After nearly a month of clear skies, the day Britta and I chose for our first zero day turned out blustery and rainy. Talk about perfect timing. While temperatures dropped outside and the sky dripped rain, we enjoyed the warm and dry comforts of the Toaster House. Britta and I picked up a package with supplies at the Post Office – thanks Mom – and spent over an hour using wifi and eating at Pie Town Cafe, where I had the delicious raspberry pie mentioned in the last post. We experienced another bit of trail magic here when we went to pay, only to be told someone had already paid for our meal. Whoever the anonymous person was, I hope they know how much that meant to us. The generosity and kindness of literally every person we meet continues to amaze me.

I spent the rest of the afternoon reading a book (what luxury!) and chatting with other hikers. They trickled in as the day wore on until there were ten of us total.

This morning Nita (who owns the Toaster House) took a bunch of us on a tour of Pie Town, which included the one VLBA (Very Long Baseline Array) antenna located here. The antenna is one of 10, and together they make up a single radio telescope which is the “world’s largest dedicated, full time astronomical instrument”, according to a brochure at the site. We got to watch as the antenna was repositioned, which was super cool.

Since Pie Town Cafe was closed today, Britta and I went for breakfast at The Gathering Place, where I tried the famous New Mexican apple pie with green chilies in it. It’s definitely a new favorite.

It’s supposed to be a bit chilly the next few days with a good chance of rain on Friday, and it won’t be easy to leave a place as amazing as the Toaster House and Pie Town. Still, the trail is calling. Time to head back out!