After a hot day of riding, I finally reached Pie Town. The first thing I wanted to do was grab a piece of their famous pie. The first cafe I rode to was closed for Memorial Day! It started to look like we’d be pie-less in Pie Town.

Mathieu and Auke rode faster than I into town, so now I had to find them. I slowly rode around the side of the cafe…maybe they were back there? As I was looking around, I hit a patch of loose gravel and my wheels slid out from under me. I leaned to the right side – the side I am not accustomed to unclipping my pedals from, and fell. My first fall of the trip was in a parking lot while going 6 mph. I fell hard on my elbow, directly on my (not so) funny bone. I shook out the tingling feeling while looking around to make sure no one had seen me…and if someone had, I would make up something witty to say to ease the embarassment. Luckily, no one was around.

After righting my bike and myself, I saw Auke riding up the highway toward me. They had taken a slightly different path into town. He told me he found the Toaster House – the hostel we’d be staying in for the night. We rode to the only other cafe in town – the Pie-o-neer, hoping it would be open.

When we arrived, a lady named Kathy burst through the front door and asked if we were divide riders. She also said she had some bad news for us. I looked to the door and saw there was a closed sign on the door. She explained that she had run out of pie, but we could come in for a drink and other food items.

During the four days between Silver City and Pie Town, there was not a single store, restaurant, hotel, etc. It was 180 miles of rough wilderness. When I walked into the Pie Town Cafe, a grin spread across my face. It was an odd feeling to be a part of civilization again.

We drank cokes, rootbeer floats, and ate Kathy’s Cravings – grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatoes and hot peppers. Kathy explained that due to the holiday, all their pie had been sold out, but she could make more and deliver it to us at the Toaster House later in the evening. What great service! We asked if they served breakfast, but they would be closed tomorrow. The Pie Town Cafe should be open for breakfast, though.

After enjoying our meal, we rode to the Toaster House. Its hard to explain this place to anyone who hasn’t seen it in person. It is a large cabin on the edge of town that used to be someone’s house. The owners moved out and converted it to a hostel for CDT hikers and Great Divide bikers. There are bunks, a shower, washing machine, food in the pantry, beer in the fridge, and lots of spare gear around that past guests have left behind. All of this is available for free (it is maintained by optional donations).

We explored the house, looking through the guestbook, reading entries of past travellers. Mathieu and Auke recognized many of the names in the book from blogs they read before starting the ride.

We took showers, did a load of laundry, and relaxed in the common room. This was luxury compared to the last four days.

Around 21:30, Megan, our server from the Pie-o-neer, arrived with our pie. She stayed and talked with us while we enjoyed the delicious pie. It’s amazing how open and friendly people can be to three dirty/smelly bikers!

When Megan left, we almost immediatly went to bed. It was close to 23:00 – very late after being accustomed to falling asleep when the sun goes down.

We woke up looking forward to eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast. Unfortunately, the Pie Town Cafe was closed for repairs. We saw that there was a grocery store a few miles west on the highway, so we went there. Our choices were very limited, but we managed to find tastey/high-calorie food items. We brought our food back to the Toaster House, ate it, then hit the road again. By the time we left, it was almost noon – a very late start for an area that is very hot!