A Little Slice of Pie Town - I'll take seconds!

I think this is where I left you, our arrival in Pie Town.  We had arrived just in the nick-of-time to catch Kathy, the owner of the Pie-O-Neer, aka. the maker of the best pies in the entire U.S.A.  It was about 20 minutes after closing time, but Kathy said she had 5 pieces left and would be happy to "Pie us".  You know what they say: 'if you give a biker a  piece of pecan/sweet potato pie, they'll want a root beer float to go with it' or something like that.

Five minutes out of the trailer and she's got pie and a chair!  Ahem Neva, can I sit down!!

After a lovely talk with Kathy, and a few out of town stragglers coming in hours after close, the pie was all gone, everyone needed to go home, and Neva and I headed to the Toaster House.

She seems really happy to be here, maybe it was the enormous amount of sugar in that root beer...hmmm?

The front door is welcoming with prayer flags and welcome signs, there are notes everywhere to tell you where things are at, full amenities including shower, washer machine, fully stocked kitchen, a cozy porch with couches to kick your feet up on, and plenty of space and rooms inside to accommodate a packed house during good biking and hiking seasons.  Rita and several friends in the area keep up the Toaster for any bikers, hikers, or passers through on the continental divide.  It's a rare gem, and Rita sure packs the hospitality punch for ultimate relaxation, even trying to leave a piece of pie in the fridge for anyone who might miss the hours of the Pie-O-Neer.

Our cozy home for two nights.

We were lucky enough to get a knock at the door around 7pm our first night and see a tired but smiling Cjell, ready to share a space and some stories.  We hit it off really well and shared stories of world travels.  Cjell even is adorned with a world map tattoo, received appropriately from a member of the Bike Haus the previous year. 

We went to the Pie-O-Neer to see Cjell off.  He was headed southbound on the GDT, only to turn around June 14 for the start of the northbound GDT.  We'll see if our paths cross down the road.

Do you notice the steep hill sign on the right? 

Then Kathy noticed we were outside and came out to chat... with a piece of saved peach a la mode pie in hand.  Man, she's the best!  And so is the pie.  I can't wait to come back and ask for my favorite, lemon meringue.  Kathy coined the phrase 'pie-gasms' from the sound people make when they eat it.  Mmmm mmm goooood!

Again, Neva is sitting down with pie and fork in hand, what's wrong with this picture?!

After (ahem) brunch pie, we headed over to the Pie Town Cafe for some local food.  As vegetarians, we are used to there not being much for us to eat, and were hoping to luck out on a salad.  It was as we suspected when we walked in, a dry erase board with only meat items.  We kept chipper though as we were called over by a friendly face, Nita.  It was the first time we'd met and she was excited to see us.  The waitress came over, and hearing of our veggie diet quickly dispersed to the kitchen to see what could be done.  We were in for a treat!  Grilled cheese sandwich with tomato, home made and savory potato salad, and a radish, carrot and cucumber salad made from a local, organic garden.  We ate to our hearts content.  With hospitality like this, we HAD to stay another day.

After lunch, Rita quickly whisked us away to her house in the country (4 miles from town) for some more quality relaxing.

The view from Nita's backyard with a super cool telescope to take in the evening stars.

She quickly whipped up some guacamole while her room mate Megan (who works at the Pie-O-Neer) made some fabulous mojitos.  I'm not much for drinking when I ride, or at all, but these were irresistible and very tasty.  Neva had a virgin version in a tiny glass and was satisfied.

Megan has other skills aside from the best mojitos in the west and assisting with the production of the best pies in the U.S. (Wow, she's 2 for 2 already!) She moved on a whim from Florida, not being able to resist the opportunity to make pies in Pie Town.  Her and her dog have lived in Pie Town for 2 years, and Megan is experimenting with making mead.  For those of you not familiar, mead is honey wine, actually made with fermented honey, and one of my favorites.  You'll have to ask Megan about the specifics, but it's not overly sweet like a dessert wine, but has a nice flavor of honey, and can be slightly efervescant. 

She has three batches going now, some with different flavors like lavender.

There's great bird watching from Nita's property.  Lots of migratory birds go through Pie Town, and with Nita's welcoming bird oasis, there are lots of pretty birds stopping in at the baths and feeders.

Neva looking through Nita's binoculars.  I'm not sure what's on the other end for that reaction.

