A few miles east of Pie Town on NM 60 are the Very Large Array Radio Telescopes on the Plains of Agustin (Augustine). They are moved around on railroad tracks and weight almost 350 tons each.
A description of the VLA
Clouds are brewing over the Plains of Agustine as I drive to Pie Town. Pie Town is a three hour drive from my home in Albuquerque whether I go through Soccoro or via Grants.
All the comforts of home! Be sure to check for spiders before you sit.
There is a water faucet nearby.
The Pie-O-Neer Cafe is right across the street.
The Pie-O-Neer Cafe. I met an old fellow in Jackson Park who was visiting from Texas with his son and grandson. He lived in Pie Town during the 1930's and told me about people at that time who tried to do dry farming. Of course, the dry farming failed during the drought of the dust bowl years.
Another view from the free camping at Jackson Park.
Even though the sign at Jackson Park points you to the left, go right. It is closer to the water and the "facilities."
Welcome to Pie Town. I missed the pie festival this year, but I am going to try to make it next year.
I am actually a little further from the outhouse than this picture suggests. There are also modern Porta-Potties nearby.
I arrived Saturday late afternoon on Memorial Day weekend in 2007.
I left my vehicle here the next day and rode 30 miles south on the GDMBR. I camped near Vio Vences and then returned the following day.
Ready to roll. This was my first shakedown. I rode around the neighborhood at home before I left. I overheard one of the neighbors telling his wife that it looked like I was running away from home.
Clouds northeast of Pie Town as I embark.
One last look back at my campsite as I head out on my shakedown.
There are two cafes in Pie Town. The Daily Pie Cafe is down the hill (west) about a quarter mile, as is the GDMBR.
A quick stop for a picture of the post office. I will really be depending on this Post Office for a resupply stop next year on the real GDMBR ride. Next year I will be headed northbound (NOBO) and depending on conditions it could take me 5 days to get here from Silver City. Then, depending on whether I take the main route or the alternate route around El Malpais it could take up to 2 1/2 days more to get to Grants for another resupply.
About 25 miles south of Pie Town is this old adobe church. I believe this area is called Mangas. I have seen pictures of this building from the 1960's and it looks exactly the same; including a pickup trailer on the other side of the building that I cropped out. There are other ruins in the area that I photographed on my way back to Pie Town.
The rain is all around me, but I stayed dry. This shot is looking back towards Pie Town to the north.
Another view of the old church facing south. There is a little pickup body trailer to the right of this picture that is in about the same spot as a picture that was taken around 1965 and shown in Burt Murphy's book: Trailing Louis L'Amour in New Mexico.
I stayed shy of the offical campground at Valle Vences, because it was a holiday weekend. This is a recommended site on the ACA GDMBR map. I'd give it a thimbs up. There was a spring about 1/4 mile away, but I was hauling plenty for my 2 day shakedown. I wanted to check my capacity to haul that much for when I actually needed to do so.
Time to set up camp and start cooking.
This shot is the next morning after I had packed up and was almost ready to roll.
Looking up hill from my "paraje" (campsite or stay over place)
A view down hill from "Paraje de Bob". I did share the site with a couple with the pop up camper that you can see in the distance. They were very curious about me and the GDMBR. They offered to share their dinner with me. Unfortunately, I was already eating like mad to reduce my trailer load, but I did take them up on some conversation over a frosty beer after dinner.
This is the Mangas Work Center, which I stopped to investigate on my way back to Pie Town on Memorial Day.
Inside it could definitely use a little housekeeping. I did not touch anything, because I did not want to stir up any dust or hantavirus from mouse urine. Hantavirus and plague are real threats in New Mexico. A few people die every year from these two diseases here. You want to protect your food as much from the rodents as from the bears. Besides the fact that you don't want them eating it, you also don't want them urinating or deficating nearby. Their saliva also carries the virus, so don't touch where they have obviously been chewing.
A shot looking east from the Mangas Work Center in the morning on my way back to Pie Town. If you are a Louis L'Amour fan, then this whole ride is in "Conagher" country.
Approaching the old adobe church in Mangas from the south
A ruin in the same area as the church
More views from the area of the church facing north
Another view from the area of the church facing northeast
The "Freightliner" balanced on a kickstand. I had not learned how to use the "park" position with the BOB trailer yet.
An abandoned settlement from long ago. Maybe Conagher settled near here?
More ruins near the old church
Heading back to Pie Town, about 20 miles south of Pie Town
Same area, different angle and zoomed out.
Panning around toward the east
Some mud on the road! The rain chased me yesterday, but fortunately did not catch me.
An abandoned place
Another abandoned place
Looking back over my shoulder near the abandoned homes
A shot from the bike toward the west near the abandoned homes. A nice tailwind was picking up and something blew up into the picture. It looks like a strap from my Camelback or my helmet.
About seven miles south of Pie Town, these folks leave water out in an old cooler for hikers, bikers, and equistrians. The GDMBR and the CDT pass by here
The cooler with the water. I still did not need any. However, I left a business card with my personal info, and a thank you note written on the back. I also let them know that next year at this time I will definitely plan to take them up on their hospitality.
Looking back at the rollers to the west (south bound-SOBO) from the cooler
The Freightliner with the Sawtooth Mountains in the background.
The other side of the driveway from the cooler
This is the artwork that you can see in the driveway in the previous picture. Did you miss it? Can you find it? Go look for it now.
Yes, an excellent tailwind to push me back to Pie Town. In the summer, the wind in this area generally blows from the south or the west. That is one reason I will be headed NOBO next summer.
I don't mind wind as long as it is a tailwind. I really like tailwinds!
This shot is approximately at the free water in the green cooler location looking north at the Saw Tooth Mountains. Pie Town is seven miles to the north from here and south of the Saw Tooth Mountains.
Back at Jackson Park. It is free and worth every penny of it - actually far more. Thanks for the hospitality Pie Town. You folks are great!! I'll see you next year. By the time I get here from the Mexican border I will really be looking forward to some pies. After I eat all the pies at one cafe I will head to the other one. Ride to Eat. Eat to Ride. Ride the Great Divide!
