Rim Country

The other reason to overnight at Datil Wells was to time my approach to Pie Town when at least one of the cafes in town was open. Last time, I was too early and I wasn't going to make that mistake again!

What I didn't realize until I was sitting at breakfast was that Pie Town is a well known stop on the Continental Divide Trail even though it is several miles away from where the trail crosses the highway.

Speaking of breakfast - my choice was New Mexico Apple pie, and of course, a serving of dairy to make a well rounded breakfast. The Gathering Place was the only cafe that was open on a weekday morning, but turned out to be an excellent choice. They have their business to a science - you don't buy by the slice, you buy a small whole pie

Which leaves plenty for breakfast again the next day! Actually, the size would have been just right to split three ways but sometimes you have to make a sacrifice and eat it all alone.

As I headed west towards the Arizona border, it was clear that we were headed into Arizona's monsoon weather.

Camp, for several days, was a spot off of the Young Road, south of Willow Springs lake. I was the first to arrive for the tenth annual Team Evil Fish camp out. Got a spot where I could get some sun on the solar panel but didn't get many pictures around camp since it was in the middle of the weather factory - grey and wet most of the time.

I did find that in general, there were a few hours in the mornings where I could get out before the weather went south. Did some hiking on the Highline trail,

enjoying some of the views,

and logging some caches that hadn't been visited for more than a year.

Other days, I drove in to Payson to visit a few special challenge caches. Nearly all of them were positioned at the top of hills which lead to some beautiful views.

Most of the caches were in good shape, but that wasn't always the case! This one was spread out over a small area with the lid off and the base full of water. It suffered from exposure to the Arizona sun and was falling apart.

It was worth drying out the logbook enough to stamp it. It hadn't been visited for over two years! I dried out the container and tried to arrange it with better protection.

Meanwhile, other folks had set up camp and a few more came to visit on Friday.

It took some special assistance to get the fire going but eventually we enjoyed a nice fire for a few hours.

Saturday started off with rain that finally broke for a bit. I decided to take the opportunity and make a run for it, heading for the barn. Turns out the rest of the group enjoyed a nice afternoon while I unloaded the trailer and started the wash.

Won't be long and we'll be on the road for another short trip.