We saw a western tanger, but he flew away, and there were no others that stopped by after that.  Small sparrows were around, but the robins were the birds lounging around by the bath.

After bird watching and walking around the property, guess what time it is?  Pie time!  Nita gathered her supplies and made pie in 5 easy steps:

Step 1:  Get out the supplies

Nita brought out her home made whole wheat crust

Step 2:  Roll it...

Step 3: Pit it.

I was dubbed "the pitter" and used this fun tool to pit the cherries for the cherry pie.

Step 4:  Pat it.

I haven't introduced you yet to the beautiful Nita yet.  Here she is!  Making pies and merriment in her lovely home.

Step 5:  And socialize with good conversation while pie is in the oven

That's Megan in the middle with the coolest couple around, known for the best organic greens in town.

Okay, pie making probably involves more than these five steps, but the following is my favorite part, the partaking!

Cherry pie, a la mode

Hmmm, I didn't mention that Nita made two pies.

A spiced no cream cream pie, for those that are lactose-free.  I added some whipped cream, I couldn't resist!

Yes, we ate pie first, and then Megan made some dinner.  This is life in Pie Town! (If you're counting, that was my third piece of pie that day)

Megan whipping up fresh green beans and rice, it really hit the spot!  Nita also baked baby flowered zucchinis that melted in your mouth.  The flowers really add another dimension to the squash!

After dinner, we went out to see the sun set and view the moon and venus through Nita's telescope.  We regaled stories, and enjoyed all of the things that make community wonderful until midnight when we packed it in, weary eyed and smiling.

This picture's for you Megan!

Nita saw us off the next day, along with another friend staying at the Toaster house.

Neva petting the little horny toad that had stopped by to bid us farewell (or he was just hanging out in his home)

I think the horny toad felt right at home with my other reptile shirt.  Nita took this great picture, and off we left from the Toaster house, and lovely Pie Town.  We will visit again sometime soon as pie and friendship dances in our memories in the meantime.  I'm glad I got a second serving of Pie Town.

Riding the Divide - Baby Tracks (First Leg)

Drum roll please!  Neva and I biked across west Texas just so we could do the small portion of the GDT (Great Divide Trail) from Silver City, NM to Poncha Springs, CO.  The first push is from Silver to Pie Town.  It's got some good climbs because you're going from 6000 feet elevation to 8000 feet.  This leg doesn't have much water, no towns or food, and has some difficult climbs for pulling a trailer, but it's behind us now, and it ended in pie!  It doesn't get much better than that!

My dad seeing us off at the very beginning of our journey in Camp Wood, Texas.  Thumbs up and peace signs all around.

SILVER CITY, NM - THE BIKE HAUS

My friend Ben lives in Silver City and decided to see us off by joining us for a couple days on our journey.  We stayed with Ben and the whole Bike Haus gang while packing up for the big trip.

This is Jamie, owner of the Bike Haus, racer of the Great Divide Trail, and one of Neva's favorite people.  Hey!  Ben's hair photobombed the picture!

It's a fun place for Neva to stay with a community atmosphere, bikes all around, and giant puppets that Jamie makes for monthly bike parades.

Not even a fraction of the puppets they have...they have other storage facilities that house more of these full-sized puppets.

It's kind of a tradition for Ben to make his famous Ben bread before a bike trip, or any trip, or if it's Tuesday, or... If you ever get to meet Ben, you might be lucky enough to get some home made walnut cranberry sourdough, or a variety of his other delicious creations.

Three loaves of sourdough here with some fresh goat milk to wash it down.

Ben and I got the official well wishing good bye with the Bike Haus friends ringing cow bells for us as we rode off towards new heights.

Ben, Neva and I about to leave from the Bike Haus

LAKE ROBERTS - MESA CAMPGROUND

Our first day was all pavement, but it was all uphill from Silver City to Pinos Altos.  We were good and ready to set up camp right next to the lake, eat dinner, and watch birds for the remainder of the daylight hours.

I was told this is an Osprey.

Ben's mind was on food, and he started up dinner.  Pasta and pesto with tuna.

  

Ben's usual place, slaving over delicious food.

Neva and Ben were playing around while I was blowing up the ground pads.

Ben and Neva decided this would be an easier way to strap Neva to the bike.  The Ortlieb rack pack in medium fits one Neva.

