Down to BLM Campground, Datil, NM

Can you spot the library (off left)?

It was our highest mileage day: 22 miles to the BLM campground, mostly downhill, still enough to kick our butts. We encountered the most beautiful country yet. The road to Datil followed a wooded canyon. We stopped frequently just to take it in.

Our campsite.	Cougina, Jack, Rima.
Another stock drive rest stop.	GoToMeeting home.

The BLM campground is another well-kept secret. Tended by Jack and Rima, the kindest people you could meet, who have travelled the world themselves and have their own stories to tell. The camp is nestled in empty, wooded hills, has plenty of good well water, green firewood (which C can somehow get burning), spotless outhouses, and soft tent pads. The big surprise was Wi-Fi and electricity! There is a new log building where we were able to hold our video meeting, even though it had been raining outside. So lovely that we are staying extra days, getting our videos uploaded, relaxing, recuperating, and cooking a big batch of sloppy joes to fuel the ride. The meat came from the little store in Datil that has its own butcher shop for the meat counter and the adjacent restaurant.

Yesterday evening, Jack and Rima even hosted a little evening get-together for Keith and Judy, another couple in the campground, and us. They said it wouldn't be much, but Rima had even made flan in dessert glasses. What a treat for bicycle tramps! Life is very good.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE and COUGINA

Hermetic Analysis of the Lord's Prayer

Our stats show that most of our hits are for the Hermetic posts, so let me call your attention to this one on our sister blog, HermeticOrderForHumans.com: The Lord's Prayer can be interpreted as following the pathway diagrammed at left on the Kabalist Tree of Life.

http://hermeticorderforhumans.com/2012/08/14/hermetic-analysis-of-the-lords-prayer/

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE and COUGINA

Dreamtown: Pie Town, New Mexico

Pie Town sits at 8000' elevation. It originated, in the late 1800's, Nita thought, as a stopping point along the cattle drive from Springerville, Arizona to the railhead in Magdalena, New Mexico. Cowboys bought dried fruit here, and eventually pies. Indeed, we have been following a route through high, open grasslands all along the way. And, indeed, there are two local cafes which both serve excellent pie. By the way, we're talking 35 residents in town, and 150 in a 15 mile radius of town.

Alyce

Not just Toaster House, but the entire community, is a special sort of place. You know how the magazines do the articles on the ten best places to live in the US? This is one of those places that you hope the magazines never discover.

Tommy

Nita stopped by in the afternoon and told us about the Friday dinner at the Pie Town Cafe. Thus began the expansion of our experience, from the friendliness and generosity of Toaster House, to the friendliness and generosity of Pie Town. We had fried cod with cole slaw and hand cut fries, excellent by any standard. But the food was not as remarkable as the people. The Friday evening dinner is obviously a town social event. There was even a lower priced dish on the menu, such that most anyone could feel comfortable attending. Every table but one was reserved. All he locals were friendly to us, including Alyce, Michelle (our waitress who was handling the whole place, and whose dad came in for a hug while we were there), Ed, , and JY, Joan, and their son Tommy. Tommy later came to the Toaster House with three nice beers, Dominican cigars, fine guitar playing, and interesting conversation to finish our evening in style.



It was all so enjoyable, and we, so fatigued, that we changed our plans and spent another day.

Saturday, we tried the green chile stew at the Pie-o-neer. Great stuff!

Ajo

Later in the day, Ajo came by and regaled us with more good ale, oranges (bless you, Ajo) and stories of his time on THE ICE. He spent 10 years doing technical work in Antarctica.

Cougina magically summoned the energy to drag me to the dance at the community center. (I wanted to get my rest for the next day.) Sorry we didn't get photos! It was a blast, and I didn't want to leave. A country/western band, which was good enough to play an urban bar, IMO, played country favorites, and you know how we love to dance. Plus, we got to meet a bunch of new friendly people.

The striking thing about Pie Town was affirmed by Anna, the post mistress: the residents not only care for each other, but seem to accept each other. If you've lived in small towns, you know how the support and friendship is counterbalanced by gossip and jealousy. It gets revealed even to us as passersthrough. Cougina and I have noticed that, with all the people we have talked to here, no one has had anything but positive words to say about anyone else. Not even veiled neutrality. Just positive.

This is about the nicest thing I can think of that I could say about a place. If it were in our hearts to settle in one spot, I don't think we would need to look further than Pie Town.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE and COUGINA

Toaster House in Pie Town, NM

It was meant to be, because we could well have rolled through Pie Town without ever hearing of Toaster House. It started with the BikeandBuild kids.

Toaster House!

Tony and Joan

Then, in Quemado, Joan and Tony, who assist Nita as caretakers, pulled over in their pick up and told us exactly how to get there, where the frig with beer was located, etc.

Nita

Toaster House hostel is the gift of Nita Larronde, who raised her five children here. Although she no longer lives here, she leaves the house open as a haven to foot, bike, and horse travelers. Literally, there is a hand printed sign on the front door: "No one lives here any more -- please make yourselves at home."

The house is on the CDT (Continental Divide Trail), so it is a respite to the many thru hikers and bikers who pass through. Also, the place is home to over 200 people during the annual Pie Town festival, scheduled this year for Sept 8, 2012.

Kitchen

Can you imagine what it is like to be on the road for awhile and stumble upon a place like this? Look at the photos. It is a rustic log home, blending into nature in a way that is comforting rather than foreign to people who have been living outdoors, and yet offering all of the conveniences that we miss. There is a wall of shoes, and you are invited to trade yours in if you find a pair you like better.

Penthouse sleeping.

There is a full kitchen, bath, washing machine, and pantry, and a donation jar and guest book is the only request for repayment. We popped a frozen pizza in the microwave, showered, and eventually threw our sleeping bag in the middle of our hangout, the porch, with a full view of the stars. Not before going to the Pie-o-neer for the Friday night dinner, but that is another story, coming soon...

The porch...

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE and COUGINA

Largo courtesy of http://www.swproperties.com/

No posts lately because we have been out of Verizon coverage for the last few days. This is highly upsetting for Cougina, who had checked the Verizon online coverage map and chosen a route that was identified as having service.

Other than the data service, all is well. We were exhausted when we arrived in Quemado, NM. Conditions were too windy for a comfortable camp, so we got a room at the Largo motel. Highly recommended! The manager told us that it is three years old, but our room looked like it was brand new. The appointments were as plush as many more expensive city hotels that I have stayed in. Also, the cafe had good food in huge portions.

Campsite enroute to Pie Town.

The next morning, we started the two day journey toward Pie Town. Cougina's plan to get us into condition is certainly the all out masculine approach. We found a very nice campsite on BLM land, just in time. Considering that we started with zero conditioning, we were satisfied with 55 mi in four days, loaded, uphill, and into the wind almost all the way.

Aggie's turn to cook.

Next post will describe Pie Town, which turned out to be worth every bit of the four days of uphill riding into the wind.

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
AGGIE and COUGINA