CDT Day 19 Pie Town

Brad McCartney
Continental Divide Trail
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6th May

8.1 miles (13km)

Bushcamp (328.1) to Nitas Toaster House in Pie Town(336.2)

“I thought we were all leaving at 6”, Crunchmaster said.

It was 5.45am. I was still in bed. The sun was trying its best to lighten the sky. I slowly made a move out of my tent as Crunchmaster set off. We were heading to Pie Town. Food. We were literally wasting away and starving hungry.

I was last to leave camp at 6.15am. I saw a nice sunrise as I hiked to Pie Town. Yet another road walk.

I arrived at Pie Town to a reunion of sorts. Hikers everywhere. Most I knew, some I met for the first time. I went to the well known hiker and biker haven called Nitas Toaster House.

There’s not much in Pie Town. We went to the post office to pick up the food we sent to ourselves. Then to the Pie Town Cafe for breakfast. I hadn’t showered in about 9 days, nor had I washed my clothes. It was time to leave breakfast to clean up.

I showered and weighed myself. I’ve lost a total of 15 pounds (7kg) in the last 9 days. I was shocked. I was hungry and fatigued but I didn’t think I could lose weight that quick. I washed my clothes and we headed out to feed ourselves. Crunchmaster lost 5 pounds (2kg) and Spontaneous lost 10 pounds (5kg).

More food. Wifi. Then an impromptu hiker celebration at the Toaster House. It’s never seen this many hikers. Maybe 25 in total. We have quickly all become good friends.

pre dawn hiking
when in pie town
yes I ate pie
so many hikers in one place
Nitas Toaster House
hydrating
Korean Soju

Next – Day 20 – Pie Town to the Ranch

Everything you need to know about hiking the CDT:
Complete Guide to Hiking the Continental Divide Trail
CDT Resupply Guide
CDT Gear List

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Brad McCartney
Life long lover of hiking and keen observer of the natural world. Former Police Officer and Wilderness Tour Guide who loves Cycling and Hiking the most amazing places on the planet.

8 Comments

  2. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer their questions. I have great respect for anyone who makes a child feel important. They will all be so thrilled tomorrow! Everything is important in the life of a child, and I always tell them there is no silly question because someone else may be wondering the same thing.

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  3. Pie Town looks like a great place for hikers to visit! While road-walking probably isn’t the most fun, I love to see pictures of scenic open roads. We live in an end-of-the-road kind of town, and most of the time I love it. But to me, an open, seemingly never-ending road shows so much promise and that there is so much of life to discover and enjoy.

    By the way, I was having a Science lesson with my first graders last week about desert habitats. We were discussing the lack of water, the types of animals and plants that can be found there, and the typical weather. I mentioned to them that I had a friend who was hiking through the desert in New Mexico right now, and they were full of questions. They wanted to know where you sleep, what you eat, and where you get your water. These clever, little 6 and 7 year-olds also wanted to know how you watch TV, if you have a camel, and why you are walking if you could just ride in a car. Ha!

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    1. Road walking is not always fun but it is always possible to see the good side of everything. For example I had a rather boring road walk with expansive views of the skies. The rolling storms, clouds, sunsets were amazing. Photos coming soon, I’m a bit behind due to lack of cell service / wifi. As for your very smart 6/7 year olds I’ll try and answer their questions.
      I normally sleep in a tent but sometimes I sleep on a comfortable mat on the ground under the stars, they make me go to sleep quickly. When I walk into a town I stay in a real bed in a hotel. But I like it better away from towns in nature.
      I eat food that I can carry. My favourite food to eat when I’m hiking in the desert is oats for breakfast, nuts, Pringles, granola bars and cheese for snacks and lunch. Pasta, noodles and rice for dinner. If I’m lucky I can have some Chocolate for desert but sometimes it’s too hot and it has melted when I’m in the desert.
      Finding water in the desert can be hard. I have maps and other information on where I can find water. But sometimes I need to look for clues. Sometimes people use windmills to get water from underground so I look for them. Other times there a rivers. So sometimes they are big, sometimes they are small, sometimes they are dry. Also, I look for animals, they need water. If I see cows I know there is water nearby. They are like us, they need to drink everyday.
      I don’t watch tv when hiking in the desert. Sometimes I stay in towns that have tv. But I am normally too busy to watch tv.
      I would love to have a camel. That would be so much fun.
      I like walking, cycling and traveling slowly. When traveling in a car most people don’t get to see all the trees, the small flowered, the snakes, the lizards and strange insects. Sometimes it’s better to slow down and really look at what is in front of you.
      I hope that answers your questions. I spent many hours in classrooms with 6/7 year olds teaching them about policemen and what to do in emergencies when I was a police officer in small outback communities. They are certainly curious about the world.

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  4. Will you be sending yourself more food now? Why do you think you are using more calories? Is it colder? Just didn’t pack enough food? I didn’t remember you having this issue on the PCT? More trail Angels on the PCT perhaps?

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    1. I will send myself one more package in New Mexico. I will buy locally for the rest of New Mexico and Colorado. As for the calorie deficit there are a couple of reasons. It was colder, so we needed more calories to stay warm. Secondly, both Spontaneous and Crunchmaster underestimated their food needs and were short on food, I had to give them three of my meals. And lastly our bodies metabolism has just gone u to overdrive (often called hiker hunger), it’s when the body is able to transfer its food into energy efficiently. It’s the start of us turning into hiking machines. It also happened on the PCT but when it happened towns were not 180 miles apart. It will happen again when we hit the high altitude of Colorado, but we will be ready this time.

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