides, preferably four.
  • Hire a ground support person plus someone for backup.
  • Define and document all guiding systems:
    • Licenses, permits, insurance, taxes.
    • Marketing and sales.
    • Pre-trail training and info for hikers.
    • Gear for everyone.
    • Pre-trail info and gear and logistics for staff.
    • On-trail fulfillment.
    • Follow-up (reviews, feedback).
    • Financial management.
Training hikes
  • Do at least four training hikes.
  • Santa Fe Plaza to edge of SF National Forest.
  • Panchuela Loop.
  • $25 per attendee.
  • All promotion, sales, and pre-hike info.
  • Coordination with county and city.
  • Have four guides who have done it (two for each group).
  • Feedback and iteration to make the experience better.

CONSERVATION

  • Wildlife area 657.
  • Beavers / Rio Grande Return / Amigos Bravos.
  • NMWild partnership.
  • Conservation conference/s.
  • See Pam’s ongoing education below.
  • See branding above re: “creating champions”.
  • Creek restoration and “improvement”/protection of water sources along the route.

TRAIL DEVELOPMENT/MANAGEMENT

  • Indian Canyon NMVFO project.
  • Water source access.
  • Planks or boards or something for:
    • Los Esteros.
    • Indian Lake.
    • La Cueva Lake.
    • Unnamed bogs.
  • Trick tank for somewhere along Ojitos Trail coming into Taos.
  • Spring near Trail 442.
  • Rito Bonita… shore up pools? Improve as a water source.
  • Campsite monitoring project for lakes:
    • Lake Katherine.
    • Stewart Lake.
    • Pecos Baldy Lake.
    • Truchas Lakes.
    • Spirit Lake.
    • La Cueva Lake.
  • NMVFO sawyer training in March.
  • Maintain resupply.
  • Seek out rental (purchase?) to provide laundry, overnights, address to ship packages to, etc.
  • Parking:
    • Ski Santa Fe.
    • Taos.
  • Be good to Saint John’s United Methodist and continue partnership.
  • Make friends with campground hosts:
    • Panchuela.
    • Santa Barbara.
    • Agua Piedra.
  • Make maps for the campground hosts (they say they really need these).
  • Santa Fe Watershed Volunteer Stewards Program for Adam Gabriel Armijo Park.
  • Red River extension.
    • Somehow find the time to walk this in 2026.
  • Rio Grande Trail situation.
    • SF2T does not want to be formally incorporated into the Rio Grande Trail at this stage, primarily due to overuse concerns and differences in mission and management approach.
    • There have been repeated instances where Pam’s input, efforts, and authorship of the route have not been meaningfully acknowledged or incorporated in discussions to date.
    • There is concern that the SF2T route may be designated in an April 2026 Commission meeting without sufficient coordination or agreement.
    • As a result, route communications will be timed carefully to support coordination with partner agencies.
    • Ultimately, SF2T seeks appropriate agency recognition and alignment for sustainable long-term funding.
  • Mountain bikes.
    • The thru-hike was not designed or intended for mountain bikes. Portions of the route pass through the Pecos Wilderness, where bikes are not allowed.
    • The task is to clearly communicate these restrictions where necessary and work with partners and land managers to prevent inappropriate bike use on wilderness sections.
    • Other thru-hikes, like the Appalachian Trail, the John Muir Trail, and the Lone Star Trail are not open to mountain bikes.
  • Equestrians.
    • Get clear on the short section of West Fork where the wash out is. Verify it is not okay for horses.
    • Find out if East Fork Trail is better than Middle Fork Trail (which has extensive blowdown).
  • Fishers.
    • There is a huge opportunity to partner with the trout fishing community on the route.
    • Include more information about trout fishing in the guidebook.
    • Pay for a guide level membership with Trout Unlimited.
    • Possibly partner with Trout Unlimited about the browns being released above the fish gates near Rio Chiquito Trail and FR 438.
  • Bow hunters.
    • Make contact and be friendly with local bow hunting organizations.

