We had 6 days of hiking planned for this section. Due to an injury (more on that below), it was only 4 days. Four very full days!
After leaving the camp, we found a campsite up the road and stopped for lunch. There was even a toilet! Our post lunch hike was a climb from 8,200 to 9,600 feet. It was only 4 miles in distance. About halfway up, a pickup stopped next to Scoot and asked if he needed anything. He said he was fine, but his wife would probably love a hitch to the top. She definitely would love it! We both jumped in the back and on the way up we picked up Angler. These hunters were heading down the mountain and still gave us a ride. We have really been blessed with trail angels!
Once we were at the top of the summit, it was all downhill for 10 miles. We started down and around 5pm we stopped for dinner. While we were eating, two hikers passed by. We can't remember their names, but we're calling them Durango and Portland. After dinner we hiked a bit more and found a campsite for the night.
The next morning we set our sights on reaching the DaVila Ranch for breakfast. DaVila is a wonderful stop on the trail set up by local rancher, John DaVila. The ranch is stocked with food. It has showers and laundry. Hikers can stop for a meal or stay overnight. And of course, we can get water there. When we arrived, Durango and Portland were there plus another hiker, Sequoia. Scoot made us eggs and onions for breakfast. Delicious! After cleaning up, we were back on our way. An hour and a half after leaving the ranch, a pickup stopped next to Scoot. It was John DaVila the owner of the ranch. He insisted on giving us a ride to our next stop, Pie Town. He also picked up Durango, Portland and Sequoia.
Pie Town is a popular stop for CDT hikers. In the 1920s a local baker started serving up pie to travelers and the name stuck. Today hikers can grab a meal at one of the two cafés in town or spend the night at the Toaster House. Pie Town is the halfway point of the CDT in New Mexico. We bunked at the Toaster House along with 6 other hikers.
John was kind enough to drive the two of us to the next town for a small resupply and a beer run for all the hikers. Pie Town has two cafés, a post office and four churches.
We spent the afternoon/early evening hanging out with the other hikers. Really interesting group. There was a school teacher, college student, retired police sergeant, back country ski instructor, retiree and a corporate person on sabbatical. We also enjoyed a couple of meals at The Gathering Place II with our fellow hikers. This was such a unique experience. I'm sure we will always cherish it.
The Toaster House is a donation based home that hikers can stay at while in Pie Town. The volunteers who run it keep it stocked with food and paper products. You can do laundry and shower. And there are plenty of beds.
Yes, we had pie! New Mexican apple which has green chiles and Pinon nuts in it. Amazing!
The next morning we joined our Toaster House group for breakfast at The Gathering Place II and then hit the trail. We were back to road walking. Our plan was to do 20 miles on a hard packed county road with a stop at the TLC Ranch for a break and water refill. The walk was 16 miles to TLC. Dr. Cactus and Thad, two hikers from the Toaster House, were at TLC when we arrived. We ate dinner and chatted with them. During this time, a terrible pain started in Scoot's foot. We decided to camp at the ranch for the night rather than continue per our plan. The ranch's owner, Larry, also offered to drive us to the trailhead the next morning to save more road walking. Before leaving for the trail, Larry made all of us breakfast and lattes. Larry and his wife, Charity, are two of the most kind hearted people I have ever met. They welcomed us into their home and provided us with food, water and a place to camp. We will remember their kindness.
From the trailhead we were back on a state park trail for the day. We set out and after 3 miles Scoot's foot was slowly getting more painful. We took a break and discussed our options. Option 1 was to continue -- 15 miles until the next road. Option 2 was to turn around and hitch to Grants -- 3 miles back to the county highway. We knew there was a possibility that the injury could get worse and we didn't want to be stuck a long way from the road. We opted for Option 2. We got back to the road around 2 pm and settled ourselves on the side of the road hoping for a hitch. Several cars passed by but none wanted to pick up two vagabonds. Finally, a rancher heading to Grants stopped. Thank you Robert!
We made it to Grants around 5pm. After checking in, we did our laundry and spent time resting. Even though we were only on the trail for 4 days, rest is always welcome. Especially with an injury.
Thru-hikers believe that "the trail will provide." It certainly did this section!
We picked up our first box sent by The Conductor. She included a few pictures of Scarlet which really made us happy.
Angler, Gerald, Rockyn Robyn and Magic Mike are also at our hotel and we've been catching up with them. Thanks Gerald for the ride to the post office!
The physical aspects of the trail — soreness, aches, pains, and the occasional injury — are expected. Another aspect is the mental shift from a world of constant overstimulation to one of almost complete quiet. After a month on the trail with very little screen time or social media, my mind has shifted. When we first got on the trail, every problem, no matter how small, had to be solved immediately — or so my brain was wired. I now take a more measured approach, an almost laissez-faire attitude toward many of the issues we face. When we were waiting for a hitch to Grants with my injured foot, we sat on the side of the road for a couple of hours and saw five cars. We realized we might end up spending the night on the side of the road and have to try again the next day. This probably would have caused me some degree of anxiety early in the trip, but Pooh and I just kind of chuckled about the situation and made peace with whatever came next.
Turns out the world keeps spinning just fine without my constant attention. Who knew. Getting to town and glancing at social media for two minutes before realizing nothing has really changed — and that it doesn't hold my attention anymore — feels less like a revelation and more like a quiet relief.
Which raises the obvious question: if we're not doomscrolling, how do e spend our down time? We brought a couple of books — lightweight paperbacks. We each read one and then trade. Our first two were the original Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and John Steinbeck's Russian Journal. There's something fitting about reading a monster story by headlamp in the middle of nowhere, though I'll admit Frankenstein hits different when you're already a little sleep-deprived and filthy. We also brought a few weeks' worth of New York Times crossword puzzles. I was given a year's worth for Christmas a couple of years ago and had worked through about a third of them — the rest we tore out of the book a week at a time and tucked into our resupply boxes. They rack your brain considerably more when cheating isn't even an option. No cell coverage means no shortcuts.
Tomorrow we leave Grants for Cuba. This section is expected to be classic Southwest scenery with mesas and chiseled red and ran mountains. We should be in Cuba next Saturday or Sunday. Then we will continue on to Ghost Ranch. We don't know if we will spend the night in Cuba. Expect the next update around May 14.
Enjoy...
Days hiked this section 4
Total days hiked 25
Miles this section 112.7
Total miles 410.6
