May 7th, 2019
Davila Ranch Rest Stop Pie Town alt mm 26.2 – Pie Town CDT mm 424.5
Distance in miles: 14
0830-1330
For the first time this trip, I wake in the night and can see no stars. It’s an overcast day. Later it becomes partly cloudy. Relentless makes an awesome breakfast of eggs and potatoes from all the goodies in the fridge. I post blogs and am amazed to find that my app is finally working! The wifi at this remote place is great…what wonders!
Relentless and I leave leave the stop rather late in the morning but it’s only a 14 mile walk on the road to Pie Town. Along the way, I of course find some horses to pet…a whole herd! I also see some mule deer.
Quite a few cars drive by. Most are courteous and slow down but a large truck and trailer blasts by at 60 mph, pelting us with dust and gravel. Gotta love road walking. One car stops and I make a correct assumption that it’s Mr. Davila, owner of the rest stop. He offers us a ride to town but we decline. At least we get to shake his hand for creating the stop, out of the goodness of his heart. It’s the first year that it’s open and I hope future thru-hikers treat it with respect. Later I go online to his website to make a donation through PayPal, as I am running short on cash.
Once in Pie Town, we drop our packs off at the Toaster House. This is another legendary stop along the CDT. It is a bit of a ramshackle house owned by a Trail Angel, Nita, who raised her family in the house. At some point, she opened up the house to hikers and bikers to come and go as they please. It’s the most unusual assortment of her things and stuff travelers have posted and left behind. There are mattresses everywhere for people to claim.
I think to set up my tent but as there are thunderstorms moving in, I find a place on the floor upstairs instead. We then go to the Gathering Place for lunch. The plates are a bit expensive for the portions but I am left feeling quite full after my meal and a slice of peach pie. All the eateries in town have pies but the original, Cathy’s Pie-o-neer, is only open Thursdays-Sundays and only serves pie. That’s the pie I had Easter Sunday on the way down to Lordsburg. Unfortunately my timing is such that I will miss having one of her pies this time. At least I got to try one on my previous visit.
On the way back, I stop at the other cafe and find the rest of the hikers in town. They are all eating pie and I can’t resist having a slice of banana cream. Now I have sampled all the pie in town and I must say, my favorite is still from the Pie-o-neer. But this cafe has the best wifi. The storm on the horizon really begins to threaten so I get set to head back to the Toaster House. Just as I’m leaving, the store manager offers to give us all free slices of pie since the cafe will be closed for the next few days. I get a slice of apple. Nice trail magic!
It has gotten so cold and windy outside that I have to run back. I see lightning and the sky is turning black. The forecast is for more weather like this for days to come. Maybe a stint in Pie Town is in order? The rest of the day is spent sorting my resupply, hanging out with the other hikers, and pondering all the idiosyncrasies of the Toaster house. I’m still so full from the food earlier that I split my pie slice with Relentless for dinner. Some of the other hikers find nail polish in the hiker box, so we all paint our nails, including the guys. I put on a wizard’s smock that I find in one of the closets. Yes, these are the shenanagins that take place when you turn a bunch of strangers loose in a strange house. Despite the party atmosphere, I go to bed by 9 or so.