Thursday, October 2, 2025
- Start: Santa Fe Plaza (mile 0)
- End: Campsite near Santa Fe Ski Basin (mile 19)
- Distance hiked: 19 miles
- Daily gain/loss: 7,447 vertical feet
- Detours: none
Day 1 of the hike took me from Santa Fe Plaza up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. I started out the day at 7,199 feet of elevation and steadily climbed up to 10,299 feet, with a lot of little ups and downs en route.
The initial miles of the day were gentle as I made my way out of downtown Santa Fe and over the Dale Balls trail network. After 10 miles of easy hiking, I crossed the Tesuque Creek and spent the next 9 miles steadily climbing toward the ski basin under the shade of aspens.
This afternoon’s climb left me realizing I am definitely not acclimated to hiking at this elevation yet. I woke up in Oregon yesterday at 428 feet of elevation and hiked up to 10,000 feet today with a full pack. My body hasn’t done that type of rapid ascent except when backpacking up peaks like Mt. Rainier or Mt. Whitney. I really wish I’d flown to New Mexico a few days before this thru-hike so I could acclimate with some local day hikes instead of just diving straight in.
Highlights
- Santa Fe Plaza feels like a fitting starting point for this modern-day adventure. This is where the historic Santa Fe Trail ended in the 19th century, taking travelers from Missouri to New Mexico on foot.
- The first 8-10 miles leaving Santa Fe were nice and cruisy, and there was plenty of shade to enjoy.
Challenges
- Santa Fe has a vast network of trails for hikers, mountain bikers, and trail runners. With so many intersections and no SF2T markers to follow, I was checking my map often to ensure I didn’t get off track.
- The trails between Santa Fe and Tesuque Creek were surprisingly busy for a weekday in October.
- I was definitely feeling the fatigue of the ascent toward the ski basin. I’m not acclimated to this elevation at all, and I felt awful during the final miles between the Norski TH and Winsor TH.