This year definitely has been challenging for most people, on a global scale. Small outdoor adventure businesses like ours have been impacted by lock downs and a decline in leisure and business travel. We are grateful that we were able to scale back, reduce costs, and resume some operations in June 2020.

The past few months have given us time to re-evaluate our business as well as our personal lives, and move beyond our normal boundaries. For years, we’ve been comfortable working hard March through November, offering cultural experiences, guided hikes, 4×4 adventures and mountain biking tours in the greater Santa Fe area. It has been a wonderful way to earn a living. But, in this new global environment, we feel a need to expand our horizons and accept the challenges that COVID-19 has thrown our way.

I believe others feel the same way. We need to move beyond our self-imposed limits and push ourselves to a higher plane. While in lock down mode, with time to read, I found this article by Lori Brookes, “The Sixty60 Journey: Sixty Hikes to 60 Years,” and was instantly taken by the concept. I’m inching my way to 60 years on this planet. I have been hiking, at least this past year, on a regular basis, and am comfortable with short hikes with my husband and our dog, Murjo. I could easily do 60 hikes in the next 5 months … BUT, why set a goal that’s easily within my reach? Why not go beyond? I would like to do 60 milestone hikes before my 60th birthday, 60 hikes that are challenging and meaningful. Just around the Santa Fe area, there are mountains that I would like to hike up to – Santa Fe Baldy being a goal I’ve had for years. I would like to trek to Cerro Pedernal again and eventually to Wheeler Peak. Making this list – one a week for the next year and a half will be fun!

Why not set your goals as well for the rest of 2020 into 2021? Join us on a milestone hike, whatever that may mean for you. Work your way up to going on a milestone hike, one that will truly be memorable. Push yourself beyond your comfort zone and prove to yourself that, one step at a time, you can achieve your goals.