Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Day 14 of the Tour Divide brought many faster riders to the quirky and legendary Pie Town, New Mexico—a place where the promise of homemade pie is more than just a name. Before they push through the challenging Gila, photographer Eddie Clark captured a few excellent moments on this stretch from his base near El Malpais, from Grants to Pie Town…
Photos by Eddie Clark
Pie Town, New Mexico, got its name from a literal love of pie. In the early 1920s, a man named Clyde Norman—who had moved to the area from Texas—opened a small bakery and became locally famous for his homemade dried apple pies. Travelers passing through on the dusty trails of what would eventually become U.S. Highway 60 started referring to the area as “Pie Town,” and the name stuck.
Today, the tiny community embraces its dessert-based identity with an annual Pie Festival on the second Saturday of each September, and a couple of beloved pie cafés continue the tradition. It’s one of those rare places where the name tells you exactly what you’re in for. And that’s precisely what Tour Divide riders dream about before entering the rugged Gila National Forest as they pedal their way through the remaining miles to the southern terminus.
Leading up to day 14 of Tour Divide, Eddie was working his camera magic based out of the El Malpais National Conservation Area, a splendidly remote area marked by ancient lava flows, cinder cones, caves, and sandstone bluffs. He based himself there for this round of photos and took advantage of the dispersed camping a little more than a mile off route while working from Grants to Pie Town and back. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more in the coming days.
Check out the 2025 Tour Divide Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map, see our Rigs of the Tour Divide roundups, and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.
Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.
