By Staff Writer: Jamiliere Luranc Sweeney
Some hikes begin with a map. For Pam Neely, it began with her dog.
“I had a reactive dog that kept getting into dog fights, so we ended up spending a lot of time in the lesser-traveled parts of the Pecos Wilderness,” Neely said. “Over time, it became obvious that there had to be a way through to Taos. It became a puzzle—a really big puzzle.”
That puzzle became the Santa Fe to Taos Thru-Hike, a 132-mile route connecting Santa Fe and Taos. The hike is divided into six sections of about 20 miles each, making it possible to hike the trail all at once or break it up over a few weekends. Neely also chose to route the trail through burn scars to remind hikers that fire is a critical part of the New Mexico landscape.
Building the route took years of planning. Neely studied dozens of maps and looked at GPS data, then tested each section on foot to ensure the trail was feasible. “Just because the maps say there’s water, or a trail, doesn’t mean those things are there,” she said. “The maps also don’t include a lot of things that are there, like water sources.”
For Neely, the most rewarding part was both the discovery that came with creating the trail and the human connection. “A few of my interactions with people who have done the thruhike, even parts of it, or even if they’re just interested in it, have also been extremely rewarding,” she said.
Looking ahead, she plans to offer guided hikes, publish a second edition of the guidebook, and develop alternate routes. She hopes to grow the hike from a personal project into an organization.
“One of the core missions of the thru-hike is to give people a positive experience of the wild so they will take meaningful action to protect it. We have, unfortunately, found ourselves in a time when that seems more urgent than ever.”
The Santa Fe to Taos Thru-Hike isn’t just a trail across northern New Mexico. It’s a way for people to slow down and reconnect with the land and themselves.