3 Highlights:
• Meeting “70” at TLC Ranch
• Eating pie with other hikers in Pie Town
• Warming up in the Toaster House while it snowed outside
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 47 km
• Starting point: km 4101
• Ending point: km 4149
• Weather conditions: Crazy winds, windy with sand
Reflections (Challenges, Insights, Musings):
The wind last night had me worried the tent would collapse, but when I woke up, it was still standing—small miracles, right? I hit the gravel roads fast, and a few hours in, I saw another hiker in the distance. Turns out it was “70,” an ultrarunner, of course. We hit it off and set a fast pace, aiming to make Pie Town by 5 p.m.
Should’ve been easy, right? 24 km in 5 hours on dirt roads. But here’s the kicker: the wind. Brutal winds, with sand and dust pelting us the whole time. It was like the trail decided to spice things up just for fun. But we made it with 10 minutes to spare and dove straight into some much-needed hot food—apple pie, blueberry pie, you name it. Hiker priorities, am I right?
Inside the restaurant, four other hikers were doing the same thing—eating pie like their lives depended on it. After that, we headed to the Toaster House, a hiker-friendly villa that’s free to stay in. Multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room with guitars, and the best hiker box I’ve seen so far.
It started snowing outside, so we were more than happy to be indoors. Too much food, too cold, and way too tired now. Time to pass out. Good night.