Ben and Neva slept in while I was taking in the early morning scenery.  

My fuzzy hair biking partners

A whole herd of deer came through our campsite.  I think they were looking for a place to get a sip of water.  There were over twenty of them, all in a row.

They way they walked in a line reminded me of Madeline.

ROCK CANYON CAMPGROUND

We started out fresh, and came to the section from pavement to off-road.  This section definitely seasoned us for the trails, starting with a very steep uphill.

Ben looking serious and ready to attack the 150.

 A day full of hills took it's toll.  Here's Ben soaking in a good leaning spot.

Ben headed back home after making a great lunch, while Neva and I pushed forwards.  

Ben bread with hummus, sardines and cucumber on top.

We ended up at the Rock Canyon campground which is literally in a canyon.  I decided to save the walk uphill for when Neva and I were fresh the following morning.  We had one camp-mate, Dave, who is a retired school teacher and current explorer of beautiful, secluded places around the US.

Oops, Dave accidentally scooted out of the picture, but he made us a lovely oatmeal breakfast with a side of good conversation.

BEAVERHEAD CENTER

Getting to Beaverhead Work Center was rough with the persistent climbs and sweltering heat, but after many long hours, and many stops under the tall pine trees, it was well worth the wait for a welcoming smile from Levi, the firefighter on duty.  Levi found us a hot shower, got us some fresh fruit, and even helped us set up our tent.

You guessed it, we were on the other side of that steep descent sign.  Phew, that was a big hill!

As we were packing up in the morning, we even had a stream of firefighters bring us various lunch items and juices for our journey.  Neva even got a Smokey the Bear pin which now sits proudly on the trailer.

Neva watering at Beaverhead.

ELK SPRINGS - DOUG'S LOG CABIN

Another rough day as the trees disappeared into desolate plains with no signs of shade as far as the eye can see.  The elevation turned to gentle rollers, but intermittent sections of heavy gravel brought the pace to a slow walking pace.  After about 20 miles of the plains, some pine trees start to appear again when entering Elk Springs, and the terrain is much more fun and tolerable, though the gravel still takes a lot of strength to get through if you're biking it.

A typical view of the Malapais Plains

We noticed a cabin to the left in hopes of getting water or a camp site, or both.  We were in for a treat, starting with a grinning Doug and cold waters.  Doug was on vacation from Tucson at his weekend cabin with family and friends.  They all welcomed us and let us stay on the most comfortable fold out couch bed I've ever slept on, while trying to pack us with as many calories as possible.

Everything in Doug's cabin was wood, even the bears! Doug and his brother in law built the entire house by themselves.

An unexpected surprise came in the form of Chris from the USFS.  He had received a call from a local who had seen Neva and I, and had come to check on us.  It turned out we were both recent Flagstaffians and we all chatted for a while about common acquaintances.  Chris also kindly let me look at his forest service map of the area to see what my options for the next day would be.

PIE TOWN - THE TOASTER HOUSE

I was tired of biking through thick gravel and decided to have a change of pace, literally, and hit the pavement.  Since Doug was headed home, he dropped me off at the intersection of Highway 12 and Highway 32 where I could bike north to Quemado and then east to Pie Town.

A cool rock formation on the way to Quemado.

We stopped in Quemado for lunch at the Largo Cafe. We had the soup and salad bar and filled up on fresh fruits and vegetables.  Coming off eating raw before our bike trip, this place was really an oasis with deliciously fresh food, good service and a clean atmosphere.

It was a great day.  I covered about 60 miles within five hours time, and was greeted by Kathy, the owner of the Pie-o-neer in Pie Town, NM.  Neva and I enjoyed a root beer float and pecan-sweet potato pie while exchanging stories with Kathy about travels to central America.

Hmmm, Neva doesn't look too happy for getting pecan and sweet potato pie with a  root beer float...

There's the smile!!!

We ended up staying the night at the bike-famed Toaster House which offers hospitality to anyone coming through on the continental divide or GDT.  I met a fellow cyclist named Cjell (pronounced 'shell') who was headed south just so he could turn around June 14 to do the northbound GDT race.  Him and a bunch of other racers will pass me in the days to come.

We stopped by the Pie-O-Neer to say hello, to check Wifi and to see Cjell off.  They are closed Mon - Wed though, so call ahead for pie!