VOLUNTEERS and STAFF

  • Establish sustainable compensation for core leadership and operations.
  • Virtual assistant.
  • Local membership assistant / volunteer (same person as guided hikes ground support?)
  • Webmaster? (Ernie?)
  • Medical Director.
  • On-ground volunteer support for box delivery, resupply management, and other errands.
  • Tabling events:
    • Fish and Game (February 13-15).
    • Buffalo Thunder (June 26-28).
    • Outdoor Economics conference (September).
    • Taos Farmers’ Markets.
    • Love your watershed tabling event SF.
    • Conservation conference.
    • At least two tabling events in ABQ… not sure which ones (Pitchfest + ?).
  • Training for Pam.
    • Forest bathing.
    • QGIS.
    • Guiding hikes.
    • Emotional support/intervention.
    • Master Naturalist Program.
    • iPhone photography/videography.
    • Ongoing education about cultural history of the area.
    • Ongoing education about conservation and climate change.
  • Quarterly questions answered events, Taos, SF, and ABQ. So 12 events for the year.
  • 150 hours of volunteer work (box shuttling, tabling events, information sessions, training hikes, campsite monitoring, trail and trailhead maintenance, Armijo Park and SF corridor trail pickup.).
  • Holiday party for volunteers.
  • Board members… we need at least three great new board members.

MEDIA / PUBLISHING

  • Quarterly “State of the Trail” reports.
  • Guidebook.
    • 1st edition of the guidebook
    • 2nd edition of the guidebook.
    • Guidebook distribution (Itasca Books).
    • Guidebook launch outreach, reviews, and Amazon page.
    • Guidebook printing (BookVault, explore Ingram).
  • GPX file
    • Continue to offer the 2026 route on the website for free after email signup?
    • Update enhanced gpx file with 2026 route.
    • Manage ongoing updates of enhanced gpx file.
  • Redo the website.
    • FAQs
    • Logistics info
    • Blog posts?
    • Trail updates
  • Long-form videos (at least 20, YouTube and on site).
  • Short form videos/reels/FAQs. (52 – one per week)
  • Social media (Instagram and Facebook, add BlueSky). 3 posts per week. ~150 posts for the year.
  • Graph of when people expect to go (like ATCamp).
  • Membership information.
    • Cost to fulfill membership
    • Member packet distribution via Itasca Books as well if possible.
    • Member parking lot reservation calendar.
    • Member materials digitized and available post purchase.
  • Manage influencers and other press as best we can.
  • Need to talk to the Trek.
  • Monitor AllTrails.
  • 12 articles on different websites.
  • 12 interviews on podcasts (not just thru-hiking podcasts).
  • Continue with the newsletter. (Maybe an audio version?)
  • https://sf2t-thru-hike.beehiiv.com/
  • Online community.
    • Discord channel exists.
    • The 2025 online community required more active moderation and clearer information systems than expected.
    • But if I don’t have an online community, someone else may step in and create one.
    • Reddit channel?
  • Ads per guided hikes application.
  • 9 public talks. These could be part of the information sessions listed above.
  • A podcast… even four episodes this year? Even just an audio version of quarterly State of the Trail.
  • Patreon? For nicer paid content. Also offer as part of membership.
  • Mobile app?
  • Merch.
    • Hats.
    • Posters.
    • Tshirts.
    • Art prints.
    • Bandanas.
    • new sticker design and production.
    • Thank you cards.
    • Continue with postcards.
    • Planner.
    • Christmas cards.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

  • Continue building relationships with legislators and public land stakeholders.
  • In Taos.
  • In Santa Fe.
  • In Pecos and the Pecos/Cowles.
  • In Penasco and Tres Ritos (middle of the route).
  • Stay in touch with the Sierra Club, Search and Rescue SF and Taos, NMWild, Trout Unlimited, watershed organizations, Trash Pandas, Los Alamos Mountaineers, NMFVO, Taos Land Trust, Block Terrero Mine, Los Pandos Road project, CDT, Upaya Zen Center, ashram in Taos.
  • Keep sending information packets to potential partners and along-the-trail resources.
  • Keep developing partnerships in Tres Ritos, Penasco, and near Panchuela/Cowles.
  • Continue trying to build contacts/relationships with pueblos. Taos, Picuris, Tesuque, Nambe.

FINANCIALS

  • Non-profit CPA for the thru-hike or dedicated volunteer/board member for all financials.
  • Manage the guided hikes income/expenses/salaries/payments.
  • Accounting month to month.
  • Federal and state taxes 2025 and 2026.
  • NM Gross receipts.
  • Hourly logs.
  • Driving logs.
  • Grant and donations.
  • 12 grants applied to (“grant a month”).
  • Get better at getting donations: Triple donations.
  • Send last year’s donation letters out.
  • Economic impact report (I bought the courses…).
  • Grant volunteers.