Buuut, Kathy was sweet enough to save us a slice.  Peach!

Pie Town was a great place to recharge.  I'll tell you all about my little slice of Pie Town next time!

The rig in front of the toaster house.  Can you tell why it's called that?

Trials on the Trails

Neva and I have ridden from Silver City, New Mexico to Pie Town, New Mexico so far, via the GDT (Great Divide Trail) route.  My expectations were open because I knew that no matter what, off-road terrain carrying a child and 125 pounds of weight would be hard.  Here are some things we've encountered so far...

New Mexico mosaic in Penny Park, Silver City, NM

WATER!!! Or lack there of...

Water is the big issue here because New Mexico has been going through a drought and anywhere the maps might say that there is water; creeks, cow tanks, etc., there's not.  People are hauling in water to their cattle, the creeks are mud pits at best, and the threat of fires are high.

The stretch from Silver to Pie Town is rough because there aren't any small towns in between.  The only reliable water sources are at the USFS Work Center in Beaverhead, and the lone house you might see once every 30 miles, maybe.

Neva helping the firefighters water the plants at Beaverhead

Through the dry terrain, we carried 11 liters of water, which we could use for 3 days, if necessary.  Luckily, USFS patrol the dry areas pretty well and are very hospitable.  I would see a truck about once a day, and ask for a fill whether I needed it or not.  This was also a great way for letting people know that we were out there.  When Neva and I pulled up to Beaverhead Work Center at 8pm on Friday night (June 7) the firefighter on duty, Levi said he was about to go look for us and check to see if we were okay.  The forest service works hard, and they're always ready to help.  They really make me feel more at home in the wilderness as a sort of extended community family, watching out for the land and everything on it, kind of way.

A bovine farewell leaving Beaverhead Center towards the Malapais plains. 

SLOW...Gravel, and washboard, and winds, oh my!

Yes, off-road can be extremely slow going.  Think 3 mph uphill, when you can ride, and walking speed, if it's more steep...pushing a total of around 150 pounds, depending on how much water you are carrying.

TIP:  If you are carrying a child, they might be able to pull their own weight sometimes!

Neva helping me push the trailer up the hill

Leaving Silver City, it's pavement, but there are no shortage of hills.  Once you hit Pinos Altos is when you'll head off road, and you start with a very steep hill.  For the next 50 miles or so, you're looking at gravel washboard, but it is bikable.  There are about five areas where you will climb 500 feet in elevation in about 2 miles.  These portions we had to walk.  The combination of washboard and gravel makes steep downhills sketchy.  Wind and washboard can knock the trailer into a waggle, and the gravel can cause you to fishtail if you try to brake.  Disc brakes are advisable.
 

I took a little spill on the downhill washboard/gravel.  Off I went, but the trailer stayed upright.

There are a lot of ranchers through the Malapais Plains area, and they lay down thick gravel because it makes the roads easier for driving on; however, it also makes pulling a trailer like pulling an anchor, and is so thick in some places, it will stop you in your tracks. Luckily the plains area is fairly flat, so walking isn't too much of a chore, and the little one enjoys taking short jaunts out of the trailer.

Neva says, "Mommy, I want to get out and run.  I can go SOOOO fast!!!"

Going northbound, we've really had our share of headwinds, 35 mph!  The best thing to do is leave as early as possible because the winds do pick up the later the day gets.  Just keep in mind that the temperatures change 50 degrees or more from night and day, and scorching heat can turn to chilly after 8pm.  It can be 92 during the day and 35 at night.

You can get an idea of how hard the winds are blowing from the trailer flag and Neva's hair

IT'S SUNNY, hot, hot hot!

Leaving Silver City, it's hilly but with shade trees.  Once you see the elevation steady out, you've hit the plains, and there is not a shade tree for miles.  The stretch between Beaverhead Work Center and Elk Springs has one tree about half way that's off the side of the road near some mail boxes and at the intersection to go toward Magdelena.  That's it, so water is even more crucial with the sun exposure, but you can fill up at Beaverhead which should get you through.

My Neapolitan-style tan from biking west Texas and New Mexico

In Silver City, we picked up Super Salve sunscreen made locally by Denise.  I use that during the day, and at night, I use the Herbal Comfort Salve on my skin to help it heal faster.  You can check out her products at www.supersalve.com. The skin is the largest organ on your body, so it's important to keep it healthy, otherwise you will feel really drained really quickly.

The Super Salve sun cream stays within hands reach, right in front of me in the handlebar bag.

The GDT in the summer is hot, but it's not bikable once the monsoons hit around July, at least for this area anyway.  It's really all about the water throughout New Mexico.  Stay tuned to see specifics on where we have been!

Airport Cuisine

At the age of 3.5 years, Neva is about to get on her 43rd flight.  Traveling with a little one, and with a family, one must plan accordingly, especially when the average total travel time seems to be around 12 hours, from home base to the final destination.  This time, we were lucky...only 11 hours total travel time. So, with all of this 'spare' time on my hands, I decided to check in and let you know about our experience so far.

Pretty mundane actually.  The standard checking luggage, standing in lines, and waiting around in uncomfortable chairs with outlets that are in use or out of reach.  I am, however, happy to report that for the first time, neither Christian nor I had to 'opt out' and get patted down by security and a BIG FIRST (so far) of not being forced to give an offering to the sacrificial TSA gods.  Amazing! 

I've got 11 hours to feed my family 3 meals, or more (I've got a hungry family).  Here are some staples that I like to bring on most any trip, whether hiking, biking, or just traveling light based on guidelines out of our control. 

Before we left the house, we loaded up on calories and nutrients with a nice smoothie and coconut water.

After an hour drive to the airport and another hour of waiting, the family started getting peckish and I reached into the bag of snacks.

Tortillas or pita pockets are versatile and flat, a just-add-water style sandwich filling is nice, and some fresh fruits and vegetables are a must in the grungy airport environment which only offers highly processed foods.  This time, we chose whole wheat pita pockets, wild caught canned tuna steak and apples.  With a little ingenuity, I was able to get half an apple cut up into small bits, for the crunch, a small pack of Boar's Head mayonnaise from a sandwich shop and 3 slices of lemon from the bar. Flake tuna and mix well and viola!  You've got a yummy tuna pita!  Carrying food in tupperware and plastic baggies is very useful for keeping leftovers.

TIP 1.  Pre-cutting things is good  because not a lot of food places will allow knives, let alone lend one to a traveler.

Tip 2. Vinegar can be used instead of lemon, if you can find it, but lemons are a guaranteed at the standard airport bar.

Lunch time on the plane.  The peanuts option is no more.

Vanna Nieve, showing the food off.

Anything milk-like seems to pass the test when going through security as "baby friendly" as long as it has a sealable lid.  They usually test it for fumes, but I haven't had a problem with it before.  Neva really enjoys kefir, and it seems to keep pretty well for the whole trip.  Mixing some granola tossed in raisins and dried cranberries with some kefir on top makes a great snack, and we just asked the flight attendant for one of the plastic cups used for beverages which are no longer complimentary.

TIP 3. You can bring on items for baby that are not re-sealable, however, they most likely will open them up to "test" them, and then you are stuck with an open container that you need to use right away. 

TIP 4.  Bringing your own utensils is helpful.  Some attendants are not as generous as others, and it's nice to have.

Dinner - the vacation stretch.  We had a 2 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and were ready for some real food.  Unfortunately, the Fort Lauderdale airport has minimal accommodations.  The only two "food" sources only served prepackaged foods at ridiculous prices, but we had to cave because we had finished off the kefir/granola combo wanted greens.

Neva wanted to be in this picture.

We came up with a smoked salmon sandwich ($8.50), a hummus with pretzels (ahem...$5.00!), and a very dry orange (we didn't know that when we bought it).  Usually, I bring powdered hummus by Casbah.  It's light, easy to carry, and pretty delicious if you don't have many other options than bread around.  Neva was very proud of herself when she discovered it was extra tasty to dip her bread-heavy sandwich into the hummus.

TIP 5.  Don't forget the hummus...

I didn't take a picture of the fresh cantaloupe we brought, but this is the tupperware container that it was in.  All four sides lock and they have a tight rubber lid for a full water-tight seal.  They come in handy for future leftovers, or a way to make

TIP 6.  If you've ever had liquid spill, go for the Lock & Lock, BPA free food containers.

And last, but not least, if you are feeding your family...

Neva with her giraffe pillow and backpack of a few toys and snacks, waiting to leave the plane.

Make sure they carry their weight!